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Shayne Lee is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Houston. He earned a PhD in sociology (Northwestern University, 2002), two master's degrees, in religion and in biblical studies, a BA in theology, and an AA in social science. Lee's forthcoming book, *American Phenomenon: Bishop T. D. Jakes*, offers the ministry of a popular preacher and cultural icon as a prism through which we can learn more about contemporary religion and America. Lee's work also studies the striking interplay of politics and religion in black churches. His recent publications include the articles "The Structure of a Spiritual Revolution: Black Baptists and Women in Ministry," published in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography (33:154-177), and "The Church of Faith and Freedom: African American Baptists and Social Change," published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (42:31-42). Lee teaches various courses, including African American Religion, Race and Ethnicity, Postmodern Society, and Sociology of Mass Communication.

Bishop Lewter's ministerial career began in 1973 while still a student at Oberlin College majoring in communications and religion. While on campus, Bishop Lewter directed the Oberlin Black Ensemble, served as chairman of Abusua and president of African-Heritage House. He also helped to find the Oberlin Voices of Christ. After graduating with a BA with honors in 1976, he entered Harvard University in pursuit of a master's of divinity degree. Bishop Lewter holds an earned doctorate of ministry degree from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. In Boston he served at the Union Baptist Church with Pastor Melvin G. Brown as an assistant pastor in charge of communications and drama, directing James Baldwin's "Amen Corner." In 1979 he graduated from Harvard Divinity School and spent additional time in a post-graduate study program at Oxford University. In 1985, Bishop Lewter responded to an invitation by the Oakley Baptist Church to come and assume the pastorate. His tenure is marked by the development of a live TV ministry, growth of the membership, and a church newspaper. In 1991, Bishop Lewter made history by leading the New Life Fellowship of Churches in the purchase of WO8BV TV8, Ohio's only African-American religious television station. The station has the participation of approximately 40 churches ranging from Columbus, New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. In February 1993, Bishop Lewter led the African American Religious Connection in the acquisition of their first radio station, WLGO 1170 AM, reaching 16 counties in central South Carolina.

**Rev. Dr. Yvette Flunder**, a San Francisco native, has served her call through prophetic action and ministry for justice for over thirty years. This call to “blend proclamation, worship, service and advocacy on behalf of those most marginalized in church and in society” led to the founding of the City of Refuge United Church of Christ in 1991. In 2003, Rev. Dr. Flunder was consecrated Presiding Bishop of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, a multi-denominational coalition of over 100 primarily African American Christian leaders and laity. Rev. Dr. Flunder is on the Board of Starr King School for the Ministry and DEMOS and has taught at many theological schools. She is a graduate of the Certificate of Ministry and Master of Arts programs at PSR, and received her Doctor of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary. She is also an award-winning gospel music artist and author of Where the Edge Gathers: A Theology of Homiletic and Radical Inclusion.

The Rev. Dr. Frank Madison Reid, III is an internationally known leader, a pre-eminent power speaker, cutting edge thinker, as well as a motivator who encourages and equips people to rebuild their broken lives and communities. Born on June 29, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois, to the late Bishop Frank M. Reid, Jr, and Adrenis Carter Reid, he was the first born son of four children. The family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1956 where Dr. Reid was raised and attended public schools. He graduated from high school in 1969. A brilliant but late blooming student, Dr. Reid took a year, 1969-70, to attend the acclaimed Yale Transitional Year Program (TYP). In that program, he began to fulfill his academic and leadership potential and was later admitted to some of the top colleges in the nation. Dr. Reid graduated from Yale in 1974 with a B.A. in History and African American Studies. While at Yale, he served as the moderator and president of the Black Student Alliance (BSA) and had the opportunity to meet some of the top leaders of the world. During his college years, Dr. Reid answered his call to ministry and preached his trial sermon in August of 1971 at Metropolitan A.M.E. Church in Washington, D.C. When he received his license to preach, he became the 5th generation of his family to become a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Under Dr. Reid's leadership, "The Bethel Outreach of Love" Broadcast was the first African Methodist Episcopal Church to have an international TV broadcast. For over 10 years, the broadcast was on Black Entertainment Television (BET). The broadcast has also been on the Armed Forces Network, and is now seen internationally in Europe on Revelation TV and UC-TV, nationally on The Word Network, and regionally on WB-TV. As a best-selling author who has written important books and articles, Dr. Reid is a much sought out author, teacher, preacher, and motivational speaker. Dr. Reid is married to Marlaa Hall Reid, a talented woman in her own right; they have been married for over 24 years. They have two daughters, Franshon and Faith, and one son, Shane.

