Leadership

Christy is a long tenured, highly respected youth worker and brings a wealth of experience with PYWA and youth ministry within the PC(USA). She is a graduate of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education, and Columbia Theological Seminary. Christy has spent her career serving as a Director of Christian Education and as an Adjunct Staff person for the Montreat Youth Conferences. She currently serves as the Director of Dogwood Acres Camp and Retreat Center for the Presbytery of Florida.

Eileen is the Associate Pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church La Costa in Carlsbad California. She is a Colorado native and California local. Eileen attended the University of Southern California and earned a Master’s of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. She has been involved in Youth Ministry since 2003 in various capacities and continues to love working with Middle School and High School students. Whenever possible Eileen will jump on a plane to discover beauty and joy around the world seeing God in all places and people. Her goal of visiting every continent is nearly complete. At home she loves cooking, taking Henri (the coolest dog on the planet) for walks and fetching sessions, and watching sunsets with her best friend and husband Richard.

Tully Fletcher is the Associate Pastor for Youth & Congregational Transformation at Decatur Presbyterian Church, in Decatur GA. Tully has the unique ability of making boring things fun like financial statements, Robert’s rules of order, and organizational bylaws. His spiritual gift is spread‑sheeting.  He is passionate about leadership development and empowering church and nonprofit leaders to better fulfill their mission. He loves walking alongside young people as they grow in their faith, leading them on mission trips, Bible Study, and in theological discussion. Tully serves as the treasurer and compliance officer for PYWA, advising the board on financial & governance matters. He has been part of the PYWA leadership since 2016, and has been in professional ministry for more than 15 years.

Kim Ness has had a love for PCUSA youth ministry since her first visit to Montreat in the summer of 1990. Since then, she has served as a Young Adult Volunteer in Belfast, NIRL; was the YAV site coordinator in Nashville, and has had the joy of being a small group leader at MYC over twenty times. For the last ten years, she has been the Director of Youth Ministries at First Presbyterian Church of Athens, GA. She has a passion for social justice, and seeks to create a more connected and relevant church. Bringing the Matthew 25 initiative to FPC has been one of her most rewarding experiences. Her time with youth is not limited to church, as she is also the mom of three awesome teens, and active in the local public schools and UGA Presbyterian Student Center. In her free time, she likes to snuggle with her two dogs, watch mindless Netflix shows and plan an epic RV trip with her husband for retirement years!

Kate Satterstrom is the Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries at First Presbyterian Church, McMinnville. She moved to Oregon in 2017 after a decade on the East Coast in both Virginia and New Jersey. Kate grew up in San Diego and couldn’t wait to explore and learn after she graduated high school. Kate attended Purdue University where she received a Bachelor of Arts focusing on US History. She then went on to Princeton Theological Seminary where she received a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Youth Ministry and Christian Education. Kate is passionate about building a church where children and youth (and everyone really) knows they are loved. In her spare time, Kate loves to read and explore the PNW. She is brought to life by the ocean and flowers. If Kate could be an animal she would be a starfish.

Kara Smith-Laubenstein has been serving in youth ministry in one way or another for nearly 20 years—and isn’t quite sure how that happened. She went to seminary imagining a future in pastoral counseling but stumbled into youth ministry and discovered a calling that captured her heart. Over the years, she’s served in roles from volunteer leader to full-time youth pastor, and has (almost) seen it all. Her favorite part of ministry is taking students beyond their everyday routines—on trips to retreats, camps, conferences, and service projects—because those experiences create space for real transformation and connection. Kara is currently the Associate Pastor for Youth and Congregational Care at First Presbyterian Church of Wilmette, IL. She holds a B.A. in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Indiana University and an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. Kara also spent two years teaching in Baltimore City. She lives in the northern Chicago suburbs with her husband, Matthew (a Lutheran pastor), and their two daughters, Amelia and Charlotte. Kara’s happy place is on a trail with a backpack, but she equally loves traveling, camping, listening to audiobooks, and imagining that one day she will actually refurbish an adventure van.

Caitlin Supcoff is the Youth and Young Adult Advocate and the Communications Director for Mission Presbytery in South Central Texas. Prior to working at the Presbytery, Caitlin served two churches in Mission Presbytery working with children and youth. Originally from San Antonio, TX, Caitlin was formed by the youth ministries of her own home church, Mission Presbytery youth leadership opportunities, and John Knox Ranch (Mission Presbytery’s summer camp and retreat center). Those experiences led her to study religion and theology after high school. Caitlin holds a BA in Religion from Centre College in Danville, KY, and an MDiv from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Caitlin lives in San Antonio with her husband, Seth, and their two children, Eamon and Liora. In whatever free time she has, Caitlin enjoys reading (usually audiobooks), listening to podcasts, gardening, and baking.

Josh Sweeney is the Director of Christian Education at Knox Church in Overland Park, KS. Since 2006, he has served in nearly every youth ministry role across UMC, ELCA, and PC(USA) congregations in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, and Kansas.

Josh is passionate about intergenerational ministry that bridges faith, mission, technology, and recreation, helping people of all ages encounter God’s story together. In his free time, you’ll likely find him playing disc golf, at a park with his son, or perfecting a new home-brew recipe.

Sara Tillema (she/her) is the Sr. Director of Next Gen Resources at Ministry Leadership Center. Sara has served in a variety of ministry contexts with young people, most recently at Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center as the Director of Programs. She received her M.Div from Princeton Theological Seminary, and is currently completing her Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of California, Davis (expected 2026). Sara loves walking alongside individuals of all ages as they explore life’s big questions, and empowering all to see how their faith and passions can intersect to create meaningful change in our world. Sara lives in San José, CA. In her spare time, Sara’s favorite activities include spending time in the great outdoors with her family, drinking coffee, and curling up on the couch with a good book.

Rebekah Witt is the Director for Youth & Young Adults at Opequon Presbyterian Church in Winchester, VA. She served as a Young Adult Volunteer in Denver, Colorado and as a Young Adult Advisory Delegate at the 221st General Assembly. Rebekah has a passion for intergenerational ministry, where all ages and stages can teach and learn alongside one another. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education & Master of Arts in Teaching from James Madison University. PYWA inspired her to create a Youth Leader Network in her presbytery where youth workers support and encourage one another and have the opportunity to come together for events! In her free time Rebekah enjoys hiking, coaching soccer, watching sports, and spending time with family and pets.