Carol Meyer, Executive Director

Contact: carolm@sustainablesanctuary.org,
913-677-8672

Carol has been an active part of the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition for the past five years, especially in the areas of leadership and program development. She became the Executive Director in October 2010.

Her education includes a BA in Education from Newman University in Wichita, Kansas, and a Masters Degree in Theology from St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota. She also completed Spiritual Direction Training from the Vincentian Center for Spirituality at Work in Denver, Colorado, and attended the Women’s Leadership Institute at Avila College in Kansas City, Missouri.

A love of creation has always been a part of Carol’s life. This has expressed itself in outdoor activities, gardening, membership in various justice/environmental groups, and participation in Creation Spirituality conferences and groups. In the last ten years, a passion for Earth care has become central to her life, leading her to start a Green Team at her church, write/teach classes on the subject, and get involved with SSC. She has also written for the National Catholic Reporter blog, Eco Catholic.

Carol is comfortable working in a church environment and in interfaith venues. Her experience includes being a Pastoral Associate, a Director of Christian Formation, and an elementary teacher. She was the founder and director of WomanSource, a interfaith women’s center for personal and spiritual growth in Kansas City, Missouri. She had her own business, WisdomWays Spirituality Ministries, for 13 years before becoming the Executive Director of SSC.

Expressing her enthusiasm about SSC, Carol says, “I think caring for the Earth is a central issue of our time, the ‘great work’ that theologian Thomas Berry says God is calling us to do. I am excited about the potential of SSC to make a real difference in this arena. We are in a position to better aid congregations in being at the forefront of sustainability, helping people integrate Earth care with a deeper spiritual and theological persepctive. We have some very talented and dedicated people in our organization, and with the Spirit’s help, I know we can become a recognized and influential resource and education center for KC metro area faith communities.”

Contact: toma@sustainablesanctuary.org

Tom brings over twenty-five years of business experience to his role with the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition. In addition to his many years in the commercial real estate industry, Tom has considerable volunteer experience in the nonprofit sector including having served on the Board of Directors of Unity Church of Overland Park, 1½ years as President. Tom is also the volunteer host of a monthly teleconference series with the Tyson Center for Faith and Spirituality in the Workplace at the University of Arkansas.

Tom has received training as a vision quest guide with Rites of Passage, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to reintroduce meaningful rites of passage for people of the modern world and has used that training to found two businesses: Live a Mythic Life offers life coaching, workshops, and retreats for individuals to discover their personal vision and purpose; and Purpose Changes Everything, an organizational development consulting practice. Tom is a published author. His book, Your Place in the World, provides readers with a guide for their own heroic journeys to lives of vision, purpose, and service.

Tom is particularly interested in the intersection of spirituality and sustainability and sees the work of the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition as an important component in this movement.

Contact: samc@sustainablesanctuary.org

Sam brings a decade of experience in nonprofit management to the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition. Sam is passionate about the work that nonprofits do in our community and wants to be a part of the impact they have. Sam has led many nonprofit programs that impact youth and seniors. As a director for youth organizations in Kansas City, Sam was the house parent for youth in foster care and a program director for the Boys and Girls Club. In both of these positions, Sam created innovative programs and community partnerships. Sam sees community partnerships as the most important tool for a successful nonprofit.

As the director of the Sherwood Senior Center in Oregon, Sam used his community building skills to create numerous partnerships that benefited the seniors of Sherwood. Also while living in Oregon, Sam was the community organizer for Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (OADP). As a community organizer, Sam organized its development campaigns and community partnerships. OADP is a successful nonprofit that depends on congregations all over Oregon to be successful. Sam helped organize and leverage these partnerships.

Sam has an MPA in Nonprofit Leadership from the Bloch School of Management at UMKC. Sam’s capstone paper was titled, “How to Manage Innovation in a Nonprofit Environment.” Because of his education, Sam is knowledgeable of innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Sam also has a Development Certificate from the Midwest Center on Nonprofit Leadership.