Starla Lewis is a woman on a mission. She is a Professor Emeritus, transformational speaker and life coach who has developed lectures and facilitated seminars in the areas of Diversity, Life Mastery and Women’s Empowerment, both nationally and internationally. She is the founder and CEO of C.E.L.L. (Celebration of Everlasting Life & Love) consulting.

Starla Lewis’ 40+ years of research and experience in African American Studies, Oral Communication and Women’s Studies, have enhanced her ability to engage diverse communities. She is the author and illustrator of Sunkisses, a multicultural/multilingual coloring book for children and adults. She is the Co-Creator and Facilitator of "Woman’s Worth: Reclaiming Our Divinity & Our Destiny", and Co-Author of “I Am: My Own Self-Validation”.

Starla Lewis is a seven-time recipient of the Mesa College Teacher of the Year Award, a 2015 Women’s Hall of Fame honoree, and was recognized by KPBS as a local hero. She has dedicated her life to teaching people love and life skills. Through her work she affirms that all people are: “Brilliant, Powerful, Limitless, Love!”

Deva ji is a Spiritual Life Coach and Facilitator of Spiritual Consciousness who has been coaching, teaching and facilitating personal growth and healing for almost 30 years. In addition to running her private coaching practice, she is the Director of Digital Content for Iyanla Vanzant Entertainment which includes her live streaming platform IVtv and R-Spot podcast with Shondaland. As a supporting coach on Starting Over season 3 and a Consulting Coach on Iyanla Fix My Life for 9 seasons, she interviewed the guests prior to the show and created many of the coaching plans and exercises used with them on air.

Her strong intuition combined with her authenticity, humor, and ability to address difficult issues with love, acceptance and compassion make her a highly sought after coach and an absolute blast to work with. Deva ji strongly believes that everyone has what they need to be successful and create the life they desire. She is merely there to support them in accessing their innate wisdom and learning to use it appropriately. Her coaching style combines practical strategies with spiritual practices, creating a holistic approach to personal growth and healing.

Professional Role
Sarah B. Drummond serves as Founding Dean of Andover Newton Seminary and Professor in the Practice of Ministerial Leadership at Yale Divinity School. She has been part of Andover Newton, a graduate theological school focused on ministry education for locally governed faith communities, since 2005. At Andover Newton at YDS, Sarah is lead administrator for a professional school for congregational ministry within a world-class ecumenical divinity school. She teaches and writes about leadership and serves as combination advisor/minister/mentor to ministers in-formation. Sarah is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ.

Educational Background
Sarah earned her PhD in Urban Education at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee with a specialization in administrative leadership. Sarah earned her Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, where she also served on the staff of Memorial Church in Harvard Yard and earned a Hopkins Share award for promise for ministry. Her Bachelor of Arts degree comes from Yale College, where she majored in Ethics, Politics, and Economics. Her thesis on citizenship theory’s implications for North African immigrant women in France earned her Yale’s Wrexham Prize for the best Senior Essay in the social sciences. She was Class Marshall for Saybrook College at Yale.

Writing and Publications
Sarah has written five books on the subject of ministerial leadership and dozens of articles on the same. Her most recent books are Intentional Leadership In Between Seasons, and Sharing Leadership: A United Church of Christ Way of Being In-Community. They were published by the Pilgrim Press in 2022 and 2021 respectively. Sarah ‘blogs weekly on Medium, and her current series is entitled “Inspirit… That Love Might Grow,” https://sbdrummond.medium.com/. In that series, she directly addresses dimensions of ministerial leadership too-often approached tangentially or in-passing.

Personal
Sarah is from Suffield, Connecticut, where her mother Jackie and sister Wendy reside today. She and her spouse, Dan, live in New Haven, Connecticut, along with four cats and two dogs. The couple’s daughter JJ is an undergraduate at Harvard University. Sarah enjoys reading fiction, spending time with friends, and learning new skills like languages and musical instruments. She is a member of Spring Glen Church, UCC, in Hamden, CT.

Darnella Melancon of the Quechan Tribe has over 25 years of government service experience. Having been a former council member leader in her tribal nation, Darnella's roles have included various positions within the Quechan Tribe, such as Social Services - Victim Service Coordinator and DOJ VAWA STOP grant, Parent Aide, Community Health Services - Nutrition Aide, along with serving on the Quechan tribal council's Law Enforcement Committee and participating in Emergency Management and planning. In addition, she has served in the U.S. Army and State Law Enforcement. Currently, she is a sergeant with the California Highway Patrol in the Fort Yuma/Yuma, AZ/California/Mexico border area. Darnella possesses specialized training and experience as an instructor, crisis intervention and peer support officer and facilitator, and most recently, in public trust.

