Daniel Patterson is serving as Acting President of the ERLC, in addition to his role as Executive Vice President. In this role, he serves as the ERLC’s chief operating officer and leads the team to develop and drive innovative strategies to equip churches and address the key moral and ethical issues of the day. He holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Molly have been married since 2010, and together they have three children.

Brent Leatherwood serves as Vice President of External Affairs and Chief of Staff for the ERLC. Before coming to the ERLC, he served as the executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party from December 2012 to December 2016, where he managed the organization’s campaign apparatus at the federal, state and local levels. He also worked on Capitol Hill as a senior legislative aide to former Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fla. Brent and his wife Meredith have three children and are members of The Church at Avenue South, where Brent serves as a deacon.

Elizabeth Graham serves as Vice President of Operations and Life Initiatives for the ERLC. She provides leadership, guidance and strategy for life and women’s initiatives and provides oversight to other strategic projects as needed. Additionally, she directs the leadership, management and operations for all ERLC events. Elizabeth is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is married to Richmond, and they have a son and a daughter.

Chelsea Patterson Sobolik serves as the Acting Director of Public Policy with the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission in the Washington, D.C. office. Previously, she worked on Capitol Hill on pro-life policies, domestic and international religious freedom, adoption, and foster care issues. Chelsea has been published at the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Gospel Coalition, Chritianity Today, and others. She is the author of Longing for Motherhood – Holding onto Hope in the Midst of Childlessness, and a forthcoming book on women and work. She has a B.A. in International Relations from Liberty University, and lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband Michael.

Elizabeth Bristow serves as the Press Secretary. Elizabeth oversees press and media operations for the organization. Elizabeth received a B.A. in Public Relations and Marketing from Union University in 2010. She and her husband reside in Texas and are blessed with two beautiful children.

Lauren Brown serves as Stand for Life Logistics and Operations Administrator. Lauren is originally from Mississippi and graduated from Delta State University. She and her husband Seth live in North Carolina where they are raising their three children. They are members at Imago Dei Church in Raleigh. 

Marie Delph serves as the Deputy Communications Director. Her primary duties are editing, web management, and project management. Marie came to the ERLC in 2010, having previously served three years as a staff writer for the International Mission Board. She moved to the Nashville area in 2009 when she married her husband, Zach. She and her husband have two sons.

Ashlee Garcia serves as Stand for Life Senior Manager for the ERLC. Ashlee is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She and her husband Greg reside in Texas, and they have one daughter.

Stacey Keck serves in the business and finance area, preparing payroll, accounts payable and assisting with other accounting functions. She and her husband, Bryan, were married in 1992 and are busy raising two boys.

Jenn Kintner serves as the Office Coordinator for the Nashville office of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. She holds a Doctorate of Education from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to her work at the ERLC she spent 10 years discipling and teaching women in Christian higher education.

Brooke Kramer serves as the Team Coordinator for the Washington, D.C., office. She assists with scheduling, event planning, office coordination, and project management. Brooke graduated from John Brown University with a B.S. in Political Science and Intercultural Studies. 

Grace Liu serves as Marketing Assistant. She helps manage ERLC and Stand for Life social media accounts and assists with other marketing campaigns and initiatives. Outside of the ERLC, Grace serves as Advancement and Partnerships Associate at The Field School and Projects Manager for the Asian American Christian Collaborative. 

Julie Masson serves as Director of External Engagement for the ERLC. She is responsible for strategic planning, development and implementation of the ERLC brand strategy across all ERLC departments and provides leadership and oversight for the ERLC marketing team as well as coordinating external affairs and partnership deliverables. Julie and her husband Jesse spent two years in Spain with the International Mission Board before moving to Kansas City where they live with their three children. She is a graduate of Iowa State University.

Meagan Mayo serves on the Events Staff for the ERLC. Meagan has a B.A. in Psychology from Lee University and a Master of Divinity in Great Commission Ministries from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She and her husband Eric live in Nashville, Tenn. 

Kevin Miller serves as videographer and video editor. He has a BS in Electronic Media Communication Production from Middle Tennessee State University. Currently, Kevin serves at ERLC’s Nashville office. In addition to serving ERLC, he works full time for WTVF in Nashville and manages his sole proprietorship Elemental Video Co. He has been honored with 12 Emmy nominations as well as five Emmys in the mid-south region.

Lindsay Nicolet serves as the Managing Editor of Content. She oversees the day-to-day management of our online content from the Nashville office. Lindsay completed her Master of Divinity at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is married to Justin and they have a daughter and a son.

Jeff Pickering serves as Director of Public Relations, currently in the Washington, D.C., office. He develops media strategy for the organization and president, hosts the weekly Capitol Conversations podcast, writes and edits newsletters, and leads the ERLC’s internship program. Jeff previously served in both local church ministry and government affairs in his home state of Texas, where he graduated from Texas A&M University. He and his wife, Chelsea have a son.

Bobby Reed serves as Chief Financial Officer. His primary responsibilities are financial oversight, human resources, and administrative business functions. Bobby, a graduate of Louisiana State University, came to the ERLC after serving on the staff of churches in Louisiana and Florida. He and his wife, Louise, have four children, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and a precious granddaughter.

Megan serves on the Operations and Events team and provides administrative support to the Vice President of Operations. She also manages the Stand for Life social media platforms. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s degree in Education from Lipscomb University. Megan lives in Nashville with her husband Nick and two children.

Tom Strode serves as a correspondent for Baptist Press. Tom and his wife, Linda, have been married since 1978. They have two children with wonderful spouses and five grandchildren. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri and Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Linda and he live in Nashville, Tenn.

Jason Thacker serves as chair of research in technology ethics at ERLC. He writes and speaks on various topics including human dignity, ethics, technology, public theology, digital governance, and artificial intelligence. His book, The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity, released March 2020 with Zondervan. He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is currently pursuing a PhD in Christian Ethics and Public Theology. He is married to Dorie and they have two sons.

Jill Waggoner serves the ERLC in the areas of public relations and marketing. A 2005 graduate of Union University, she and her family reside in Lebanon, Tenn., where her husband Brandt serves as lead pastor of Fairview Church. She and Brandt have three boys. 

Alex Ward serves as the Executive Assistant in the Office of the President at the ERLC. In his role, he assists with all logistical and operational needs for the Office of the President. He also assists with the oversight of the Research Institute under the leadership of the Director of Research and Senior Fellow in Christian Ethics. He is currently pursuing a Master of Theology in church history from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He holds a Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy from Mississippi State University.

Joshua B. Wester serves as Director of Content and Chair of Research in Christian Ethics. In this role, he provides analysis, content, and counsel on ethical issues to advance the ERLC’s internal and external needs, directs research and content development for the President, and coordinates the ERLC’s academic partnerships. He holds an M.Div from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Th.M. in Public Theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Josh is married to McCaffity, and they have two children.

Rachel Wiles serves as Events Project Manager and Psalm 139 Placement Manager. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Family Studies from Union University in 2005. Rachel and her husband Brad have been married since 2006 and have a son and a daughter.