Derek Macleod
Director

Derek has called North Carolina home since 2014 after previously living in Canada. Born on the East Coast, Derek loves and appreciates the benefits and challenges that come with life alongside the ocean. In the days after Hurricane Florence in 2018, Derek helped create what is now the New Hanover Disaster Coalition and is proud to be the new director of this strong coalition of partners.

​Transitioning from 21 years of pastoring, Derek attends Northwestern University where he is completing his Masters of Clinical Counseling.  He is a member of the Wrightsville Beach Outrigging Canoe Club (Imua!) and Seahawk nation. 

Deborah Dicks Maxwell
Co-chair

Deborah Dicks Maxwell is a native Wilmingtonian. A retired public health social worker, she received her B.A. in Administration and Management from LaRoche University and her Master's in Social Work from East Carolina University. She is also an Army veteran and served in Operation Desert Storm.

Currently Deborah is the President of the New Hanover County NAACP and serves on the boards of NC CHILD, Cape Fear River Watch and North Carolina League of Conservation Voters Foundation. She is also a member of FRE-NC, formerly named the Just Florence Recovery Coalition, which assists marginalized communities with recovery efforts.

Deborah's passion is to make the world better for her daughter, two grandsons and thereby better for all. In her down time she enjoys gardening, reading and traveling. 

Pastor Jonathan Conrad
Co-chair

Pastor Jonathan Conrad was born in Statesville, NC, and raised in Winston-Salem, NC.He earned his Bachelor's Degree from North Carolina State University. He worked in radio for ten years at WTOB (Winston), WSJS (Winston), WRBZ (Raleigh), and WPTF (Raleigh). Among his radio duties were producing the local morning and afternoon talk shows, announcing the weekly Trading Post show, and co-hosting a nightly sports show.

Jonathan followed the Holy Spirit to Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in 1999 and earned his Master of Divinity in 2003.
He served congregations in Pennsylvania and Arizona before returning to North Carolina in 2009 to served Grace Lutheran in Thomasville.  While in Thomasville, Jonathan was President of the Cooperative Community Ministry and President of the Thomasville Rotary Club.

He began his ministry at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in March 2017. Besides his role as Senior Pastor, he currently chairs the Synod's Campus Ministry Team as well as Ministerial Roundtable of Wilmington where he works with people across the faith spectrum to build relationships and create an impact in the community.

“PJ” loves to read mysteries, CrossFit workouts, and being the best father and husband he can be.