She has been an Equal Employment Opportunity counselor since 2008 and took on the role of an investigator in 2019. Moreover, Darnella has served formally as a minister for over 15 years, including at the Quechan Indian Reservation in Yuma, AZ, and in Sacramento, CA. She currently attends and serves at Yuma Family of Faith in Yuma, AZ. Her areas of specialized skill in ministry encompass deliverance, inner healing, and building and restoring the soul (mind, will, emotions).

Darnella is passionately dedicated to her beliefs and has a deep-seated conviction in the value of all people, regardless of their backgrounds, cultures, or socioeconomic levels. She aims for those she contacts to walk in freedom, sincerely believing that people are always more important than material things. Darnella focuses on individuals in the grand scheme of life, emphasizing that the totality of one’s experiences should always make one better, regardless of whether those experiences are good, bad, or ugly. Her philosophy centers around self-improvement and helping others to become better as well.

Sociologist and Reverend, Bertice Berry, PhD., ordained in the Episcopal Church, is a best-selling author award-winning lecturer and has been named Comedian of The Year, Lecturer of the Year and Entertainer of the Year. She has published 13 best-selling books in both fiction and non-fiction and has won numerous awards and accolades for both her writing and presentations.

Berry has had her own nationally syndicated television show and has hosted, interviewed and made numerous television, documentary and radio appearances on a variety of diverse venues including The Tonight Show, Oprah Winfrey, Between The Lions, Crossfire, 20-20, NPR, PBS, Comedy Central and CNN.

Berry has used her unique gifts and talents as a writer and ghost writer for others on a wide range of topics including race and gender issues, sociological studies, stratification, healthcare reform, humor, spirituality, sexuality, slavery and the abolitionist movement, weight loss and wellness, relationships, servant leadership, transformational leadership, diversity and love.

Berry has led parades, had classrooms named after her and has been awarded over 10 honorary doctorates. She earned her own doctoral degree from Kent State University at the age of 26 and still sees her most fulfilling achievement and role in life as that of mother to her 5 adopted children.

“If you ain’t dead, you ain’t done,” a character in one of Berry’s novels says.

Berry believes that every one of us has been given a unique purpose and it is our obligation to find it and use it to improve first our own self and then for those we live and work with.

Rev. Ieisha is the Director of Evangelism in the National Covenant Offices is the Evangelical Covenant Church. A board-certified chaplain, recently she worked as religious coordinator with the Washington Department of Corrections and was previously an administrative chaplain at New York City’s Rikers Island facility. A collaborative and visionary leader, Ieisha is passionate about sharing the love that the gospel brings and has functioned as a ministry coach and mentor to diverse audiences. She also pastored a church plant for several years and was an executive pastor for more than 20 years.

An ordained Covenant minister, Ieisha earned her Master of Divinity degree from Howard University, a bachelor’s in business administration and management from Rutgers University and has completed coursework and certificate programs in clinical psychology, leadership, and theology.

Dr. Natasha Gresham, Phd, LPC, serves as director of the Center for Counseling and Behavioral Health at The Potter’s House. With her experience as an inspirational speaker, advisor, and life coach, she mentors the masses through various platforms such as television, social media, consultations, and conferences.

Throughout her career spanning over 20 years, Gresham’s passion and ability to connect to others have paved the way for her to collaborate with a diverse range of clients, including professional athletes, politicians, government agencies, faith-based organizations, and prestigious universities. Her commitment to integrity and creating a judgment-free atmosphere has been instrumental in maintaining her reputation and success.

To ensure she remains at the forefront of her field, Gresham has earned multiple degrees and various local, state, and national licensures and certifications. Her dedication to continuous development allows her to provide cutting-edge expertise.

Recognized for her exceptional contributions, she was named the Presidential Volunteer of the Year in 2019, a recognition she received at the United Nations along with an official pin of honor for her valuable work in mental health.

Gresham considers herself a lifelong learner, constantly drawing inspiration from everyday experiences to shed light on the power of inner healing, hope, and new beginnings. While her career is fulfilling, her greatest blessings are her husband, children, and grandchild. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and embarking on new adventures.

You can learn more about Tamara the curator of Sanctuary For Her Soul's space by clicking this link:

https://www.sanctuaryforhersoul.org/about