Meet the Board

Shannon L. Allen began attending Bible study at The Lamb Center in 2016, enjoying the opportunity for community, engagement and encouragement. A year later, she began volunteering in the laundry, kitchen and at the front desk, continuing that work today. Shannon has been a Bible study and fellowship group leader and active lay leader in the church and women’s ministries throughout her adult life since graduating from Princeton Theological Seminary. Shannon is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Trinity Christian School. She and her husband Marc are raising four children in Fairfax, VA after calling Beijing, China and Seattle, WA home as well. When not chauffeuring kids across the DMV region, she enjoys coaching middle school soccer. Shannon and her family worship at Alexandria Presbyterian Church.

Mark has over 16 years of experience as a certified public accountant. He is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of ASI Government and has extensive experience as a financial auditor. Mark and his wife volunteer at the Lamb Center along with fellow congregants from St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church. Mark graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2005 with a degree in business administration. He lives in Fairfax County with his wife Rita and two children.

Chris came to TLC in 2021 as a front desk volunteer. Originally from Williamsburg, VA, Chris graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a degree in Business Administration. He lives in Fairfax, where he works in the technology consulting industry. Chris has three children, and he and his family are members of Fairfax United Methodist Church.

Lisa was introduced to The Lamb Center in March, 2017 when IBC first served breakfast on a Thursday morning and led chapel. She was so impressed with the ministry that she started volunteering regularly in the Clothing Closet. She loves being part of a faith-based mission where volunteers and staff are able to encourage people in their spiritual walk as well as provide them with materiel needs. Lisa is a retired Air Force logistics officer, who has lived (mostly) in Fairfax County since 1996 and is active in music and women’s ministries at Immanuel Bible Church (IBC) in Springfield, VA. She has particular compassion for people who have been made in God’s image but struggle in this world plagued by sin. She and her husband, Dave, are enjoying parenting a college-aged son.

Karen Kershenstein has been an active Lamb Center volunteer since December 2013. She serves as a regular kitchen volunteer and as the coordinator of the kitchen volunteers. Karen has been an active member of St. Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church since 1958. She serves as a Eucharistic Minister and coordinates bringing Communion to the sick and homebound members of the parish. In addition, she sings in several parish and diocesan choirs. She also serves as docent for St. Mary’s Historic Church. Karen earned her Ph.D. in physics from Georgetown University. She taught physics at Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University) for several years before becoming a member of the administration at Trinity, first serving as Registrar and Director of Institutional Research and then as Academic Dean. Karen worked at the U.S. Department of Education in higher education accreditation and runs a small consulting business that focuses on helping accrediting agencies improve their effectiveness.

Cathy got involved with The Lamb Center through getting to know the guests at the Hypothermia Prevention Program each winter. She and her husband Andy enjoy time with family, including 5 grandchildren. Cathy is active in social justice-related ministries at St. Stephens United Methodist Church in Burke, Virginia where she has served as lay leader and chair of the ministry council and is active on the Church and Society committee. Cathy did her undergraduate studies at Wake Forest University and has a master’s degree in library and information sciences from the University of Maryland. She recently retired from working at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine as a study director focused on health policy issues.

Alan MacDonald has over 30 years of experience working with global faith-based non-governmental organizations (including Wycliffe and SIL International) on efforts to promote Bible translation and on the role of language and culture in education and development. He spent 15 years in field assignments in Mexico, Philippines and China and served as the director of SIL’s work in China from 1987 to 1995.  He has served on numerous boards including those of Wycliffe USA, Stone Forest Leadership Alliance, All Kids Can Learn International, and Marketplace Development and Enterprises. Alan served for 11 years on the staff of Fairfax Community Church in Fairfax, VA where he served as the pastor of global engagement.  His responsibilities involved reaching out to those “outside the walls,” both locally and globally, in need of compassion, justice and the Good News of the Gospel. Alan lives with his wife, Doris, in Fairfax, Virginia.  They have been married for 41 years and we have three adult children.

Lori was born in Boston, Massachusetts and after graduation from high school, she worked for a couple of years as a telephone operator before attending Salem State College where she majored in goofing off. In 1981 she graduated from Kentucky Baptist Hospital School of Nursing and the next day moved to Fairfax, Virginia where she began her career at Fairfax Hospital. She subsequently worked at Alexandria Hospital, Fair Oaks Hospital and finally the Health Department where she fell in love with Public Health. After graduate school, with no Nurse Practitioner jobs available at the Health Department, she tried several other venues. However, Public Health remained her one true love, and she joyfully accepted the position of coordinator of the newly formed Homeless Healthcare Program in 2006, remaining there until her retirement in September of 2017.

Lesley Hatch spent over 30 years in healthcare business and strategic planning. Through her participation in the Outreach Committee at St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church in 2012, she became interested in issues of homelessness and affordable housing. This led to her late career shift where she joined the staff of Good Shepherd Housing (GSH) as the Chief Operating Officer. She spent eight years at GSH helping to increase affordable housing in southeastern Fairfax County and provide property management and case management services for GSH residents. She has supported The Lamb Center over the years through the outreach of St. Stephen’s where she worships and, more recently, has assisted The Lamb Center with preparing grants for its permanent supportive housing project. Lesley has business degrees from the University of Virginia and Northwestern University. She and her husband, Kurt, are enjoying retirement and spending time with family.

Brian Collins began volunteering at The Lamb Center in June 2022 as a call to continue service in the community in which he and his family live, the City of Fairfax. He is the Chief Security Officer at BDO USA, LLP where he is responsible for delivering crisis and risk management solutions within the firm and for clients globally. A former combat-decorated infantry officer in the US Marine Corps, Brian possesses 28+ years of commercial and governmental risk experience. He earned an undergraduate degree in history from the Virginia Military Institute, a graduate degree in security studies from Georgetown University, and completed the senior executive fellows’ program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Brian is a member of Fairfax Presbyterian Church where he served on the Board of Deacons, and he is a volunteer with the Veterans for Smart Power initiative at the US Global Leadership Coalition. Brian and his wife, Mary, are proud parents to two wonderful children.

Denise Lee is a chef and restaurant entrepreneur who owns and manages Social Burger in Vienna. From its inception, Denise’s vision for Social Burger has been to give back to the community and to focus on providing great food. She is a generous supporter of the Lamb Center, providing meals once a week for our guests who are experiencing homelessness. Denise immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines in 1998 and is a graduate of De La Salle University and L’Academie de Cuisine. She and her husband and two sons live in Vienna, VA  where she is a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church.

Dr. Walton, a native of Jersey City, New Jersey, has served as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Vienna since February, 2014. Dr. Walton’s primary mission is to “make a difference in our community and be a light of hope for the World.”  During his tenure at First Baptist, Dr. Walton has focused much of his ministry efforts on missions, cultural awareness, and social justice. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology & Criminal Justice from Virginia Union University (1993); his Master of Divinity Degree from New York Theological Seminary (1997) and a Doctorate of Ministry Degree in Preaching and Leadership from United Theological Seminary of Dayton, Ohio in December 2003. Most recently, he has served on the Chairman’s Task Force on Equity and Opportunity in Fairfax County, chairing the Public Safety Committee, and is a founding member of Voices of Black Fairfax. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the board for the Leland Center for Theological Studies and on the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. He also serves on Fairfax County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council, the Police Reform Task Force, and the Fairfax County Public Schools Strategic Planning Team.