Our Team
Leadership
FOUNDER & SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR
Rev. Diane Berke
Rev. Diane Berke is the Founder and Spiritual Director of One Spirit Learning Alliance. Ordained as an interfaith minister in 1988, she is a respected pioneer in the field of interfaith/interspiritual education; this past June (2020) she stepped down after 18 years as Director of the One Spirit Seminary Training. Diane has worked closely with Andrew Harvey in his Institute for Sacred Activism, is a founding member of the Contemplative Alliance of the Global Peace Initiative of Women, and is a co-founder of Transformation 365, an online platform to introduce people to a broad range of contemplative practices. She is also a certified facilitator of the Circle of Trust® work of the Center for Courage and Renewal. Diane maintains a private practice in spiritual counseling/companionship and supervision of spiritual counseling students and practitioners. In addition, she is a licensed mental health counselor in New York State. A student and teacher of A Course in Miracles for over 30 years, Diane has led retreats and workshops on spiritual development throughout the United States and internationally. She is the author of several books and educational manuals, including Love Always Answers, The Gentle Smile, Developing and Deepening Your Spiritual Practice, and Forgiveness as a Path of Awakening. Diane is known for the clarity and wisdom of her teaching, the sincerity and depth of her compassion, and her ability to create exceptionally safe and nourishing learning and companioning spaces in which people can heal and blossom. She continues to actively serve One Spirit as a "spiritual grandmother" and guide.
CO-CEO
Rev. Dr. Courtney Bryant
Rev. Dr. Courtney Bryant, a spiritual leader and educator, holds a Masters of Divinity from Duke University and a Doctorate in Religion: Ethics and Society from Vanderbilt University. She has served as Assistant Professor of Religion and Womanist Ethics at Manhattan College and Pastor of Righteous Relations at All Angels’ Church in New York City. As an academic, Courtney’s work has focused on the racial, gender, and sexual politics of embodiment. In her ministry, she fosters co-creation and discipleship through loving relationships and justice-seeking for the oppressed. Courtney’s expertise in spiritual education and personal transformation, as well as her skill in external communications and fundraising, will enhance the work we do at One Spirit.
CO-CEO
Gordon Brode
As One Spirit's Co-CEO, Gordon Brode integrates his fascination with human and organizational learning, systems thinking, and reinvention methods into the development of visionary solutions that dynamically empower One Spirit's mission. His experience in a diverse variety of industries including intensive phases in professional theater, talent management, software design, branding, web design, and systems development has fed his passion for creating the conditions for collaborative wisdom and visionary innovation.
Gordon is a 2015 graduate of One Spirit Seminary and received his MS with distinction in Positive Organization Development and Change at Case Western University's Weatherhead School of Management and a certificate in Emotionally Intelligent Leadership and Executive Coaching in 2020. Gordon is also a Certified Reinvention Practitioner and certified in the Kolb Experiential Learning Profile by the Institute for Experiential Learning and in the SQ21 Spiritual Intelligence Assessment. A lifelong learner and avid student of consciousness, his interests include shamanic journeying, awakening collaborative wisdom, twelve-step community spirituality, appreciative inquiry, and other methods of whole-systems change.
Operations
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Damia December
Damia life’s mission is to help others realize, express, and live out their fullest potential, and she is grateful to live that mission every day in her work supporting the students, staff, and community of One Spirit. Assisting with anything and everything from administrative needs and tech support to end-of-year event planning and celebrating the little wins, Damia is always available to partner with you to overcome any challenge, big or small, at any point in your journey. Damia holds a BA in Psychology and Anthropology from the University of Michigan, is a Registered Behavior Therapist, an ICRT Usui - Karuna - Holy Fire Reiki Master Teacher, and a life-long learner.
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Jodie Martin
As Director of Marketing, Jodie leads One Spirit's marketing initiatives across the organization to enhance brand awareness, engage and grow our community of change makers, and advance our mission to integrate spirituality with social change. Jodie holds a Bachelor of Communication in Journalism and brings over a decade of experience in communications, marketing, and development, working primarily with nonprofits and purpose-driven companies in the spirituality and well-being space. She is also a creative writer, yoga teacher, and Ayurvedic wellness coach, dedicated to creating positive change for the health and well-being of people, animals, and the planet.
