Sister Parish

Shannon Lockhart: Executive Director and Administrator Shannon has worked with Sister Parish, Inc. since January 2002, when she joined the staff as a Guatemalan Regional Coordinator. In November of 2004, she became the Co-Executive Director of Sister Parish, Inc. and is responsible for overall financial and program administration for the US, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Supervises and supports staff and volunteers. Guides board in terms of policy decisions to be made. Maintains contact with US and Latin American churches, and follows-up on recruitment of churches in the north and south. Fundraises, reviews and revises written materials, publications, updates information for delegates and churches as needed. Public speaking on issues relevant to SP programs. Primary emergency contact for staff and delegations. Shannon has an MSW from Loyola University of Chicago and has worked as a Human Rights Accompanier in returned refugee village in Guatemala. (1997-8), then as the Bilingual Assistant/ Mental health worker for the Human Rights Office of the Archdiocese of Guatemala (1998-2001). She also lived and worked in El Salvador in 1993-4 in a resettled community. Recipient of 2004 Angeline Award for service to the Guatemalan community (Ursuline Sisters of Louisville).

Ellen Moore: Regional Coordinator in Guatemala. Ellen, a Wisconsin native, received her undergraduate degree in Spanish and Justice and Peace Studies from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2005. Since then she has been working with various organizations in Guatemala in the area of human rights. Ellen worked for over a year as an international human rights accompanier in rural and urban Guatemala with the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala. Most recently she collaborated with the Myrna Mack Foundation on an investigation of the violent deaths of women in Guatemala.

Maria Van Der Maaten: Administrative Associate. Maria coordinates with and performs functions for the Executive Director, Northern churches and Southern communities and works in conjunction with the ED to expand Sister Parish in the US. She works as the Northern Staff Person, supporting churches through visits, leading pre-trip orientation sessions and participating in local Sister Parish committee meetings upon request. She is working to increase church-to-church relationships in the US. She provides recruitment materials or visits potential churches in coordination with the BOD and ED and is developing a recruiting methodology for BOD members and other Sister Parish recruiters. She also serves as the Administrative Associate or primary office contact for churches, delegates, and other inquiries in the US, maintains all Sister Parish databases and delegation, recruiting, office and corporate documents. She assists in the preparation of upcoming Board and Northern Assembly meetings, as well as in fund development and fundraising activities. Maria joined the Sister Parish staff in 2006. She has been involved in Sister Parish since 2001, when she participated in her first north-to-south delegation from the First United Methodist Church in Decorah, Iowa. Since 2001 she has accompanied three more delegations to the south and has been part of two south-to-north delegations. Her involvement with Sister Parish led her to receive an undergraduate degree in Spanish from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa and a master’s degree in International Development from the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado

Sergio Balan: Regional Coordinator in Guatemala Sergio accompanies, plans, and translates for delegations, and translates written communications between faith communities. Accompanies churches engaged in mutual projects. Supports the work of the Guatemalan Directive and helps them to organize national and international activities. Sergio Balan is a talented elementary school teacher and computer technician from rural Guatemala. He and his family live in San Martìn Jilotepeque, Chimaltenago. He joined the Sister Parish staff in September of 2005.

Gabriela Barrios: Regional Coordinator in El Salvador, accompanies, plan and translate for delegations, also translates written communications between faith communities in El Salvador and USA. She studied sociology in University of El Salvador (UES). She has worked in a feminist NGO which works with groups of organized women all over El Salvador. From 1998 to 2000 she worked as an research assistant volunteer. She also worked as a consultant in Local Development for this feminist NGO and other solidarity organizations in El Salvador. She joined Sister Parish at the end of July 2006.

Valeria Sanchini: Regional Coordinator in Guatemala. Valeria is one of two coordinators accompanies, plans, and translates for delegations, and translates written communications between faith communities in Guatemala and the Unites States. She helps to organize national and international activities.
Valeria studied International Political Sciences in University of Bologna (Italy) and she completed a Master’s Degree in Humanitarian Action at DEUSTO University, in Bilbao, Spain. She has lived in Guatemala since 2003. She previously worked as a researcher for a Guatemalan NGO, ICCPG (Instituto de Estudios Comparados en Ciencias Penales de Guatemala- The Institute for Comparative Studies in Penal Sciences of Guatemala), and then for an Italian NGO as a consultant in Local Development. She did an internship in Chiapas in a center for women rights. She joined Sister Parish at the beginning of January 2007.