Staff Directory

Partners for Sacred Places lives at the intersection of heritage, faith, and community. Partners’ staff members bring a wide variety of skills and backgrounds, grounded in a passion for the value of historic sacred places as valuable community assets.

Click on an individual’s name to learn more about them.

A. Robert Jaeger
President
bjaeger@sacredplaces.org

Gianfranco Grande
Executive Vice President
ggrande@sacredplaces.org
312-933-0611 Cell

Craig Nowlin
Chief Operating Officer
cnowlin@sacredplaces.org

Craig Bannister
Consulting Associate
cbannister@sacredplaces.org

Evan Bjornen
Consulting Associate
ebjornen@sacredplaces.org

Brittany Carter
Director of Finance and Operations
bcarter@sacredplaces.org

Stephanie Markoff Cohen
Consulting Associate
scohen@sacredplaces.org

Dana Dabek
Director of Transition Services
ddabek@sacredplaces.org

Karen DiLossi
Director of Strategic Partnerships
kdilossi@sacredplaces.org

Bridget Fidler
Senior Director of Consulting
bfidler@sacredplaces.org

Nancy Finegood
Consulting Associate
nfinegood@sacredplaces.org

Emilie Haertsch
Senior Communications Manager
ehaertsch@sacredplaces.org

Lily Hamilton
Grants Manager, National Fund for Sacred Places
lhamilton@sacredplaces.org

Rachel Hildebrandt
Director, National Fund for Sacred Places
rhildebrandt@sacredplaces.org

Blair Horton
Project Coordinator
bhorton@sacredplaces.org

Betsy Ivey
Director, Philadelphia Fund for Black Sacred Places
bivey@sacredplaces.org

Sarah Jones
Associate Director of Community Engagement
sjones@sacredplaces.org

Caroline Lauber
Consulting Associate
clauber@sacredplaces.org

Simon Kaufman
Director of Development
skaufman@sacredplaces.org

Steve Lawler
Consulting Associate
slawler@sacredplaces.org

Elizabeth Lott
Consulting Associate
elott@sacredplaces.org

Gwen Richards
Consultant
grichards@sacredplaces.org

Brent Runyon
Consulting Associate
brunyon@sacredplaces.org

Emily Sajdak
Senior Project Manager
esajdak@sacredplaces.org

Rochelle Stackhouse
Senior Director of Programs
rstackhouse@sacredplaces.org

Jack Zanerhoft
Consulting Associate
jzanerhoft@sacredplaces.org

Staff Profiles

A. Robert Jaeger
President
Bob co-founded Partners for Sacred Places in 1989. Previously, Bob worked with the Philadelphia Historic Preservation Corporation as Senior Vice President for the Historic Religious Properties Program. He is the co-author of Sacred Places at Risk (1998) and Strategies for Stewardship and Active Use of Older and Historic Religious Properties (1996), author of Sacred Places in Transition (1994), and editor (from 1985 to 1989) of Inspired, a bi-monthly magazine with news and technical articles on religious property preservation. Bob holds a master’s degree in preservation planning from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Gianfranco Grande
Executive Vice President
Gianfranco Grande brings over twenty years of experience in management of nonprofit organizations. Since opening its doors in 2008, the Chicago Office of Partners for Sacred Places has worked with more than 1,000 community-serving congregations representing the religious, racial, ethnic, and socio-economic diversity of the City. It has built strategic relationships with local faith leaders, lay leaders, community leaders, universities, seminaries, public officials, foundations, and philanthropists. These collaborations have been instrumental in the successful local rollouts of Partners’ trainings, programs, research, and consulting services, helping to bring sacred places and art together in a way that preserves the history and enhances the beauty of the city’s architectural treasures. In 2012, he was awarded the Richard Nickel Award from the Institute of Architects (AIA) Illinois, recognizing his dedication to the principles of livable communities through grassroots initiatives.

Craig Nowlin
Chief Operating Officer
Joining Partners in 2018 Craig brings nearly 20 years of experience as chief operating officer working in a nonprofit. Repeated success guiding diverse organizations in business operations, strategic business planning and growth, and capacity building and expansion initiatives. Exceptionally skilled in transforming under performing programs and operations into stable financial units, procuring strategic business partners, and cultivating community relationships. Expert liaison with ability to forge solid relationships with partners, board members, and cross-functional teams.

