Laura Magistro Wells, Co-President

Laura Magistro Wells is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1997 and has been working with children with special needs and their families ever since. Laura has worked as a clinical social worker at several non-profits in Atlanta providing evaluations, assessments and resources for children with developmental disabilities. For the past two years, Laura is staying at home with her two children while working part-time providing adoption home studies for Jewish Family and Career Services' adoption program. Laura lived in L'Arche in Scotland for a year after finishing her undergraduate work at Duke University. Her time in L'Arche inspired her to advocate for people with developmental disabilities in her work and in her free time. Laura and her husband, Talley, have been working as volunteers with Friends of L'Arche Atlanta since 2003. They live with their two adopted children (8 and 4) in Grant Park.

Trace Haythorn, Co-President

Since January 2008, The Reverend Dr. Trace Haythorn has served as president of The Fund for Theological Education (FTE) based in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Haythorn joined FTE from his position as director of the Vocation and Values program at Hastings College, one of the national Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation (PTEV) funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. From 2002-2006, he served as the chair of the PCUSA Task Force on Disability Policy, an initiative designed to encourage churches to be more fully inclusive in their worship, education and service. He has served churches and colleges in Nebraska, Tennessee, New York, and Australia.

Dr. Haythorn is married to the Rev. Mary Anona Stoops; they are the parents of two children, Jacob (13) and Martha (10). They live in Decatur, and both children attend Decatur Public Schools. Jacob is active in the IB program for seventh graders, and Martha is fully included in her fourth grade class.

Lisa Persons, Vice President

Lisa White Persons moved to Atlanta in 1990 to live in the Community of Hospitality and work with homeless people at Cafe 458, a restaurant for homeless people in downtown Atlanta. She was drawn to community life after spending a summer at Koinonia Partners in South Georgia and later reading Jean Vanier's book, Community and Growth. At Cafe 458 she learned about creating atmospheres of dignity which address needs of the mind and spirit as well as the body. After graduating with an M.Div. from Candler School of Theology at Emory she worked as a Hospice Chaplain and then began work at Community Friendship, Inc., a day program for people with mental illness. During this time she was also a Fellow at the Fetzer Institute in Kalamazoo, Michigan, which allowed her to explore ways of creating sacred space both inner and outer. The past nine years have been devoted to motherhood of her two children and creating sacred space at home. She has also regularly led workshops, labyrinth retreats, Taize prayer services and has helped St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church start a retreat center called Amerson House. She was very happy when the Community of Hospitality discerned that they wanted to partner with L'Arche and offered the house for the first L'Arche community. Lisa is on the Board of the Community of Hospitality, an active member of St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church and an Associate of Green Bough House of Prayer.

Robert Hay, Treasurer

Robert Hay, Jr. currently serves the Presbyterian Foundation as the Ministry Relations Officer covering the Southeast region. Immediately prior to his current position, Robert served as the Chief Administrative Officer at the Hi-Hope Service Center which is a nonprofit that provides day and residential services to adults with developmental disabilities in Gwinnett county. He has also served as the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer of the Care and Counseling Center of Georgia which is a nonprofit that provides pastoral counseling, clinical pastoral education, and training in pastoral counseling. Robert received his undergraduate degree from Auburn University and a Masters in Public Administration degree with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from Georgia State University. Robert lives in Tucker with his wife Morgan, who is the Associate Pastor at St Andrews Presbyterian Church, and with their son Stockton (born 2008) and daughter Anderson (born 2011).

