Staff Executive Staff Jacqueline Bussie Executive Director 320-363-3367 jbussie001@CollegevilleInstitute.org Dr. Jacqueline Bussie is an award-winning author, professor, theologian, public speaker, and executive director of the Collegeville Institute. Her most recent books are Love Without Limits (2019) and Outlaw Christian (2016). Prior to her work at the Collegeville Institute, Dr. Bussie taught religion, theology, and interfaith studies classes at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where she also served as the Director of the Forum on Faith and Life. Amy Fistler Director of Development 651-353-6941 afistler001@CollegevilleInstitute.org Amy Fistler is the Director of Development for the Collegeville Institute. Amy has worked on both sides of the charitable process, including 20 years of experience in fund development and administration at the University of St. Thomas, the University of North Florida’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and United Theological Seminary. Amy has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Dakota and a Master of Arts in Organizational Development from the University of St. Thomas. Amy and her husband Jack have been married for more than 46 years and they have two children and three grandchildren. They live in St. Paul and are members of St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis. Elisa Schneider Director of Business Operations 320-363-3877 eschneider@CollegevilleInstitute.org Elisa Schneider is the Director of Business Operations for the Collegeville Institute. Elisa joined the Collegeville Institute in 2006 and has worked on the College of Saint Benedict’s and Saint John’s University campuses for over 27 years. Her work includes general business operations of finance, facilities, human resources, Board and development. She and Dennis, her husband of 39 years, raised four children and currently enjoy five grandsons in Rockville. Elisa is the past President of the Board of Directors for ELEVATE Pregnancy and Family Resource Center in St. Cloud, MN, and remains in an Advisory role. Martin Wells Acting Executive Director mwells002@CollegevilleInstitute.org Martin Wells is a thoughtful executive and Bishop with extensive experience in leading staffs, working with Boards of Directors, fundraising, communications, and planning in educational and nonprofit settings, including a church-related college and a retreat center. Wells holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Denver, a J.D. from the University of Puget Sound School of Law, and a Master of Divinity from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. For 18 years, Wells was Bishop of the Eastern Washington and Idaho Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; served for five years as Co-Executive Director of Holden Village, a year-long, intentional Christian community of work and prayer that served thousands of retreatants in residencies; and was pastor of Pacific Lutheran University and Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Bellingham, Washington. Program Staff Jessie Bazan Program Associate, Communities of Calling Initiative and Collegeville Institute Seminars jlbazan@CollegevilleInstitute.org Jessie Bazan is the Program Associate for the Communities of Calling Initiative and the Collegeville Institute Seminars. Jessie Bazan earned her Masters of Divinity degree from the Saint John’s University School of Theology and Seminary and her Bachelor of Arts from Marquette University. In addition to her work with the Collegeville Institute, Jessie writes regularly for U.S. Catholic magazine. She is the editor and co-author of Dear Joan Chittister: Conversations with Women in the Church (Twenty-Third Publications, 2019). Carla Durand Director of Program Services 320-363-3365 cdurand@CollegevilleInstitute.org Carla Durand is Director of Program Services at the Collegeville Institute. She earned her Master of Science in Social Responsibility from Saint Cloud State University, and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Criminal Justice from Moorhead State University. Immediately prior to her work at the Collegeville Institute, Carla served as Associate Campus Minister at the College of Saint Benedict in the areas of service, justice, and spirituality. In addition to her responsibilities on campus, she has worked as the volunteer and bereavement manager for a local hospice program. From 1990 – 1997, she lived and served in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky as a volunteer for an ecumenical non-profit agency. Nancy Johnson Administrative and Program Assistant ntjohnson@CollegevilleInstitute.org Nancy Johnson is the Administrative and Program Assistant for the Collegeville Institute. She recently joined the Collegeville Institute after working for the Saint John’s University Institutional Advancement department for 20 years. Before that, she worked several years at Central Piedmont Community College where she earned her degree. Her role at the Collegeville Institute includes communicating with incoming program participants, working with current residents, organizing events, and providing hospitality. Nancy raised three children and currently enjoys her grandchildren who are living in Minnesota and Washington, DC. Jane Patterson Project Director, Communities of Calling Initiative jpatterso001@CollegevilleInstitute.org The Rev. Dr. Jane Patterson is Project Director for Communities of Calling Initiative at the Collegeville Institute. She is Associate Professor of New Testament at Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, where she also serves as Director of Community Care. In addition to Biblical Studies, she teaches in the area of Christian formation, where her work focuses on vocation and Christian practice. She is a contributor to Calling All Years Good: Vocation Across the Lifespan (Eerdmans, 2017) and the author of Keeping the Feast: Metaphors of Sacrifice in 1 Corinthians and Philippians (SBL Press, 2015). With John Lewis, she is a Co-Director of St. Benedict’s Workshop, a ministry devoted to helping laity live their faith in daily life, and serves the Diocese of West Texas as a member of the Discernment Committee. She is active as a preacher, teacher, and parishioner at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in San Antonio, Texas. Communications Staff Claire Comstock-Gay Communications Assistant ccomstock001@CollegevilleInstitute.org Claire Comstock-Gay is a writer and editor living in Saint Paul. She joined the Collegeville Institute in 2023, and also works with the Collegeville Institute’s neighbors at the Episcopal House of Prayer. She is a former Americorps volunteer, and worked with homeless youth in New York City for five years. Outside of work, she volunteers as a mentor with the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop.
