Soulforce Staff

Jeff Lutes
Executive Director

Jeff is responsible for managing the day to day operations of the organization as he guides and empowers the "take it to the streets" style of activism which has become the hallmark of Soulforce, and it's new young adults division, Soulforce Q. Jeff is also a licensed professional counselor in private practice, and has directed treatment programs in both hospital and community mental health settings. His clinical expertise is in helping couples, both heterosexual and homosexual, to improve the quality of their relationships and, for those with children, the effectiveness of their parenting skills. He is a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA), the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC), and the Council on Contemporary Families (CCF). He has written numerous newspaper columns on issues facing same-gender couples and families, and presents relationship workshops based on the current social-science research. He and his partner of 10 years, Gary Stein, are the proud fathers of three children. Jeff's partner and two of the children are deaf, so American Sign Language is the primary mode of communication in their home.
Mel White
President and Co-Founder

The Rev. Dr. Mel White is a former ghostwriter for fellow evangelicals, including Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, Jim Bakker, and Jerry Falwell. Inspired by the nonviolence movements of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., White developed a program based on their principles to address the suffering of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. In 1997, he was awarded the ACLU's National Civil Liberties Award for his efforts to apply the "soul force" principles of Gandhi and King to the struggle for justice for sexual minorities. He is the author of over 16 books, including Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America, published in 1994, and Religion Gone Bad: The Hidden Dangers of the Christian Right, published in 2006.

Gary Nixon
Director of Business and Co-Founder

Gary is Co-Founder of Soulforce and has been with the organization before conception doing what has been needed from behind the scenes. Working as a team, he and Mel celebrated 25 years of life together in 2006 and are looking forward to the next 25. Living in Lynchburg, VA and keeping a watchful eye on Jerry Falwell, "we felt this is the heart of our journey and besides it can't be all that bad, who can boast that they live in the city that hosts Jerry Falwell and Fleet Enema."

"My wish for Soulforce is that eventually we are no longer needed, that we will have been accepted into the human family like the rest of the population and now we can get down to business to do what really needs to be done."
Ellen Osborne
Development Director

Ellen is the primary person responsible for overseeing Soulforce's fundraising efforts, including individual donors and grants from foundations. Ellen also prepares all of Soulforce's printed newsletters. In her spare time, she does work as an artist. Ellen lives with her two boys and a dog in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Bill Carpenter
Director of National Actions

Bill grew up in Memphis, TN where in his early teens, he witnessed much of the civil rights movement, including nonviolent demonstrations and marches led by Dr. King, Rev. James Lawson and his brother Phil and other of his present day heroes. After graduating from the University of Alabama, he worked in business and marketing in retailing and real estate. Coming out as a 40 year old, he shifted his attention from a traditional business career to a life of service. Presently, Bill is an active student of Truth principles, active at his Unity church and as a trainer in welcoming diversity and in principles of nonviolence. Bill says one of his greatest Soulforce experiences was early in Soulforce history at the UMC convention in Cleveland, OH in 2000 hearing two of his s/heroes Bob and Jeanie Graetz tell about the "second time their house was firebombed" while living in Montgomery, Alabama.
Kara Speltz
Executive Assistant

Kara has been involved with Soulforce since prior to the first action in Lynchburg, in 1999. She comes out of a Catholic Worker background and has been a peace and justice activist for over forty years. She was involved in the Catholic left draft board and corporation actions of the late 60's and early 70s, houses of hospitality, anti-racist work, prison work, and union organizing. In 2002, she traveled to Iraq just days after war started and then again two years later. As Executive Assistant her responsibilities involve being a "jill-of-all trades," so to speak; from making airline and hotel reservations, aiding in research for Mel's books, writing and/or editing pieces for publication, to making sure that Soulforce mail gets responded to.
Jamie McDaniel
Director of Web Development

Jamie has been involved with Soulforce since 2001. Prior to being brought on staff, he served as co-chair of the Soulforce direct actions at the 2003 and 2004 Southern Baptist Convention. He also led the team that created the Soulforce publication, Christian Youth: An Important Voice in the Present Struggle for Gay Rights in America. Jamie graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. As a certified web-developer, he brings a strong technical skill-set to the organization. Jamie has a vision for Soulforce maintaining a sophisticated internet presence and growing the organization through the forums and email list. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky with his husband, Chris Noble.

Paige Schilt
Director of Media and Public Relations

Paige Schilt organized her first teach-in as a college student at the University of Washington in 1993, when anti-gay activists from Oregon imported their discriminatory ballot initiative to Washington State. She earned a PhD in English from the University of Texas, where she wrote about ethical dilemmas faced by progressive documentary filmmakers. She was a co-founder of Girlday, an Austin collaborative that provided non-traditional workshops for teenage girls from 1999-2001. Paige lives in Austin with her partner, Katy Koonce, and their son Waylon.
Haven Herrin
Director of Soulforce Q: Young Adult Activism

Haven Herrin grew up in Dallas, TX and went to school for painting and drawing in Richmond, VA. She has been working with Soulforce Q for two years and is always searching for a way to bring more art into her activism. People tell her she is so far from home, but Minneapolis is a great place for social justice and she's never to far from either coast. When not on a plane or a bus, doing a sit-in or canvassing, you can find her in a coffee shop writing letters to her friends and working on her mac.
Katie Higgins
Director of Operations for Soulforce Q

Katie was raised in Charleston, SC and earned her BA in Applied Anthropology from Appalachian State University. She has worked with a number of community development and environmental conservation non-profits and is now serving as the Director of Operations for Soulforce Young Adult Activism. Katie came to Soulforce by way of the 2006 Equality Ride, as a Rider, and will be a Co-Director in 2007. She has recently relocated to Minneapolis, MN to join the Young Adult staff.
Jarrett Lucas
Director of Outreach for Soulforce Q

Jarrett Lucas was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He majored in visual media and writing at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. Upon graduation, he attended Drexel University where he studied computer engineering. A former Jehovah’s Witness, Jarrett now uses his experience and offers his knowledge as tools in the struggle for LGBT equality and social justice. He currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota and works as the Director of Outreach for the Young Adult division of Soulforce.
Alexey Bulokhov
Director of International Outreach: Soulforce Q

Alexey grew up in the Soviet Union and is honored to have the rare opportunity to be the change one wants to see in the world. Working as an International Liaison for Soulforce Q, he believes that philosophy and methodology of non-violence will further empower the emerging global LGBT movement. Alexey holds Communications degrees from Saint Lawrence University and College of New Rochelle. Prior to going fulltime into activism at the intersection of faith, gender, sexuality and social justice, he worked in fashion photography in New York. Alexey enjoys sushi, bicycles and commitment is not one of his phobias.

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