Our advisory council has been carefully selected to gain key insights and fresh perspectives from different parts of our community. Throughout their 12-month term, council members will attend Narrative Change events and work alongside our storytelling team to provide:
Steve was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit. He did his undergrad at Calvin College, medical school in Dallas. From there he spent eight years in grad training in Dallas, Atlanta, and New York City.
He is married to Nancye and they have two grown children in Austin and Wimberley. Steve has been a partner in The San Antonio Orthopaedic Group since 1997, practicing in the specialty of hand and wrist surgery.
Over the years he has taught classes to kids of all ages at church, served on the board at Geneva School of Boerne, and chaired the admissions committee. Steve has been on the executive management committee at their practice for the last eight years and has chaired their compensation committee.
In the last two years he has worked with their director of HR to develop a mentorship program for students of color at the undergraduate level and to develop a formal DEI committee for their group. Outside of work he reads, A LOT, golfs occasionally, tries his hand at cooking, and loves to host groups of friends for meals.
Frances serves as the San Antonio Area Program Officer for Asset Funders Network. She is a results-oriented public servant who has been focused on developing and advancing policy that creates and supports areas of opportunity for families and children. Her efforts have contributed toward programs providing access to affordable housing, community economic development, social and human resources in San Antonio and at the federal level. She is a consultant to non-profit and public sectors providing services to enhance their operation, strategic relationships and organizational performance.
Before joining AFN, Frances served as Deputy and Interim Chief of Staff for the Honorable Julián Castro, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C. Her portfolio included leading the Secretary’s educational initiatives, leading policy teams involved in supporting community development and revitalization efforts in Ferguson, Baltimore, Detroit, and oversight of implementation of key priorities.
Prior to HUD, she served as Mayor Julián Castro’s Assistant to the Mayor for Policy where she led key policy projects such as the Mayor’s Fitness Council, supported the implementation of SA2020, led the Mayor’s Eastside transformation initiatives and was lead staff for water and transportation issues.
Over the years, Frances has been recognized for her significant accomplishments to the profession of city management and to the community of San Antonio. Most recently, she was honored by the Local Government Hispanic Network with the 2021 Joel D. Valdez Legacy Award for her service to local government management.
Jessica was born in Little Rock, Arkansas to Rev. Dr. Kenneth and Velma Willoughby Kemp. She accepted her call to the preaching ministry in October 2013 at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in San Antonio, and was licensed by her father—and pastor of the church—Rev. Dr. Kenneth Kemp, in February 2014. Upon completion of her Masters program in December 2018, she was ordained by her father and the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.
Jessica graduated from the University of Houston and obtained a Masters of Divinity, with a concentration in Theology, at George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. She currently serves as the Minister of Children, Youth, and Young Adults at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.
Jessica believes strongly that her call is to preach the gospel and sing to God. Her scripture of strength in this season is Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, `The just shall live by faith.’”
Dr. Latimore is an Associate Professor of History at Trinity University where he is the co-director of the African American Studies program and the past chair of the history department. He holds a Master of Arts and PhD in United States History from Emory University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Richmond.
A specialist on African American and southern history, Dr. Latimore is particularly interested in the construction of African American communities in the reconstruction and post-reconstruction South. His latest book, Unshakeable Faith: African American Stories of Redemption, Hope, and Community, is a historical exploration of the faith and stories of African Americans and how that faith has sustained them both in the past and present, was just released this January.
An ordained Baptist minister, he also serves his community in a number of ways that connect his scholarly interests with his community concerns. He is currently an Associate Minister at Mt. Zion First Baptist Church, where he has been a member since 2004.
Dr. Latimore is married to Almida Pachoco-Latimore, a former graduate of Leyte State College (now Leyte Normal University) and Southwestern University in Cebu, Philippines.
Sarah is the founder and executive director of The Impact Guild, a design lab cultivating a community of change-makers and social entrepreneurs and equipping them as problem-solvers in our
communities.
With a background in strategy, branding, and design, Sarah spent years working in the nonprofit, for-profit and startup realms. This journey sparked a passion to see church resources steward in healing, creative and sustainable ways to help meet the needs of people and communities. Sarah is fueled by a desire to see God’s creativity, justice and love alive in very tangible ways in the buildings, businesses and people of our neighborhoods.
Sarah grew up in Kerrville and the H. E. Butt Foundation has played a formative role throughout her life: from a spiritual foundation at youth camp to meeting and marrying her husband Bill.
Sarah’s recent hobby is learning everything she can about regenerative agriculture and experimenting in her home garden with the help of their 2 little girls. She loves her city of San Antonio, where she creates opportunities for change-makers to grow their ideas into sustainable businesses and spaces for community connection.