Stephanie Markoff Cohen
Consulting Associate
Stephanie is an expert at community building and engagement. Having worked with non-profit institutions in DC, New York City, and Providence, RI, she is adept at unifying programming, developing brand awareness and cohesion, as well as mindfully developing community narratives and lasting partnerships. Most recently, Stephanie has worked with the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Providence, the second oldest active synagogue in the state. She has held positions with the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI, creating a roadmap for donor engagement and re-establishing cultural and community-based programming. Stephanie is also a real estate professional with over a decade of experience matching people, businesses, and organizations to places, and has a thorough knowledge of the market both locally and nationally.

Stephanie is a graduate of the renowned Sothebys American Arts Course in New York, through which she traveled the country to study art, architecture, and material culture, and The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Having grown up in Providence with family roots running generations deep in the community, Stephanie understands the importance of community and looks forward to supporting congregations across the country to reach their goals.

Dana Dabek
Director of Transition Services
Dana Dabek serves as Director of Transition Services, helping congregations reimagine their spaces and places within their communities. Working from the Philadelphia office, she brings over fifteen years of experience in grassroots nonprofits, public history, and community organizing to this role. Dana holds a BA in English and Gender Studies from the College of New Jersey, a Masters’ in Liberal Arts from the University of Pennsylvania, and is completing her doctorate in Communications from Temple University. She additionally holds certificates in fundraising and nonprofit leadership from Villanova University and Bryn Mawr College, respectively.

Karen DiLossi
Director of Strategic Partnerships (Arts in Sacred Places)
Karen DiLossi, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Partners for Sacred Places, works with congregations and outside organizations to find the mission and vision alignment between them that will solidify their partnership and provide a solid foundation for their future together. Karen has developed a Manual of Best Practices for Space Sharing, guided contractual agreements between entities, written Space Assessment Reports, and led community engagement activities. Karen negotiates and finds compromise for partnerships to sustain themselves and thrive from sharing space with one another. Karen has her BA in History and Drama from Washington College and an MA in Theatre from Villanova University. She has completed the classroom requirements for a Level One (ACC) coaching credential from the International Coaching Federation.

Bridget Fidler
Senior Director of Consulting
Bridget Fidler has been an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ since 1999, serving two congregations in Connecticut during that time. A focus during her ministry was building collaborative relationships between communities, both religious and secular. She has served in many key leadership positions in the wider church, most recently as the Chair of the Connecticut Conference Board of Directors. Playing a key role in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts forming a single new conference has been a wide impact example of that collaborative effort. Committed to creating connections between people to find creative ways to work together, Bridget brings a deep understanding of church cultures; she seeks to help churches see themselves and their role in the community from a fresh perspective.

Emilie Haertsch
Senior Communications Manager
Emilie Haertsch grew up in a Victorian parsonage, and has been interested in the intersection of history, religion, and the arts ever since. She joined Partners with more than ten years of communications experience at cultural, historical, and interfaith organizations. Emilie has her BA in English from Temple University and her MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College, and she also completed the Ignatian spirituality-focused Contemplative Leaders in Action program at St. Joseph’s University. Outside of work, she writes creatively and watches old Cary Grant films.

Lily Hamilton
Grants Manager, National Fund for Sacred Places
As Grants Manager for the National Fund for Sacred Places, Lily helps manage grantmaking logistics while supporting congregations in the program. Previously, Lily supported the grantmaking team at Bread & Roses Community Fund as a Quaker Voluntary Service fellow, helping move critical dollars into the hands of movement organizations across the Philadelphia region. Lily is excited to be laying roots down in Philadelphia, but calls Virginia home. Outside of work, Lily can be found volunteering with local mutual aid initiatives. Lily holds a Master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.

Rachel Hildebrandt
Director, National Fund for Sacred Places
Rachel began her career at Partners for Sacred Places as an intern, carrying out surveys as part of the Economic Halo Effect of Sacred PlacesSM study in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Fort Worth. This work gave her a deep appreciation for what congregations do to support their communities and those most at risk within them. Rachel directs the National Fund for Sacred Places and has played a key role in Partners’ economic impact research, which focuses on congregations across the United States that are stewarding older and historic properties. She co-authored a chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Religion and Cities as well as Partners’ guide to transitioning property, Transitioning Older and Historic Sacred Places: Community-Minded Approaches for Congregations and Judicatories. Rachel holds a Master of Science in historic preservation and previously wrote on a freelance basis for Hidden City Philadelphia.

Blair Horton
Project Coordinator
As a project coordinator, Blair brings her passion for community preservation and site management to assist in multiple facets of Partners’ work . Blair holds a MS in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. Her studies focused on architectural conservation, with a particular interest in the stewardship of sacred spaces. Prior to joining Partners, Blair served as the site management intern for the Woodlands Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark in West Philadelphia. She has completed the classroom requirements for a Level One (ACC) coaching credential from the International Coaching Federation.

