Clare Lewis (President, CEO) is President of the Program, after having served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing since 2015. She has twenty-two years of experience developing marketing and sales programs in the not-for-profit industry. Previously, Ms. Lewis served as publisher of Congregational Ministries Publishing – a ministry area of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. She holds a degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Ms. Lewis is a Ruling Elder at Bardstown Road Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and a former youth pastor at First United Church, Kelowna, British Columbia.
Jason Peterson (Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer) is the Chief Operating Officer of the Program. Jason joined the Program in 2010 as the Director of Loan Operations and served in this role until December of 2022. Before joining the program, Jason spent thirteen years in the banking industry, serving in multiple leadership roles in both consumer lending and commercial banking divisions for BB&T (now Truist) and Fifth Third Bank. Jason studied Business Finance at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee Alabama. A native of Louisville Kentucky, Mr. Peterson has served on several Boards within the community, including Chair of Trustees at his local church of Green Castle Baptist Church.
Laura Olliges (Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer) began work in this position in 2022. Prior to this she was the Manager of Accounting and Internal Compliance for the Program since 2011. Before joining the Program, she served on the staff of the General Assembly Mission Council (now known as the Presbyterian Mission Agency) since 1992 in Finance and Accounting, Internal Audit, and World Mission. Ms. Olliges is a Certified Public Accountant and received her Masters of Business Administration from the University of Louisville. She serves as Treasurer of the Board of Cedar Ridge Camp, a Presbyterian camp and conference center in Louisville, Kentucky, and is a member of Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, KY.
Emily Hord (Secretary) serves as Assistant General Counsel for Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), A Corporation. She received her B.A. degree from The University of the South (Sewanee), a J.D. from the Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law, and an MHA from the University of Kentucky. In private practice, Emily practiced collections and landlord tenant law at Overly & Johnson, LLC and healthcare law at McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie & Kirkland PLLC. She also served as in-house Legal Counsel for HCR ManorCare, a post-acute health care system and was a Director of Privacy for Bon Secours Mercy Health, a nonprofit health system. Emily joined the Legal Services Office of the Administrative Services Group (ASG) in May 2024. She currently sings in the Covenant Choir at Second Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Kentucky.
Judy Walton (Vice President of Lending Services) began work in this position in 2024 overseeing the underwriting and disbursement of loans. Judy joined the Program in 2000 as a Director in lending. She began serving the PCUSA in 1994 as staff to the General Assembly Council (now known as the Presbyterian Mission Agency) in the Office of Legal Services and later the Church Loan Program of the National Ministries Division. She holds a B.S. in Accounting from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Clayton Thomas (Vice President of Sales and Relationship Management) began with the Program in 2024; he and his family live in Connecticut. Rev. Dr. Thomas earned his Masters of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry from Duke University. He has worked in parish ministry for 18 years and will use this knowledge to help church leadership in the loan process. He looks forward to building relationships with Presbyterian churches and other organizations to help them ensure they can grow and change to meet the needs of those they serve.