Board of Commissioners

Current Members

Congratulations to the newly elected COA Board of Commissioners! Both new and continuing members were recognized at the 2026 ATS/COA Biennial Meeting held June 23–25 in Chicago.

Officers

Chair

Christopher Ciccarino serves as associate dean for seminary and academic studies and assistant professor of biblical studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. Before being appointed to the faculty of Immaculate Conception Seminary, he served as a parochial vicar at St. Michael's in Union, New Jersey. Ciccarino completed an STB at the Pontifical Gregorian University and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark on May 25, 1996. He later completed an SSL at the Pontifical Biblical Institute and an STD at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Vice Chair and Treasurer

Kimberly Russaw is associate professor of Old Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has lectured or presented at events for PBS, Bible and Religions of the Ancient Near East, and the Society of Biblical Literature. She is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, where she serves as the chair of the African American Biblical Hermeneutics program unit. She is also an editorial board member of the Journal of Biblical Literature. Russaw received her PhD in Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel from Vanderbilt University, and she is an ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Commission Representative to ATS

David Cassady serves as president of BSK Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky. Previously, he founded Faithlab, a communications and consulting firm that works with churches and religious nonprofits. He also serves as the church resources editor and is a member of the book acquisitions team for Nurturing Faith. Cassady earned a BA in religion and philosophy from Ouachita Baptist University, studied philosophy at the graduate level at Baylor University, and received an MDiv CE and PhD from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. While in seminary he served as associate pastor for education and youth at Buechel Park Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

Secretary

Barbara Mutch serves as senior director of accreditation at The Association of Theological Schools. Her work includes facilitating accrediting reviews and providing education and support to member schools about the process of accreditation. A graduate of Briercrest Bible College with both a Bachelor of religious education and an MA in Christian ministry, Mutch earned her DMin at Princeton Theological Seminary. She is ordained in the Baptist Union of Western Canada and served as associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Regina, Saskatchewan, for 15 years while pursuing her graduate studies.

Full List of Members

Class of 2028

Elmo Familiaran
Permanent Adjunct Faculty
Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University
St. Davids, PA

Debra Mumford
Dean
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Louisville, KY

James Thames
(retired) Academic Dean
Dallas Theological Seminary
Dallas, TX

Class of 2030

William Harrison
President
Lutheran Theological Seminary
Saskatoon, SK

Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi
Director of the Office of Professional Formation;
Associate Professor of Leadership and Formation
Iliff School of Theology
Denver, CO

Matthew Mills*
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer
Saint Paul School of Theology
Leawood, KS

J. Jayakiran Sebastian
Chair and Professor of Mission and Cultures
United Lutheran Seminary
Gettysburg, PA

*Filling a vacancy

Class of 2032

Jonathan Grenz
Dean of the School of Ministry
Palm Beach Atlantic University School of Ministry Graduate Department
Palm Beach, FL

Alfredo Hernandez
Rector/President
St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary
Boynton Beach, FL

Jana Holiday
Dean of Students
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
South Hamilton, MA

Andy Keck
Chief of Staff
Perkins School of Theology Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX

Loren Kerns
Associate Dean of Academic Operations
Portland Seminary of George Fox University
Portland, OR

Public Members

Peter Gathje
Professor of Religion
LeMoyne Owen College
Memphis, TN

Lydia Gillespie
Director of Assessment and Evaluation
OHSU-PSU School of Public Health
Portland, OR

Alyson Huntly
(retired) Minister
United Church of Canada
Montreal, QC

Deb Kellar
(retired) Vice President of Finance and Campus Operations
Denver Seminary
Denver, CO

Vanessa Lovelace
Executive Director
Louisville Institute
Louisville, KY

ATS Accrediting Director Staff

Barbara Mutch
Senior Director of Accreditation
The Association of Theological Schools
Pittsburgh, PA

Charles O. Galbreath
Director of Accreditation
The Association of Theological Schools
Pittsburgh, PA

David Han
Director of Accreditation
The Association of Theological Schools
Pittsburgh, PA

James R. Moore
Director of Accreditation
The Association of Theological Schools
Pittsburgh, PA

Emanuel D. Naydenov
Director of Accreditation
The Association of Theological Schools
Pittsburgh, PA

Valerie Rempel
Director of Accreditation
The Association of Theological Schools
Pittsburgh, PA

The academic and professional qualifications and relevant employment and organization information for Commissioners is available upon request from the Commission office. Requests may be submitted by letter (10 Summit Park Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1110) or by email. Find contact information for members of the Commission staff.

Monthly summary reports of actions taken by the ATS Commission on Accrediting:

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