Betsy Ivey
Director, Philadelphia Fund for Black Sacred Places
The Reverend Betsy Ivey brings to Partners six years’ experience of church development with the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania where she served as Canon for Growth and Support for the Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez. Betsy “has never been in a church she did not love, nor did not want to change.” In her previous work as priest-in-charge of a historical Black congregation she led the church to change its ministry to an outward focus through programs that supported the needs of the neighborhood. She broadened this scope of church development through her work with the 135 churches of the diocese. Betsy feels the redevelopment of a church through outward-focused ministry and the use of its space to address the needs of its community are necessary to improve the viability of a church in this time.

Betsy holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Pennsylvania, and masters degrees of Divinity (Lancaster Theological Seminary), Sacred Theology cum laude (General Seminary), and Architecture in Historic Preservation, also, from the University of Pennsylvania. For the Diocese of Pennsylvania Betsy served on the Commission for Ministry, the Philadelphia Cathedral Chapter, and was the diocesan liaison to the Union of Black Episcopalians. Betsy also served on the Board of Trustees of the Lancaster Theological Seminary and as a member of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church Task Force for Church Planting and Church Redevelopment. A native of Harrisburg, PA, Betsy has lived most of her life in Philadelphia. Prior to becoming an Episcopal priest, she was an executive for the Commonwealth of PA in the Office of Inspector General. Betsy resides in South Philadelphia.

Sarah Jones
Associate Director of Community Engagement
Sarah holds a Master’s of Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary, as well as a Masters of Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. Sarah brings experience designing and implementing service programs for returning citizens through Safer Foundation in Chicago, IL. Sarah has held internships with the Southwest Organizing Project, where she organized faith communities on Chicago’s Southwest side, and the International Organization for Adolescents, where she completed a needs-assessment and resulting policy recommendations for orphaned and vulnerable children in Ethiopia.

Simon Kaufman
Director of Development
Simon brings fifteen years of experience working in the development field for a variety of Philadelphia area non-profits. Having worked in a West Philadelphia parochial school for many years, Simon has a special appreciation for the role sacred places play as community centers for people of all ages and backgrounds, and the challenges congregations face in maintaining aging infrastructure. Simon holds a BA in Economics from Swarthmore College.

Caroline Lauber
Consulting Associate
Caroline Lauber is a recent graduate of Loyola University Chicago’s Public History M.A. program. While at Loyola, she contributed to a digital project titled, “Gathering Places: Religion and Community in Chicago”. Caroline worked with the United Church of Rogers Park to tell their congregation’s history within the larger religious landscape of the Rogers Park neighborhood. Most recently, Caroline worked with The History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff where she conducted research and wrote profiles for their current exhibit about the black history of Lake Forest. She is committed to education, advocacy, and social justice. She is excited to work with congregations to create meaningful partnerships within and outside their communities. Caroline graduated from Wheaton College with a B.A. in History.

Emily Sajdak
Senior Project Manager
Emily came to Partners in 2017 to coordinate and facilitate capital campaign consulting services. Since that time she has delivered feasibility and readiness studies, furthered grant-funded initiatives as a team member for the Nordic Churches Project, and fostered connections with the preservation community in Chicago through participation in Landmarks Illinois’ Skyline Council. She previously worked with the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and Calvin Theological Seminary. Emily holds a Master’s degree in Public History: Historic Preservation from Southeast Missouri State University, as well as a Master of Theological Studies and a Master of Theology in Old Testament from Calvin Theological Seminary. She has completed the classroom requirements for a Level One (ACC) coaching credential from the International Coaching Federation.

Rochelle Stackhouse
Senior Director of Programs
The Rev. Dr. Rochelle A. (Shelly) Stackhouse was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1982. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, she has served churches of varying sizes as Senior, Solo, and Interim pastor in 5 states. She received a PhD in Liturgical Studies from Drew University and has taught at several seminaries, most recently Lexington and Yale. Since coming to Partners in 2021, she has worked in many of Partners’ services and programs, including working with staff to develop and pilot the use of new tools for Transition Services. Her areas of expertise include public speaking and presentations, shepherding older and historic church buildings, and strategic visioning. Shelly has completed the classroom requirements for a Level One (ACC) coaching credential from the International Coaching Federation.

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

1700 Sansom Street, 10th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 567-3234
(866) 796-0297 (Toll Free)
(215) 537-3235 (fax)
partners@sacredplaces.org