ADMISSIONS COORDINATOR
Rev. Stephanie Heilker
Stephanie is a graduate of both our One Spirit Seminary and InterSpiritual Companioning and Counseling programs. She has also worked on our media team for over two years and as our Media Team Coordinator since early 2023. For the last 13 years, Rev. Stephanie has operated Many Rivers Ministries, an inclusive, creative, loving, authentic, and active ministry that focuses on premarital conversations, unions, and individual spiritual companioning. She also provides end of life care with a heart for those experiencing disenfranchised grief. She is a vegan, a singer and songwriter, the mother of one, grandmother of two, and lifelong friend of the animals.
FINANCE & OPERATIONS ASSISTANT
Emrah Akyildiz
Emrah Akyildiz has been working at One Spirit Learning Alliance since 2016. He assists the organization in the finance office, coordinating of volunteers, and classroom rentals. Emrah always takes an energetic approach when working with others and colleagues, works hard to understand their expectations. He is diligent, driven, a clever problem-solver, and takes on challenges willingly. Emrah studied computer science at Istanbul Aydin University and possesses a strong background in software development/IT, marketing and finance. He holds extensive experience in a variety of backgrounds and always strives to make ethics, creativity, and perfectionism top priorities in his business. Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Emrah and has lived in New York since 2013.
Board of Trustees
BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRESIDENT
Rev. Brad Learmonth
Brad Learmonth (Ordained at One Spirit in 2011, ISC 2015, ELA and CIC 2020), a leader in the non-profit performing arts for over three decades, received the 2014 William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. As the director of programming at Harlem Stage (1988-2015) Brad created unique and nurturing platforms in all disciplines for visionary artists of color to create risk-taking and transformative work that responds to the social and political conditions that shape our lives. He also created award winning arts education programs for k-12 public school children. He continues his work in the arts independently. The activism and service that is essential to this vision carries through in Brad’s work on his spiritual path. Brad has a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science and trained as an actor. He was born in the Boston area and has lived in New York since 1982. He resides in New York City and Sag Harbor with his husband Jon, two and a half dogs, about 150,000 honeybees, a few dozen koi and the abundance of nature.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES SECRETARY
Rev. Lina E. Ziurys
Lina E. Ziurys is an attorney at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, specializing in the representation of private funds (including hedge funds and private equity funds) and investment advisers in connection with their structuring, formation and ongoing operational needs, as well as general securities law and compliance matters. She previously practiced corporate law, with a particular focus on credit and securities law matters, in the New York and London offices of a global law firm. Lina graduated from Connecticut College and Brooklyn Law School (magna cum laude), and studied in a non-degree program at the London School of Economics. She is a hospice volunteer, a lover of animals, and an ordained interfaith/interspiritual minister (One Spirit Class of 2016).
BOARD OF TRUSTEES TREASURER
Rev. Emilie Unterweger
Rev. Emilie Unterweger (OSIS 2021) is a healer, writer, and workshop facilitator based in New York City where she empowers others to participate in their own wellness by providing tools for growth and change. Emilie seeks to foster healing in individuals and communities through a deepening connection to Spirit and Earth and, in doing so, aid in restoring balance to humanities’ relationship with the natural world. Emilie earned a BA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. There she trained as a NYS Certified Rape Crisis Counselor and volunteered as a Peer Educator and Peer Advocate for their Sexual Violence Response Office doing outreach, working with survivors, creating and presenting workshops. She continues to support survivors in her practice and various recovery circles. Emilie is a certified Holy Fire and Shamanic Reiki Master Practitioner, talking circle leader, and has practiced mindfulness and meditation for over a decade.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBER
Rev. Annamma Abraham Kaba
Annamma Abraham Kaba was ordained an interfaith/interspiritual minister at One Spirit in 2020. She has been a psychotherapist for close to seventeen years and an oncology social worker and member of the department leadership team at Memorial Sloan Kettering for over two decades. Annamma currently directs an institution-wide program that provides psychosocial support to cancer survivors. Incorporating her spiritual work, Annamma is a committed anti-racist practitioner with a goal of unpacking the root causes of racism while developing cross-racial relationships to fight racial disparities and abuse. Born in the East and raised in the West, Annamma values psycho-spiritual practices fostering interconnectedness by identifying one’s vulnerabilities to strengthen individual wellbeing while collectively transforming our world. Annamma is a proud mother of two teenagers, Priya and Esa.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBER
Rev. Linda Bjork
