Columbia Baptist Church

CDC TEAM

LEADERSHIP

Rev. Lora Gravatt, MDiv - Pastor for Discipleship

Rev. Lora Gravatt holds a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Christian Education. As a visionary leader, Pastor Lora is passionate about establishing a partnering relationship between the church and the home in order to raise the next generation to know and love Jesus, as well as to equip parents to be the primary faith-shaper of their children. Having served in church ministry for the past 25 years, Pastor Lora now in her 15th year at Columbia serves as Pastor for Discipleship and is responsible for leading all ministries related to children through adults including the supervision of the Child Development Center Director Team. Pastor Lora is a champion of the reimagining of how the church and weekday preschool centers collaborate to minister to young families as part of the overall Whole Life Discipleship of families.

Dr. Doyna Illmer, Ph.D. - Senior Director

dillmer@columbiabaptist.org

Dr. Doyna Illmer holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a specialization in Early Childhood. Dr. Doyna has extensive experience at all levels of the early childhood education (ECE) field, including being the Director of the Early Childhood Education Teacher Training Program at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, a leading research university in Chile. Her bilingualism, international background, and vast experience working with children, and teachers at different stages of their career put her in a unique position to support best practices at Columbia. Among other things, Dr. Doyna provides strategic planning for the CDC, community outreach and ECE advocacy, parent counselling, inclusion support, as well as on-site professional development to our teachers. Dr. Doyna has been at the CDC since 2016.

SPECIALISTS

Anna Hornbuckle - Office Manager

ahornbuckle@columbiabaptist.org

Dianne Lenert - Operations Assistant

dlenert@columbiabaptist.org

Michelle Lindsey - Enrollment Specialist

mlindsey@columbiabaptist.org