Executive Director

Operations & Admin Manager

Liz (they/them) grew up attending the Downers Grove Friends Meeting in Illinois as well as attending ILYM. After attending Earlham College Liz was seeking further spiritual community and served in the Philadelphia QVS house 2016-2017 (with fellow staff member Haley). That year of service really inspired them to work with cooperatives both housing and worker cooperatives to build spaces where people can rely on each other. Liz has worked in a variety of nonprofits focusing on operations, events, and educational programming. Liz currently resides in Cincinnati, OH, and enjoys trying every coffee shop available, board games, and cooking. Liz is looking forward to supporting QVS in providing these opportunities.

Connect with liz@quakervoluntaryservice.org

Philadelphia Coordinator

Rachael grew up as a Baptist in Philadelphia. They came into interfaith work in their years in undergrad at Ursinus College in PA studying Politics, Peace and Social Justice, International Relations and Africana, African American Studies. Since then, Rachael has spent time researching ecotheology in the Black community and learning to understand its connections to other faith and spiritual practices. They have also spent time working in Racial Equity and systems change work over the past several years.

Rachael is passionate about plants and the natural world, cooking as a healing practice and understanding various community and social systems. They are interested in further exploring the intersection of religion, food, and employment and are hoping to continue this exploration with further study. They also enjoy biking, taking care of their many plants and listening to podcasts in their time off.

Rachael was a QVS Fellow in Atlanta, 2018-2019. They served as the Atlanta Coordinator from 2020-22. Rachael moved home to Philadelphia in 2022, and has been Philadelphia Coordinator since then.

Connect with rachael@quakervoluntaryservice.org

Development Coordinator

Haley grew up in the Quaker community in southeastern PA, attending Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) and Friends General Conference Gatherings. She served in the Philadelphia QVS house 2016-2017, where she made life-long friends and reconnected with PYM through the Young Adult Friends program.

After many years in Philadelphia, Haley moved to Portland, Maine, a community she has grown to love and call home. Since moving to Portland, she has worked in roles to support immigrant inclusion efforts and plans to stay connected to the local community as a volunteer. Some of Haley’s favorite things to do include cooking, spending time with friends around a bonfire, and taking her boyfriend’s dog, Minnie, for walks.

Haley is excited for the opportunity to serve QVS again. She looks forward to supporting the QVS program and the unique opportunities it provides for young people.

Connect with haley@quakervoluntaryservice.org

Minneapolis Coordinator

Recruitment Coordinator

Ruth (she/her) joined QVS as the Recruiting and Marketing Coordinator in October, 2022. She is excited to work with young adults as they discern their path from college into the work of transforming the world. Ruth is excited about the impact that QVS has to revitalize Quaker meetings and give young activists the support and training to be effective change agents.

Ruth is a convinced Friend and a member of Durango Friends Meeting in Durango, CO. She holds a Master of Divinity from Earlham School of Religion. It was while she was working on her M/Div that she had the wonderful fortune to befriend several QVS alums who changed the course of her life (Thank you Liz, Walid, Maria and CarolAnne!!).

When she is not at work, Ruth can be found in her garden, at the local gym picking up heavy things or cooking yummy food to share with her friends.

Connect with ruth@quakervoluntaryservice.org

Program Director

If Mike ever gains access to a time machine, he will set course for the 17th Century and follow Mary Fisher through the Ottoman Empire. Mike found his spiritual home with the Quakers at the age of 18. This came as a surprise to everyone (himself included). After earning a philosophy degree from Portland State University and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Seminary, Mike helped start West Hills Friends in Portland, OR. After 30 years of pastoral ministry, he went to work for QVS. He has a magical daughter and a highly capable wife. His brilliant son died in 2014, which simply broke his heart in two. He believes in fresh donuts, a sense of wonder and the fearless pursuit of love; but the greatest of these is love.

Connect with mike@quakervoluntaryservice.org

Communications Coordinator

Jackie Lamars currently serves as our Communications Coordinator. She is an alumni of QVS and served in 2021-22 with Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility. As convener of the First Day School Committee at Pittsburgh Friends Meeting and a member the QVS Alumni Council, she’s always looking to deepen her relationships and spirituality within the Quaker community. In her free time, Jackie enjoys creating music, screenprints, and joyful movement (which often includes dancing, biking, volleyballing, and yoga).

Connect with jackie@quakervoluntaryservice.org

Boston Coordinator / Equity & Empowerment Director

Zenaida Peterson is an alum of the Quaker Voluntary Service program in the Boston house (2016-2017). They have stayed connected with QVS since their service year in various roles and are now the Director of Equity and Empowerment and the Boston Coordinator. A few things that are important to Zenaida are the Wildwood nature connection school, writing poems, uplifting queer and trans youth, transformative justice and making doughnuts with herbs from their garden.

Connect with zenaida@quakervoluntaryservice.org.