Linda Bjork is a former decade-long CEO who built one of Scandinavia’s most profitable and award-winning design and branding agencies. Known as a mind-training pioneer CEO, Linda Bjork has developed a new intelligence system for leaders that reaches far beyond intellectual abilities and emotional intelligence called Mindfulness Intelligence™ (MQ). Linda is a trained MBSR Instructor (mindfulness based stress reduction), a Certified Executive Success Coach and an Ordained Interfaith Minister (One Spirit Class of 2019). Linda authored the leadership development book “Inner Business, Training Your Mind For Leadership Success”, and is part of the Core Team and the Board of Directors of UNITY EARTH, USA. Linda lives and works in New York City with her daughter, their dog Lion King (he really does looks like a lion) and their blind cat Lucyboy.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBER
Rev. German Rodriguez
Rev. German Rodriguez MSN, RN has lived a life of service as a nurse for the past 30 years. German was ordained an interfaith/interspiritual minister at One Spirit in 2020 and graduated from Companions in Care program in 2021. He is currently a Director of Nursing at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. German utilizes his broad-based leadership skills in program development and strategic planning. He is passionate about policy generation and researching evidence based practice when exploring new conceptual models in health care. German was born and raised in Puerto Rico and moved to New York City in 1988. He obtained his Masters of Nursing Informatics in 2017 from New York University. He is committed to professional and spiritual activities that promote diversity of thought, inclusion and belonging with a unique holistic transformational leadership approach. German is a proud father of his amazing daughter Biancca.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBER
Rev. Laurene Williams
Activist. Counselor. Innovator. Minister. Known for her ability to give voice to the deepest expressions of Spirit and connect them to the daily experiences of living, Reverend Laurene Williams delights in creating spaces in which people can express love, experience connection, demonstrate responsibility and empower community. She believes the purpose of ministry is to serve and empower community such that people experience their natural connection to others. Reverend Laurene asserts, “The more we function from understanding the depth of our interrelatedness and degree of our interdependence, the more each of us can consciously create our lives and contribute to a world that serves us ALL. Church would expand beyond its walls as a ‘house of God’ to ‘God housed in us’ and the congregation from a group of ‘people assembled for worship’ to ‘worship resembled in people.’ God, the Nameless and Named, is a “Lived Experience and Living Presence”—the spiritual experience of a multi-faceted, multi-dimensional relationship to ourselves, one another and Life that we express and embody as our divine essence.” Whether it was human development, psychology, religious studies and sociology electives she studied as an undergraduate at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania or her choice to attend an interfaith seminary at One Spirit Learning Alliance in NYC, Reverend Laurene believes a curious mind cultivates a consciousness mindset. “Curiosity encourages us to look beyond the facts, explore the limits of what we know to discover what is True—that we’re intimately and intricately connected. My curiosity has led me to meet people from all walks of life and walk in life with all sorts of people. And with not despite our differences, we are the same in our essence.” A truth that has only deepened and expanded for her through more than 20 years of study in various educational and transformational trainings. Sought after for her compelling conversations, engaging inquiries, sense of humor and unique perspective on spirituality-infused living, Reverend Laurene explores with people how to embody their personal truth in alignment with Spiritual Truth for greater fulfillment, power, joy and peace of mind. This is accomplished through her writings, counseling, ministry, public speaking and transformational workshops and innovative programs. Born in Westbury, Long Island, Reverend Laurene Williams currently lives in Bloomfield, NJ.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES EMERITUS
Dr. Kurt Johnson
Kurt Johnson, Ph.D., works professionally across a number of fields: world religions, spirituality, ethics, science, literature and business. Active internationally in trans-traditional spiritual practice, he is a founding member of the Coalition for One Voice and the World Wisdom Alliance, Dr. Johnson is also a member of Ken Wilber’s east coast Integral Alliance and Deepak Chopra’s Global Networking Leaders group. He was a co-host at the 2004 Parliament of World Religions for interspiritual dialogue. In addition to serving as a board member of One Spirit Learning Alliance, Dr. Johnson is on the faculty of the Humanist Institute and serves on the board of several United Nations NGO’s. Of Kurt’s many activities, the one closest to his heart is probably is evolution of the Inter-Spiritual understanding of his dear friend Brother Wayne Teasdale, author of the seminal work The Mystic Heart. This work is forwarded through a number of channels including Inter-Spiritual Dialogue in Action (www.isdna.org), the Community of the Mystic Heart, (www.orderofsannyasa.org), and the Inter-Spiritual Multiplex which can be accessed through the IsDNA home page. Kurt is the author of a number of articles and books in the fields of science, literature and spirituality, including the New York Times bestseller, Nabakov’s Blues. He serves on the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s panel on the Dialogue of Science, Ethics, and Religion and was a monk in the Christian tradition for over a decade. Today, however, Kurt’s primary interest is the profound simplicity of contemplative practice; and its global application for conscious living. He is a recognized teacher in the Hindu “Oneness” tradition of Advaita Vedanta.