Meet Three New PACE Staff
After a national search with 250+ applicants, PACE is excited to introduce you to three new staff members who joined our team on March 8, 2023.
Kevin Singer is Communications Support Lead at PACE after six years of media relations and PR experience for a non-profit and two research organizations. Kevin grew up at the intersection of his mother’s evangelical Christianity and his father’s reform Jewish roots, learning how to appreciate deep difference at home. In 2015, while pursuing an M.A. in systematic theology from Wheaton College, he co-founded Neighborly Faith, an organization equipping evangelical Christians to live out neighborly values while engaging people of other faiths. He also holds an M.A. in higher education from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, where he calls home with his four young kids, dog Sheeps, and cats Han & Chewie. Kevin is a prolific writer on religion and politics with placements in WashPo, The Hill, Religion News, Christianity Today, and more.
Joy Turner is Managing Director of Funder Engagement at PACE where she will design, curate, and implement experiences that maximize the participation of the funders within the PACE community. She brings years of experience as an organizational leader who has guided multiple constituencies toward fulfilling their mission using critical questions, deep listening, trust, and ultimately value-based action. She holds a Master’s Degree from Loyola Marymount University and a B.A. in Social Welfare and African American Studies from the University of California-Berkeley. Joy lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two grade schoolers, and two cats. She is especially proud of the work she did at Teach for America, where she was both a corps member and on staff for a number of years.
Bhumika Shah is an Operations Support Lead at PACE with over 20 years of experience in healthcare, operations, and finance management. Bhumika specializes in financial processes, organizational systems and progressive technology and application and is responsible for logistics and communications within the team. She is a graduate of Northeastern University and Harvard Business School CORe Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting. Bhumika is inspired by daily walks in nature and knowing that there will always be more to explore and learn.
We asked Kevin, Joy, and Bhumika some get-to-know-you questions as an opportunity to introduce themselves to the PACE community.
What drew you to PACE?
Kevin: I was drawn to PACE because of their work on faith and democracy. This project provided an opportunity for Neighborly Faith, an organization I am involved with, to study who is influencing young evangelicals on politics and civic engagement. I was also very impressed by their Civic Language Perceptions project, which gave me an opportunity to study how evangelical Christians respond to terms like pluralism, common good, civility, and more.
Joy: PACE is an organization that brings folks together. I was looking for a mission-aligned organization that prioritizes relationship building and learning and PACE fits that bill. Supporting the thinking and good work of organizations doing good work? Sign me up!
Bhumika: Pace’s vision, mission, and the commitment to racial equity resonated with me. Informing and empowering people to be actively engaged in our democracy and the concept of Philanthropic Lab was another actionable concept that drew me to PACE. A place where one can learn, innovate, and experiment.
What is a project PACE is working on that excites you?
Kevin: I’m especially excited about PACE’s upcoming learning labs. PACE members tell me that one of their favorite things about the organization is the open space it has developed for all kinds of viewpoints, where participants don’t feel pressure to pick sides. I’m looking forward to seeing relationships between members deepen and perhaps spark formidable innovations in philanthropy through this initiative.
Joy: I am looking forward to working on the National Service Learning Lab. As a proud Americorps alum, National service has a special place in my heart, and I am excited to convene folks that can potentially shape the future impact of National service.
Bhumika: Given the current socio-political concerns, I am very interested in the Social Cohesion Philanthropy project. Cohesion is defined as any action or fact of forming a united whole. As our democracy is under constant threat of segregation, this project identifies “pathways to inclusive, collaborative, and sustainable problem solving among diverse and divergent groups of people” by increasing self-awareness of toxic polarization.
What personal/professional experiences do you think prepared you for your role at PACE?
Kevin: The house I grew up in was as divided as a home could be. My mom is a Republican, my dad was a Democrat. My mom is an evangelical Christian, my dad was agnostic, even critical toward religion for a long time. My mom was an extrovert, my dad an introvert. I could go on. Seeing their marriage navigate these divergent viewpoints and experiments, drawing from each other’s strengths, was inspiring to me. It prepared me for environments where difference is valued. I see this happening at PACE, so I feel right at home. Professionally, I’ve done some thinking and writing on politics for different venues like WashPo, The Hill, RealClearPolitics, The Conversation, The Independent, and more. I’m excited to engage with the political issues and conversations of the day more directly in this role.
Read: “My Dad Didn’t Like Religion, But He Prepared Me for Religious Diversity” by Kevin Singer (Interfaith Observer)
Joy: I began my career as a classroom teacher and quickly moved into school leadership. What I loved most about that work were the relationships I got to build with students and teachers. Getting to know a person so that I could best support them, whether it was a star teacher or a challenging student, was the most rewarding part of that work. At Teach for America, I designed the 5 week summer training program that all new TFA corps members in Los Angeles attended to prepare for their first classroom. This deepend my practice of curating experiences that supported learning and leadership development. Most recently, I have been working in the space of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Finding value in the differences we all bring, supporting leaders in developing inclusive spaces, and facilitating conversations were all front and center in that work. I believe that all of these experiences have set me up for success at PACE. I am very much looking forward to my work of building and maintaining relationships, asking thought provoking questions, and designing spaces for connection and collaboration.
Bhumika: My 20 + years of experience in healthcare, operations and finance management has helped to pave the road for this role. I am skilled in financial processes, organizational systems and progressive technology and application, while bringing people together and working toward common goals. Additionally, I volunteer extensively at an international NGO where I am constantly given the opportunity to work with people with radically different personalities, resources and strengths. This allows me to hone in on my team building and people skills in order to ensure that the needs of those that require the most urgent support is established while other important tasks are also alloted the appropriate time and resources.
What’s something unique/interesting about you that you would like to share?
Kevin: For my American Government class in high school, I actually made some campaign calls for Rod Blagojevich. I have a campaign bumper sticker to prove it. Fortunately, I didn’t get in any trouble. I am an American Civil War buff. I can tell you right now, it’s a bad idea.
Joy: Something interesting about me is that I love deep conversations. I would love nothing more than to hear about your childhood, a challenge you are currently facing, and a fear you are attempting to overcome. I want to know why you aren’t close with your cousin anymore and what that means for how you engage in relationships now. I want to celebrate wins with you and truly be the space where you feel seen and heard.
Bhumika: I am a world traveler and had the opportunity to visit all 7 continents.
Who is a role model of yours, and why?
Kevin: This might be a tad cliche, but my favorite speech is the Gettysburg address. Abraham Lincoln had a way of threading the needle that I really admire. He used imagery and metaphor in brilliant ways, such as in this section: “We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Lincoln reminds me that our democracy is immeasurably valuable and enduring, capable of providing new birth just when it feels like it’s on life support. It’s hard to read about Lincoln without walking away feeling energized about our United States.
Joy: A role model in my life is Dianne Hackett. She currently runs a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion portfolio at Google, but we met when she was tasked with supporting me as I entered my first classroom. She is a model of what it means to walk the walk, demonstrating strength of character, humility, and fun. I am so grateful to have her presence in my life.
Bhumika: My parents are my role models because they have grounded me with their unconditional love, so I can be inquisitive and fearless.
With a growing team that is both highly talented and passionate about PACE’s mission and expanding network, we are more confident than ever in what we can accomplish together.
We encourage you to reach out and welcome Kevin (Kevin@PACEfunders.org), Joy (Joy@PACEfunders.org), and Bhumika (Bhumika@PACEfunders.org) to the PACE team!