Known for his ecclectic sense of graphic design, Bob Staake's illustrations and images appear in everything from magazines to books, animation to greeting cards, advertising to newspapers, cereal boxes to CD-ROM games. He has authored and/or illustrated over 40 books, including *Headlines* (written by Jay Leno, illustrated by Staake), *The Complete Book Of Caricature* and *The Complete Book Of Humorous Art *(both authored by Staake). *The New York Times* named Staake's *The Red Lemon* one of the 10 best illustrated books of 2006. Staake lives and works in Chatham, Massachusetts in a 200-year-old house on the elbow of Cape Cod.

Edward B. Fiske is an internationally known education writer and editor who has written informatively on topics ranging from American higher education to primary school reform in Southeast Asia, New Zealand and South Africa. Formerly the education editor of the *New York Times*, Mr. Fiske is well known as the author of the best-selling *Fiske Guide to Colleges* (Sourcebooks), an annual publication that has been a standard part of college admissions literature for two decades. He is a regular contributor to the *International Herald-Tribune*. In addition to the *New York Times* his articles and book reviews have appears in *American Prospect*, *Atlantic Monthly*, *The New Republic*, *Readers Digest* and other national publications. He has received numerous awards for education reporting and serves on a number of boards of non-profit organizations, including the Foundation for Excellent Schools in Vermont, the Center for International Understanding in Raleigh, NC, and the Central Park School, a charter school in Durham, NC.

Richard C. Lord is President and Chief Executive Officer of Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM). AIM. is an employer service organization of more than 5,400 member companies. He joined AIM in 1991 and served as Executive Vice President for Legislative Policy where he was responsible for AIM.'s public policy analysis and legislative efforts on health care, economic development, taxation, worker's compensation, and other areas of special interest to employers in the Commonwealth. Prior to joining AIM, he served as Chief of Staff for the Committee on Ways and Means of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The Committee is responsible for all legislation involving state funds and revenues, including the Commonwealth's annual budget and all tax related matters. The Committee employed gun for six years, where he served as the Budget Director before being promoted to the Chief of Staff position. He is a native of North Adams, Massachusetts and a 1977 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Williams College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Psychology.

Richard Marlin is the Legislative Director for the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, representing thousands of workers in the construction trades across the Commonwealth. He previously served as the Legislative Director for the Massachusetts AFL-CIO for 14 years, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center.

**Governor Charlie Baker** was sworn in for a second term as the 72nd Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on January 3, 2019, after a first term focused on moving Massachusetts forward through bipartisan, results-driven leadership. Since taking office, Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito have assembled a diverse team and put forth a ‘get stuff done’ approach to build a state government that is as thrifty, hard-working and creative as the people of Massachusetts. Raised in Needham, Governor Baker attended Massachusetts public schools and is a graduate of Harvard College. He went on to earn a Master's of Business Administration from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, where he met his wife Lauren. The Bakers reside in Swampscott, have been heavily involved in numerous civic and charitable endeavors, and are the proud parents of their three children, Charlie, AJ, and Caroline.

John E. McDonough is the executive director of Health Care For All, a Massachusetts consumer health advocacy organization. While completing this project, he was an associate professor at the Heller School at Brandeis University. Prior to that, he served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives between 1985 and 1997. He holds a doctorate in public health from the University of Michigan and a master in public administration from Harvard University.