Metropolitan Member Rev. E. Terri LaVelle Named Staff Director of DNC's Faith in Action Initiative

Washington, DC - The Democratic National Committee announced today that Reverend E. Terri LaVelle has been named staff director of the DNC's Faith in Action Initiative. Under the leadership of DNC Chairman Dean and Chief of Staff Rev. Leah Daughtry, the Faith in Action Initiative has worked to strengthen and build relationships with members of the Faith community through regular outreach based on our shared values and priorities. These efforts include national and state level outreach to diverse Faiths in coordination with the DNC's 50 State Strategy.

"We are so glad to have Reverend LaVelle join the DNC," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. "Democrats are a big tent party, and Reverend LaVelle's unique talent and proven track record of bringing people together around our shared values are critical to our ongoing effort to engage in a meaningful dialog with the Faith community and reach out to Democrats everywhere as we work together for the common good."

"It's so important for Democrats of Faith to come together and talk about how our values shape our positions," said Reverend LaVelle. "During my time at The Faith & Politics Institute, I had the privilege of working with Democratic Members of Congress who are also people of Faith and saw firsthand how their Faith had called them to public service. I'm excited to contribute to Faith in Action's successes so far and continue the Democratic Party's efforts to work towards a common good agenda based on shared values."

Reverend LaVelle comes to the DNC after serving as Program Director of The Faith & Politics Institute in Washington, DC, an organization that brings Members of Congress, staff, and other public officials together across partisan lines to talk about Faith and values. During her tenure there, she facilitated Member reflection groups, dialogues about Faith, diversity, race, and poverty among other issues and co-led pilgrimages to Alabama, Tennessee, and South Africa.

An ordained Baptist minister, Reverend LaVelle serves as an Associate Minister at the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, DC and is a Chaplain in Residence at Georgetown University. Before coming to Washington, she spent over 20 years at the St. Luke Church of God in Christ in Chicago, where she served as a licensed evangelist. She holds an M.A.T.S from McCormick Seminary and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Rush University.

The DNC's Faith in Action initiative offers a variety of resources to assist Democratic Party members on the national and local levels to engage the press, provide rapid response, continue message development on core policy issues, and strengthen Faith community relationships and contacts.