Isaac Baroi, Chaplain

Isaac Baroi is a well known writer and journalist who resided in Bengal and India prior to relocating to the United States. Isaac is the author of 32 books in Bengali. Isaac also lived for ten years in the Taizé monastery in France as a monk. Brother Roger dedicated his book 'The Wonder of a Love' to his parents. During this time Isaac read Jean Vanier’s book “Be Not Afraid” and fell in love with “doing kindness.” In addition, Isaac and another Taizé Brother were invited by Mother Teresa to pray and work for reconciliation and peace in Calcutta, India. Isaac then spent three years, from 1982-1985, living in India in slums, with farmers in villages, and with orphan children. He also worked with lepers, tuberculosis patients, HIV patients, and the disabled people of the Asha-Niketan community, one of the first communities of L’Arche in India. During this time he got to know well Mother Teresa of Calcutta. He currently works as a writer and freelance writer, teaches at the International School, and continues his work as a peace educator and international human rights activist. He is married to Monica and has two children, Patricia (Gitanjali) and Patrick (Mon). He adopted a disabled Muslim boy named Muhammad Siraj as his son. Siraj’s legs were amputated as a result of a train accident at the age of 7 years. Siraj is now 26 years old. Isaac has been working with the Friends of L’Arche Atlanta group since its inception in 2003, and is currently the Chaplain of the Board of Directors.

Carol Bartlett

Carol is a board member of the Community of Hospitality where she and her husband have been worshiping for 20 years. She and her husband Woody, are co- founders of Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, an organization that works with faith communities on Care for Creation. She lives in Clarkston and volunteers at the Global Village School in Decatur, a school for refugee girls. She is a new Board member and is delighted about theon-going and deepening relationship of COH and FOLA. She and her husband are members of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

Toni Belin Ingram

A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Pastor Toni Belin Ingram is an emerging pastor with a vision to ensure that more of God's people will reach their full potential and fulfill their holy and divine purposes. Her ministry has touched many lives through her obedience to the will and grace of God, effective outreach efforts and encouraging and empowering others where she has served. Pastor Toni Belin Ingram has been in formal ministry only five years yet has ministered God's Word over the past fifteen years through teaching, speaking, counseling and facilitating workshops.

Pastor Toni earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia and a Master of Divinity Degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta. An ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, Pastor Toni served Saint Philip AME Church under Pastor George Moore before becoming the Pastor of Greater Smith Chapel in Atlanta.

She has been actively involved in the spiritual development and educational growth of many youth and young adults throughout her ministry. She is passionate about promoting truth, peace and justice and agrees with Ghandi's position that "there can be no way to peace; peace is the way."

Pastor Toni resides in Atlanta with her husband Raymond and their three teenage children Omar - a student at Howard University, Iman and Asha. In May 2008, she was appointed the pastor of Greater Smith Chapel in the Edgewood Community. Under her leadership, Greater Smith Chapel strives to be a place where everyone is welcome and seeks to serve God by serving God's people. An idealistic woman of God, Pastor Toni brings new ideas and approaches in pursuit of traditional ideals to make a difference in the lives of God's people.

Austin Dickson

A Texas native, Rev. Austin Dickson teaches philosophy at Clayton State University in Morrow. He is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Judy Miller

Judy Miller has recently retired and is now a community volunteer. She became acquainted with L'Arche when her older daughter, after college graduation, served as an assistant for three years with a L'Arche community in Compiegne, France. She and her husband, Chuck, have been involved with the Atlanta L'Arche project from the beginning as a result of attending the Jean Vanier Retreat. Judy has a B.A. in Sociology from Queens College of the City University of New York and a Master of Theological Studies degree from Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL. She has lived and worked in New York City, Honolulu and Atlanta. She was a board member of Ulster Project Atlanta and has also served as an Adult Education /RCIA Director in the Catholic church. She currently enjoys teaching occasional adult education and Confirmation classes at her parish and working to help make a L'Arche community a reality in Atlanta . Together with her husband of 35+ years, Judy is also involved with the marriage preparation program at her parish. Judy and Chuck have four grown children and three beautiful granddaughters.

James Washburn

Originally from Vero Beach, Florida, James has lived in Atlanta for 15 years and practices law with the firm McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP. A graduate of Yale University and Duke University School of Law, James has devoted much of his time to community service and pro bono legal work for organizations in Georgia, including most notably as counsel for the Points of Light Institute. James and his wife Emily are active members at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church and are busy raising two sons, Jackson (born 2007) and Jess (born 2009).