Leadership Team

Nancy S. Wiens, M.Div., Ph. D.

Center Director and Co-founder

Nancy is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and has an interdisciplinary  Ph.D. in Christian spirituality, ritual studies, and the dialogue between theology and science.  She practices Spiritual Direction with people who long to deepen their relationship with God and respond to God’s calling more fully in their lives.  Nancy also guides wilderness rites of passage, helping people mark transitions in their lives by discerning God’s calling through nature.

She helped to co-found the Center because she loves to support young adults as they seek to develop their spiritual lives and to express their care for creation.

Sheila Denton

Executive Director, Westminster Woods and Center Co-founder

Sheila has worked in leadership positions at the Woods for nearly 30 years, shaping and embodying the Woods’ focus on relational ministry. As the Program Director for many of those years, Sheila worked with the college-aged Summer Staff, exploring faith, leadership skills, and what bearing witness to God’s grace can look like with young campers. Now as the Executive Director, her passion for dancing with God inspires her ongoing ministry and administration of the camp. Her training and certification as a spiritual director informs her contemplative leadership style.

She co-founded the Center because she believes that expressly supporting young adults’ spiritual development is the next expression of the Woods’ mission to help people develop a living faith.

Sam Yates

Edge-ucator

In 2011, the Center created a new position that supports the apprentices in community formation and permaculture projects in nature.  Drawing on his experiences as a former apprentice and a spiritual director, Sam facilitates contemplative prayer practices, time management meetings, and a weekly community check-in, using Nonviolent Communication to share affirmations and navigate conflict resolution within the apprentice community.  In the nature projects, he educates the apprentices and staff in working at the edge of Christian Spirituality and Nature.  Together they design and implement projects that care for the earth, the people involved, and that further justice with the Center’s and its collaborator’s resources.

Aimee Studer

Co-Director of Ministry, Westminster Woods

Aimee Studer grew up just 15 minutes down the road in the outskirts of Santa Rosa.  She has a bachelors degree from California State University, Sacramento.  Previously the Junior High Youth Director and the College Director at Carmichael Presbyterian Church, Aimee has always had a passion for youth ministry.  Aimee has been involved with Westminster Woods for many years, first as a High School camper, summer staffer and year-round staff.  She returned in 2011 to Co-Direct Ministries along side husband Chris Studer.

Chris Studer

Co-Director of Ministry, Westminster Woods

Raised in a family that boasts a number of Presbyterian clergy and musicians Chris is consequently a musician who has spent fifteen years working with youth and young adults in the church. Chris was a camper at Westminster Woods and was on Summer staff prior to returning to Co-Direct in 2011 with his wife Aimee.  Chris worked for eight years at CPC, first as a volunteer, then as Youth Director and Contemporary Worship Leader before attending Berklee College of Music in Boston where he graduated summa cum laude.

Karen White

Program Manager, Westminster Woods

Karen has extensive experience with children, youth, and adults at churches in California, Washington, and Virginia.  She holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento as well as a graduate degree in Library Science, and a master’s degree in Christian Education at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Virginia.  Karen was previously both a camper at Westminster Woods and on Summer staff.

Christopher Peck

Holistic Financial Planning

Christopher Peck is a sustainability entrepreneur, holistic financial planner, and socially responsible investment advisor who’s been working since 1991 to build a more sustainable, prosperous, and humorous world.  Christopher is a managing partner of Natural Investments LLC where he helps clients invest, build wealth, and develop enterprises in a way that reflects their environmental and social values.  In his previous career, Christopher served on the board of Permaculture Drylands Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico for 7 years, teaching classes and workshops, doing permaculture design work, and developing a permaculture curriculum consistent with the principles of permaculture itself.  He and his wife, Genevieve, are currently developing a .85 acre permaculture site in suburban Windsor, CA.

Elizabeth Liebert, Ph.D.

Concentration in Spirituality, San Francisco Theological Seminary

Beth is Professor of Spiritual Life at San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS), where she teaches the Concentration in Spirituality.  She has taught at SFTS since 1987 and now acts as Academic Vice President and Dean of the Seminary.  As a Roman Catholic member of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM), her teaching ministry focuses on Christian spirituality as both an academic study and a lived practice in response to God’s gracious initiative.

Sam Hamilton-Poore, M.Div., D.Min.

Concentration in Spirituality, San Francisco Theological Seminary

Sam Hamilton-Poore is Director of the Program in Christian Spirituality and Assistant Professor of Christian Spirituality at San Francisco Theological Seminary.  He is a Presbyterian minister, spiritual director, and author-editor of Earth Gospel: A Guide to Prayer for God’s Creation.  In his free time, he enjoys hiking and wandering along the trails and beaches of the Marin Headlands and Point Reyes National Seashore.

David Berman

Director of Environmental Education, Westminster Woods

David has been directing the Environmental Education  program at Westminster Woods for 14 years. He leads a team of teacher/naturalists in educating over 50,000 students and chaperones.  Together they teach redwood ecology, watershed science, marine ecology, astronomy, and restoration ecology.

David has led wilderness trips, rock climbing adventures, and rites of passage programs.  He has been a first aid and CPR instructor for the American Red Cross for 25 years.  He also was an EMT (emergency medical technician) for 10 years.  David has a Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Camp Administration.  He lives at the Occidental Art’s and Ecology Center with his wife and 9 year old son.