Team
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Serves Your Passion
Our team is staffed with highly qualified and gifted individuals. Exceptional in their disciplines, the Georgia Baptist Foundation Team is constantly honing their skills to deliver the most professional, current, and proven solutions for you.
Johnathan Gray
President / CEO
It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Phil 1:20-21
Dr. Gray has a long history of faithful stewardship, serving as senior pastor of a local church for several years before joining the Foundation as the Central Area Director of Development. His calling has led him to Fort Worth, Texas and Louisville, Kentucky where he earned a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Theological Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry from The Southern Baptist Seminary. He led the establishment of the Southern Baptists of Texas Foundation prior to returning to Georgia, and in his studies, he laid the foundations for his current role as GBF President with a doctoral emphasis on church endowment and cooperative missions giving.
T: 770.452.8338
Email Johnathan
Susan DePasquale
Vice President / CFO, CPA, CGMA
He has told you, O man, what is good; but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8
Susan oversees operations and finance at the Foundation, with an eye for detail when it comes to financial reporting. She excels at building relationships with banks, businesses and faithful givers, stewarding just the right terms to preserve the good interests of the funds we administer. Her protective instincts are rooted in care, as we all honor gift intentions with the respect they deserve.
Susan’s vast expertise and experience as a CFO, CPA, and Controller provide her with a wealth of wisdom to share in the areas of accounting, human resource management, UPMIFA, non-profit leadership, and Christian Women Executives.
T: 770.216.7539
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Pamela Mills
Vice President Trust Services
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
With a long history of working alongside individual donors as they seek ways to support Kingdom work, Pam serves as the primary point of contact for planned giving donors. She smooths the path for non-cash gifts to ministry by helping churches and individuals utilize our gift clearing service and leads our estate administration team. Pam considers it a privilege to listen to the hearts of generous givers and help them follow their calling to multiple ministry efforts.
T: 770.216.7534
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Nathan Russell
Director of Business Development
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Having served as a worship leader in his local church and having worked as an insurance professional, Nathan brings experience from both the ministry and business worlds to the Foundation. As the Director of Business Development, Nathan is passionate about helping Baptist churches, organizations, and individuals be faithful stewards of all that God has blessed them with.
T: 770.452.8338
Email Nathan
Chad Freeman
Director of Communications
Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 37:3-4
Having served the last 18 years as an overseas communications missionary, Chad keenly understands communication strategies and the critical role they play in an organization. As the Foundation Director of Communications, he is responsible for managing the public relations aspect within the organization by building and sustaining the Foundation’s reputation for quality, reliability, and client satisfaction.
T: 770.216.7540
Email Chad
Scott Mitchell, CPA, CGMA, CAIA
Director of Investments
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God
Ephesians 2:8
With sharp skills in accounting, analytics and advanced spreadsheet techniques, Scott has been on the financial services side of ministry for almost a decade. He also holds the highest designation for alternative investments. Honored to oversee our investment fund accounting, he finds joy in advancing the Kingdom of God by serving the unique needs of our clients.
T: 770.216.7543
Email Scott
Nancy Patterson
Director of Donor Relations
Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!
1 Chronicles 16:9
As a pastor’s wife and customer service veteran, Nancy leverages her professional and personal experiences to build bridges with our generous givers. We love the hearts of the people we serve, and to show our appreciation for their donations, we organize visits, special events and communications with Nancy’s leadership.
T: 706.347.4040
Email Nancy
John Bryan
Regional Development Officer
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
John has served multiple churches as a senior pastor in Georgia as well as many interim pastorates across our state. He was formerly the Lead Missionary for Stewardship with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. He is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Seminary and earned a Doctor of Ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary.
His desire is to equip churches maximize faithful stewardship in every way possible.
T: 770.855.9665
Email John
Rachel Pinard
Accounting Services
As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18
Rachel has worked in many aspects of safeguarding gifts to the Foundation, from trust accounting and scholarship administration to internal auditing. Now she specializes in records preservation, where she enjoys researching the history of our trusts and connecting the personal stories of our gift givers, taking the temporary and translating it into a format that will last. She is also one of the warm voices you often hear over the phone when you contact our office.
T: 770.216.7541
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Kimberley Henry
Accounting Services
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
Colossians 3:23
Kimberley graduated Georgia State University with two Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Business Administration in 2016. She has worked in the Accounting and Insurance for the past 11 years. She has a heart for serving others and enjoys working to advance the Christian ministry.
T: 770.452.8338
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Courtney Fields
Marketing Associate
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.
Philippians 3:8
Courtney began her professional life by working in television media and digital marketing for Christian nonprofits in Southwest Georgia. Her passion for serving the Lord and others through communication arts is cultivated through her work as a Master of Arts in Theology student and through her role at the Foundation. As Marketing Associate, Courtney assists the Development and Communications teams by promoting the mission of the Foundation in printed and digital media.
T: 770.452.8338
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Jessica Wade
General Counsel
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4
Jessica graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Public Administration and a double minor in Psychology and Nonprofit and Philanthropy Studies. She then went on to Mercer Law School where she graduated with her Juris Doctor in 2020. Jessica is well versed in the world of Estate Planning and Probate through her work in a small firm in Middle Georgia.
T: 770.452.8338
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Elizabeth Hearn
Trust Services Associate
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians: 4:6-7
Having spent many years working as a communications specialist in a local church, Elizabeth is excited to continue her work serving Christians in Georgia. She loves hearing the stories of our donors and assisting them as they endeavor to further Kingdom work through their generosity! Elizabeth spent a decade working with local news agencies in and around Georgia. Now she loves to spread the news about all the great things happening at the Georgia Baptist Foundation!
T: 770.452.8338
Email Elizabeth
Elaine Sims
Administrative Assistant
Whom do I have in heaven but You? And with You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is good for me; I have made the Lord God my refuge, so that I may tell of all Your works.Psalms 73:25-28
Elaine uses her experiences from both the ministry and business worlds to provide administrative support to Dr. Gray and the Foundation’s Development Team. As a pastor’s wife with a passion for service, she enjoys meeting the needs of those we serve and effectively assisting them in maximizing faithful stewardship.
T: 770.452.8338
Email Elaine
Chaney Westbrook
Senior Staff Accountant
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:3-4
Chaney graduated from the University of North Georgia with a degree in accounting. He spent four years in public accounting prior to being called to join the Foundation. As a member of the accounting team, he is honored to do his part to spread the Gospel.
T: 470.705.5957
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Mark Strange
Senior Consultant for Stewardship & Foundation Initiatives
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14
Mark has spent more than half of his career in the technology sector, working in marketing, training, and services roles. After feeling a strong calling to serve in ministry, he dedicated eight years to the Georgia Baptist Mission Board as a Director in R&D (Marketing, Communications, & Events). In late 2024, Mark joined the Foundation as Senior Consultant of Stewardship & Foundation Initiatives, where he applies his expertise to enhance business processes and implement new technologies to further the organization’s mission.
T: 470.452.8338
Email Mark
