The Team

Committed to Our Cause

We’re very proud of the diversity of our team, and their abilities to contribute their own unique experience and skills to our success. Find out more about some of our leaders and volunteers below.

Suzanne
Watts Henderson

Founder and Director

Suzanne serves as Dean of Belk Chapel and Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy and Religion at Queens University. She led the institution's Presbyterian and Pluralist strategic planning team and has worked closely with Interfaith Youth Core for several years, leading seminars on interfaith education for academic, co-curricular, and institutional leaders.

Nancy Babb Falls

Program Assistant

Nancy keeps all the plates spinning, with unspeakable grace and wisdom. A life-long Charlotte resident, education advocate, and community leader, Nancy brings a life of "bridge building" to this work.

Christy Cobb

Campus Leader
Wingate University

Christy is Assistant Professor of Religion, New Testament scholar, and a mom whose own pandemic experience gave birth to the Interfaith Activity Box project. She's an emerging leader on and off campus and a volunteer with Refugee Support Services, among other organizations.

Joey Haynes

Campus Leader
Queens University

A 2011 graduate of Queens, Joey now serves as University Chaplain and is known for his robust coffee consumption as he connects with every facet of campus life. He's also wired for community service and has taken the Covid-19 pandemic as a summons to help others.

Kendal Mobley

Campus Leader
Johnson C. Smith University

Kendal (known to many as Kip) serves his campus as Associate Professor of Religion and Director of Spiritual Life. He's active with MeckMIN, the Charlotte-area interfaith network, as well as several initiatives related to racial justice in the community.

Prea Persaud

Campus Leader
UNC - Charlotte

Prea is a lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies at UNC-Charlotte.  She teaches classes on Caribbean religions, Hinduism in the diaspora, religion and food, and on the intersection of race and religion. The interfaith boxes reflect her belief that knowledge about the different religions and cultures of the world is necessary for  being an informed global citizen and community partner.

Chris Brawley

Campus Leader
Central Piedmont Community College

Chris has taught literature and religion at CPCC for decades and is wired for interfaith work. After hearing Eboo Patel speak at Queens in February, he said, "sign us up!" And we did.

Carson Crochet

Student Intern - Davidson College

Carson is a Davidson College junior majoring in German Studies and Arab Studies. She is from Decatur, GA, and has been interested in religion since a young age. Carson believes that getting to know others and different perspectives is how you get to know the world.

Langston Stephens

Student Intern -  Davidson College

Langston is a senior Social Entrepreneurship major at Davidson College who was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Langston joined Bridge Builders Charlotte because he believes in community-building from the ground up and the power of storytelling. He believes that people from diverse backgrounds working together can bring true change.

Allison Barbee

Student Intern - Wingate University

Allison Barbee is a junior majoring in Religious Studies at Wingate University.  Allison is President of the Iota Zeta chapter of Alpha Xi Delta.

Keller Jones

Student Intern - Central Piedmont Community College

Keller is a freshman at Central Piedmont Community College pursuing an Associate in Arts degree. Keller chose to participate in the Bridge Builders Charlotte project because she is passionate about bringing different people together for a helpful cause. She reports she has loved serving her community in a meaningful way this fall semester.

Courtney Whacker

Student Intern - Central Piedmont Community College

Courtney Whacker

Tvisha Patel

Student Intern - Central Piedmont Community College

Tvisha Patel is high school senior attending CPCC through the dual enrollment Levine Middle College program. She will earn an Associate of Arts along with her high school diploma in May 2021. Tvisha was inspired to join Bridge Builders Charlotte to gain a better understanding of interfaith cooperation and to interact with a diverse group of students.

Mackenzie Smart

Student Intern - University of North Carolina Charlotte

From Middletown, Connecticut, Mackenzie is a senior majoring in Religious Studies and minoring in Legal Studies.  Mackenzie "jumped at" the opportunity to participate in Bridge Builders Charlotte because of the impact she could help make on children and families in the height of a pandemic that has reshaped our world.

Ex Moon

Student Intern - Johnson C. Smith University

Exodus "Ex" Moon

Itzel Garcia Ruiz

Student Intern - Queens University

Itzel is a senior at Queens University and is double majoring in Journalism and Digital Media and Spanish.  Itzel has arrived at a point in life where she wants to give back to a community that has given her the tools to succeed.  She is empowered by her peers to be a proponent of interfaith work through Bridge Builders Charlotte.