Leadership & Staff
Rev. Dr. Shannan Vance-Ocampo (she/her/hers)
General Presbyter
Rev. Dr. Shannan Vance-Ocampo (she/her) serves the Presbytery of Southern New England as General Presbyter.
Ordained in 2001, Shannan’s previous calls in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) were as the Transitional Presbyter for Albany Presbytery in New York, Pastor/Head of Staff at Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church in North Plainfield, NJ, and as the Associate Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Rumson, NJ. Shannan finished over eight years of service in June of 2024 at the national church level as an elected member and co-chair of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, and through that role served over the years in several deployed roles: the Committee of the Office of the General Assembly, the General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations and the Presbyterian Foundation. Previous to that role, she served as co-moderator of the Activist Council of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship following her extensive volunteer work on their accompaniment program for human rights in Colombia, South America in partnership with the Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia.
She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and Religious Studies (honors) from The College of Wooster, a Master of Divinity and Certificate in Executive Leadership from McCormick Theological Seminary and the Doctor of Ministry from Memphis Theological Seminary which was focused on the ecological theology and leadership of clergy. She spent an undergraduate semester at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and has trained with the International Coaching Federation, the Lake Institute in Religious Fundraising, and as a Fellow with GreenFaith.
Her passions are for organizational change, prophetic leadership and congregational transformation. She is an avid gardener, with a gaggle of chickens, fish and frogs living in her yard-habitat alongside many plants, flowers and vegetables. Her husband, Juan Gabriel Ocampo Valle, is an educator and artist who moved to the United States from Bogotá, Colombia. They continue to maintain a family home in Colombia and spend much of their time off there. They are the proud parents of their daughter, Sofia Elena, and in late 2022 welcomed a granddaughter, Katalina Elena.
Shannan’s work-from-home assistant is Mila
Rev. Kate Carlisle (they/them/theirs)
Stated Clerk
Rev. Kate Carlisle (they/them) serves the Presbytery of Southern New England as Stated Clerk, in a joint position shared with the Presbytery of Boston.
Kate was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. They majored in Physics as an undergrad at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, and received their MDiv from Yale Divinity School. Kate worked at the Presbyterian Mission Agency in Louisville after seminary, and was ordained in 2013 to their first call in western Kentucky. They moved to the Boston area in 2016 to serve as Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Needham, Mass., which closed in summer 2020. In addition to their work as Stated Clerk, they serve as Children & Youth Christian Education Coordinator at Church of the Covenant in Boston.
Kate is passionate about Presbyterian polity as a practice by which we seek to live out our call as beloved community. They have been enthusiastic about the Book of Confessions and Book of Order since their own confirmation. They are also passionate about worship, teaching, and LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the Church. They’re still convinced the Church can (and should) make the world a better place. Kate is a big fan of Boston parks and New England beaches. They enjoy cooking, reading, gardening, watching television, spending time in nature, and spending time with friends.
Kate’s office assistant is Ella!
Jenelle Hopkins (she/her/hers)
Communications Manager
Jenelle Hopkins is a seasoned marketing professional with over a decade of experience in developing and executing impactful multi-channel campaigns.
Her passion for empowering underserved communities shines through in her work with organizations like Girls Who Code, where she contributes to closing the gender gap in technology, and her previous role at NPower, which provided tech training to young adults and veterans.
Jenelle’s educational background includes a BA in Communications from Stockton University and an MA in Integrated Marketing from NYIT. Her diverse skill set encompasses strategic planning, content creation, and digital marketing, with a particular focus on leveraging technology for social impact.
Based in Brooklyn, NY, Jenelle balances her work with personal interests, including spending time with family and friends, reading the latest fiction bestseller, learning to play the guitar, karaoke and trivia games.
Jenelle’s work from home assistant is her latest beverage obsession, Topo Chico sparkling mineral water.
Rev. Dallas Bradel (she/her/hers)
Moderator
Dallas grew up in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in German and Economics from Lehigh University. She also earned a Juris Doctor from Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, but found her true calling in the Church. She fell in love with New England while earning a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Counseling at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Massachusetts.
Dallas served for a year in children’s ministry before being ordained by Pittsburgh Presbytery in February of 2000. She has served churches in North Carolina, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Dallas has a passion for God’s Word and for church revitalization in New England. She was called and installed last year to serve as Pastor of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Groton, Connecticut.
At home, Dallas plays piano, embroiders, and reads lots of fiction and biography. She is a history nerd who enjoys exploring archives, museums, and antique stores. Her heart for children has led her to create a hands-on creative learning program called Girls Making History, and to explore writing for children through Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier, Vermont.