FAITH IN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- MEMBER of the BOARD
- Visionary Leader
Derek is a visionary leader with a passion for real estate and community development. He is experienced in selling, building, developing, and consulting real estate for over 15 years. Derek sold real estate in Houston, TX from 2006-2014, and was a board member and real estate director of Southeast Houston Community Development Corporation from 2009-2012. Derek has saved residential and commercial property owners over a billion dollars in property tax valuation through property tax hearings for over 9 years. His passion to develop and revitalize communities has been a central part of his life from an early age. He grew up in transitional and underserved neighborhoods in Houston, TX. His goal is to revitalize communities in transition through a holistic approach to community development. He believes in revitalization without gentrification! Derek is the Director of Housing Initiatives for Abounding Prosperity Inc, a nonprofit in South Dallas, TX. He is implementing a housing program to develop permanent supportive housing, micro-restaurants, market rate housing, class A commercial buildings, transitional housing, historic remodels, and mixed-use projects. His life is devoted to spreading the love of Jesus Christ through his life as an example, his professional work, community action, and service to those in need. He serves on three community nonprofit boards, NTARUPT (North Texas Alliance to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Teens), Faith in Texas, and The Friends of Juanita Craft Civil Rights Museum. He has three children Derek JR., Madison, and Bryce.
Dr. Brian L. English was born and raised in Dallas, TX. He attended grade school in the Dallas Independent School District. He received his undergraduate degree in Marketing and MBA from Texas A&M University-Commerce. Additionally, Dr. English graduated with a Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Arlington's Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program.
After a short stint working in corporate America, Brian began to better understand his purpose in life. Thus, he explored various roles in the education, non-profit, and faith-based sectors. He previously served as the Executive Director of the UT Youth Engagement Center - Dallas in The University of Texas at Austin's Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. In this role, he oversaw the Dallas outreach programs for UT Austin and developed/implemented innovative pathways to success for high school students, college students, and graduates in the Dallas area. In addition to college access services, Brian led the efforts to build mentoring, internship, and professional development programming. Additionally, he worked at Concord Church in a number of roles, including executive coordinator to the senior pastor with a focus on community engagement, interim couples director, and director of ministry engagement. In the latter role, his primary responsibility was to help place members in places of service based on their gifts, talents, and passion.
Brian's purpose is to help people pursue and walk in their own purpose using their God-given strengths, gifts, and passions. Our strengths play a tremendous role in our day-to-day lives and Brian has a passion for helping people leverage them to fulfill the calling on their lives. Thus, in 2019 Dr. English founded GAPP Coaching, where the focus is for people and teams to be Gifted And Passionate on Purpose. Brian has been happily married to Dr. Ashley English since December of 2012. Brian and Ashley are the proud parents of three beautiful children: Joseph, Joshua, and Faith.
Job Titles:
- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
- Senior Pastor of Dallas City Temple
Dr. Jaime Kowlessar has relentlessly pursued community activism and involvement, challenging the church to heed the call of Christ to be relevant and present in the lives of those in need. As a native New Yorker and a transplant to the south, Dr. Kowlessar has seen and experienced a range of injustices, and believes it is the call of God's Church to be His hands and feet in the earth to make the crooked paths, straight.
Being a voice for the communities he serves has compelled him to become a student of people and the scriptures. He has an undergraduate degree in theology from Atlantic Union College, a Masters of Divinity from Andrews University, a Doctorate of Ministry degree from the United Theological Seminary, and is currently working on his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Social Change.
Dr. Kowlessar serves as the Senior Pastor of Dallas City Temple, a congregation that gathers at the doorstep of injustice in the heart of Southern Dallas. As pastor, he leads in the effort to fight inequality by joining with the community and local church leaders to implement strategies that improve the economic, educational, and spiritual conditions in the Cedar Crest community.
He works with the Clergy Table for Faith in Texas which leads and appoints a diverse band of clergy - Catholics, Muslims, Jews, and Christians - to fight against injustice. His thoughts can be read as an op-ed writer for the Dallas Morning News, and a frequent contributor to books and publications on race, equality and social justice. He is also the author of "Justice or Just Us: Sermons and Reflections on the Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness," and "How to Put the Neighbor Back in the Hood. "
Dr. Kowlessar has been married to the love of his life, Carlene, since 2008. Together they have two daughters, Katelynn and Amber.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
Joe Swanson is the Lead Community Organizer with Faith in Texas. His job is to help faith communities identify and address the systemic injustices driving the visible burdens and suffering in their backyards.
