PLF Faculty
SanDawna Ashley
The Rev. Dr. SanDawna Gaulman Ashley, Transitional Leader for the Synod of the Northeast, is an accomplished leader having served at all four levels of the PC(USA). Her leadership roles include Senior Pastor, Executive Presbyter, Leadership Development Associate, Manager of Call Process Support and Teaching Elder Ministries. Her ministry focuses on change management, adaptive leadership, public ministry, and making the Gospel relevant today. As the first African American woman in many of these positions, she broke barriers and paved the way for future leaders.
SanDawna teaches the Art of Transitional Ministry and has served on the boards of the Presbyterian Mission Agency and A-Corp of the PC(U.S.A.). She holds a D.Min from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, M.Div from Johnson C. Smith, Certificate in Org Design from Cornell, and a Bachelor of Social Work from Georgia State. She enjoys life with her husband, Murphy, and their dog Joy.
Deborah Boucher-Payne
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The Rev. Dr. Deborah Boucher-Payne currently serves as the PLF Coordinator. She currently serves as the Synod Executive of the Synod of Mid America and served for eight years as the General Presbyter in the Missouri Union Presbytery. She has been ordained in the PC(USA) for 35 years and has a B.A. from the University of Texas in Education, an M.Div. from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a M.S. in Ethics from Creighton University, and a D. Min. from the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in Pastoral Care and Counseling. Deborah is also a coach, conflict mediator, teaches transitional ministry and excels in innovative organizational leadership. She is married, has two young adult children and one cat. She enjoys travel, sailing, kayaking, writing icons and playing the violin.
Daris Bultena
The Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena serves as the General Presbyter and Stated Clerk for the Presbytery of Tropical Florida and the Chief Executive Officer for the Vibrant Together Development Corporation. The Presbytery consists of congregations from Ft. Pierce to Key West, Florida.
While serving the Presbytery of Tropical Florida, Daris has helped the Presbytery to identify the meaning of being Vibrant Together. The Presbytery has adopted a plan for ministry that commits congregations and leaders to building relationships, seeking out spiritual depth, and being missional.
As an entrepreneur and innovator Dr. Bultena has combined his ministry passion, business acumen, and property development skills by casting and leading a vision for leveraging church property, for property development and for the incubation of ministries that create sustainable futures for congregations and religious institutions. In 2023 he and the Presbytery of Tropical Florida launched, the Vibrant Together Development Corporation. This corporation repurposes property, develops innovative ministry, and a diverse array of assets.
Dee Cooper
The Rev. Dr. Dee Cooper, Lead Presbyter of Denver Presbytery, is a vibrant PC(USA) leader, infusing ministry with extensive experience and enthusiasm. With Master's degrees in Psychology, Divinity, and a D.Min, Dee has dedicated 28 years to serving in various roles. 30 years of licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapy and Hendricks coaching ignites her passion for curating authentic, creative connections in communities and facilitating innovative gatherings.
She loves creating space where Spirit sparks synchronicities of collaboration. A playful facilitator, Dee leads workshops nationwide for denominations, mid-councils, local churches, and the U.S. Air Force. Her adventurous spirit radiates through her passion as she connects people with animals in the wild through her business, Adventures for the Wild at Heart. As Dee embraces and explores this adventure of life she is always accompanied by her loyal golden retriever, Nessie.
Pronouns: She/Her/Y’all
Rev. Dr. Bruce T. Grady
Rev. Dr. Bruce T. Grady is a native of Wilmington, North Carolina. He is the Executive Presbyter of New Hope Presbytery (NHP) and a graduate of NC State University (BS), Duke Divinity School (MDiv), Princeton Theological Seminary (ThM) and Columbia University (EdD).
As an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament of twenty-eight years, Bruce’s work spans from local to international levels. He has served in a variety of settings including the Committee on Theological Education (COTE) of the PC(USA), the Racial Equity Taskforce of NHP, the NC Rural Center Homegrown Leaders, the Yahve-Jire Children’s Foundation of Haiti, the South African Task Force of New York City Presbytery (NYCP), the Commission on Preparation for Ministry of NYCP, the National Black Presbyterian Caucus, the Next Generation Initiative of the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast Region of Latino Disciples of Christ.
Central to his achievements in these efforts is his ability to understand and bridge diverse perspectives, to develop positive relationships and to cultivate spiritual fellowship of the children of God. Bruce enjoys music, theater and physical fitness. He is happily married to his best friend, Michele, and they have two lovely children- Isaiah and Alexa. They reside in Cary, North Carolina.