Joe grew up east of Dallas in Heath, Texas, which is only a few miles away from the congregations and people he serves today. He started organizing as a student at Wake Forest University. While there, Joe was the Southern Regional Policy Coordinator with the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network and co-founded a student-run think tank to craft policies addressing local needs in the communities around campus. After graduating from Wake Forest with a degree in History and minors in music and Spanish, Joe came home to the Dallas area to continue organizing locally and statewide with the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.
Joe later joined the Faith in Texas team as he believes that faith communities like his own are uniquely positioned to construct the Beloved Community and co-create a more just world. Joe loves God, his wife Regan, his friends, his family, and being outside. He believes the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl and Rangers will win the World Series every year.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
- Strategist, Public Relations Executive
Named one of the 100 most influential Black Americans by EBONY Magazine, Kiara Pesante Haughton is a progressive political strategist, public relations executive and justice advocate with over a decade of experience specializing in campaigning in the South, strategic communications, crisis management, public affairs and partnerships.
She is Senior Vice President in the Issue Advocacy practice at BerlinRosen, leading work at the intersection of racial justice, electoral politics and culture. She partners with campaigns, political organizations, and nonprofits to tell the stories of people and families to spark changes in the systems that hurt too many. For nearly three years, she led communications for Civil Rights Corps, an organization leading landmark anti-racist litigation and high-impact advocacy that empowers communities to change the unjust legal system. Before that, she served as Communications Director for the Democrats on the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Education and Labor, where she was one of the youngest senior staffers in the chamber's Democratic leadership, and led the caucus' messaging around the Working Families Agenda and the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Previously, she was the Southern Regional Press Secretary and National Director of African American Media for the Democratic National Committee, where she led the party's media outreach and messaging in 11 states and in diverse communities across the nation, and advised more than 40 candidates and campaigns. Pesante Haughton has worked in local government, playing an integral role in the revitalization of D.C. taxicabs, the introduction of ridesharing to the city, and the expansion of public transportation options. She was on the battleground states press team for both the 2012 and 2016 Democratic National Conventions.
She has served in various roles at Edelman Public Relations, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and at WSB-TV in Atlanta. She was named the 2017 Young Woman of Achievement for Politics and Campaigns by the Women's Information Network and was part of the Women's Campaign School at Yale University's class of 2012.
Pesante Haughton earned her MPA from Howard University and her BA in Journalism from Auburn University. She lives in D.C. with her husband Malik and daughter Zora.
Mark Walters Jr. was born in Monterey California, however, has been in New Orleans since he was a year and a half. Even though he was born in California, his roots were established in New Orleans. Mark's life experiences have made him well-rounded and able to connect with individuals from different cultures, backgrounds, and professions. His passion is assisting persons to reach their maximum potential while allowing them to create their version of freedom. This passion has led Mark into the work of community organizing, service facilitation, leadership development, as well as mentorship.
Mobeen's role with people in the community has developed his leadership skills working with nonprofit organizations and marketing firms participating in numerous projects. These projects include youth groups, multimedia projects, and collaborative efforts with certain community members, raising awareness for a campaign. Mobeen's proficiency is in digital marketing relating to event planning, photography, videography, social media analytics, public speaking, public relations with press interviews, and sales.
A graduate from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree alongside a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership from Colorado State University. Mobeen has been accepted in the Organizational Leadership and Development program for his Ph.D. program starting in 2022.
Saadia Ahmed graduated in International Studies from Austin College where she intensified her commitment to serving the community. She is a community and thought leader in Dallas/Fort Worth in addition to being the founder and adviser to numerous nonprofit and community initiatives.
Sheria D. Smith is a civil rights attorney for the United States Department of Education-Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Sheria graduated from Harvard University and the University of Texas School of Law. Before she joined OCR, Sheria was a fifth-grade teacher, clerked for two federal judges, spent six years practicing employment and commercial litigation for private local and international law firms, and served on several boards, including the board of trustees for St. Luke Community United Methodist Church and The Hotchkiss School.44