Rev. Mirjam Haas-Melchior
Rev. Mirjam Haas-Melchior serves as Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Utah, a vibrant network of 20+ congregations stretching from Preston, Idaho to St. George, Utah. Originally from Germany, where she was born, raised, and ordained in the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland, Mirjam moved to the U.S. in 2008 with her husband and young daughter. Her ministry journey has spanned continents and congregations—from Germany to Utah and Texas—culminating in her leadership role with the Presbytery beginning in 2021.
A passionate advocate for justice, reconciliation, and peace, Mirjam leads a Matthew 25 Presbytery committed to nurturing healthy, growing congregations. She earned her Doctor of Ministry from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 2024.
Known for her love of coffee, outdoor adventures, and Star Trek’s Captain Janeway, Mirjam believes that strangers are simply friends not yet met. She and her family – her and her husbanded added to more kiddos to the bunch and along with a lively crew of pets—embrace the beauty of Utah and the joy of global exploration.
Cindy Kohlmann
The Rev. Cindy Kohlmann currently serves as Dean of the PLF Faculty. She has served two churches as a solo pastor, in Ohio and Massachusetts, and the Presbyteries of Northern New England and Boston as Resource Presbyter. She was elected in June 2018 as Co-Moderator of the 223rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). In January of 2021, she began service as the Connectional Presbyter and Stated Clerk for New Castle Presbytery (Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland). She is married to the Rev. Eric Markman and has two adult step-daughters and one cat. She loves to travel and scuba dive, especially in warm locations. She’s also slowly learning Spanish (daily Duolingo lessons since December 2015!).
Gavin Meek
Gavin Meek is the EP and Stated Clerk of New Harmony Presbytery, encompassing 59 congregations in 12 counties in northeast SC with the largest percentage (1/3) of African American congregations in the denomination. After being ordained in 1988 and serving ten years as an installed Pastor, Gavin served for 24 years in interim/transitional ministry in one other presbytery and eight congregations of various sizes in seven states in the Midwest, Northeast, and South. From 2008 to 2022, he was part of the PC(USA)’s faculty for interim/transitional ministry. After completing PLF in 2018, he was invited to join the faculty. Gavin and his wife, Jen Kottler, a PC(USA) pastor in Florence, SC, are avid travelers. Gavin has been to 49 states (only missing Idaho, soon to come!) and over 60 countries (and counting) and enjoys reading biographies, all things Scottish (his mother was born and raised in Scotland), hiking, biking, tennis and good food, good wine and a wee dram with friends.
Sheldon Sorge
The Rev. Dr. Sheldon Sorge serves as Coordinator of the Presbytery Leader Formation (PLF) program. In December 2022 he was one of the last retiring ministers to receive the “Honorably Retired” honorific, before it was removed from the Book of Order. Previously he was the Executive and General Minister for Pittsburgh Presbytery, during which time he served on the faculty of PLF for ten years. Highlights of that work included hosting General Assembly and leading the presbytery through a top to bottom staffing and mission redesign in order to become more nimble and sustainable. As a pastor, denominational leader, and seminary teacher, Sheldon published widely on topics of theology and liturgy in journals and books. Sheldon continues in retirement to write hymns, choral arrangements, and jazz hymn settings. Along with making music together, Sheldon and his wife Tammy Wiens enjoy long bike rides – some internationally – and walking golf courses.
Sallie Watson
The Rev. Dr. Sallie Watson is an alumna of the very first graduating class of Presbytery Leader Formation. For 16 years, she served presbyteries in Arkansas, New Mexico, and Texas. Most recently retired from Mission Presbytery in south Texas, Sallie has just begun serving the PC(USA) as Associate Director for Mid Council Ministries in a one-year term position.
Sallie is a graduate of Austin College (Go Roos!), Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and McCormick Seminary. She currently serves on the boards of Austin Seminary and Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly. Married to husband Paul for almost 33 years, they are the parents of Alex (27) and Meredith (25) and grandparents of Alex’s son Arlo. They also serve as staff to Ruby the Cat. They love traveling whenever and wherever possible, and are serious fans of the San Antonio Spurs. Sallie also spends a non-zero amount of time working on their genealogy.
Presbyterian Leader Formation has provided a community of support for me. Mid-Council
ministry is lonely work but thanks to PLF I know that I always have colleagues available so that I
do not have to do it alone!
Barry Chance, Eastminster Presbytery