Debbie Wen-Hwei Carlier:

President and Chair

BA Boston College
MPH Boston University

Deborah was born in upstate New York to immigrant parents. She began her career in corporate operations management before earning a Master of Public Health degree, inspired by a trip to Haiti. She has managed development projects for World Vision in Asia, tutored engineering faculty and students to render technical details into readable documentation at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and served in a range of positions at Virginia Tech, including project manager, collaborating liaison officer, and Director of Strategic Initiatives and Engagement. Deborah holds certification as a CIMER facilitator, and in the past year she led partnership advancement and contributed to shaping organizational culture at Neopolis. Keen to avoid being merely a consumer of culture, Deborah is interested in joining others in creating things that will aid in human flourishing. Now based in Chicago with her husband Paul, she is active on three boards and continues to focus on her writing and reading.

Eric Flood

President and Chair

Rev.
DMin
Campus Minister
Adjunct Professor at Olivet Nazarene University

Eric is a Campus Staff Minister with InterVarsity’s Graduate Student and Faculty Ministry (GFM) at the University of Chicago. He has been a frequent collaborator with Poema. He is also an adjunct professor of Christian Ministry at Olivet Nazarene University. He earned a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry from Asbury Theological Seminary. He spent 22 years as a pastor at 2 churches serving in the roles of church planter, Associate Pastor of Adult Ministries, and Senior Pastor. His wife, Becky, is also on staff with InterVarsity using her gifts of hospitality, mentoring, and life-coaching. They are members of New Community Covenant Church Bronzeville. They have two adult daughters who brought two amazing sons-in-law into the family.

Mark Pridgeon

Treasurer

CFO RiverGlade Capital
Former elder at La Salle Street Church
BA (Accounting) Michigan State University
MBA Kelley School, Indiana University

Mark is a faithful business, church, and community leader within Chicago. Mark’s background in finance make him an ideal treasurer, but his integrity, thoughtfulness, and love for God make him an ideal treasurer for Poema.

Mark and his wife Mackenzi live in the Hyde Park neighborhood, and are a gifted and faithfully engaged in the well-being of city of Chicago. They have two lively kids.

Mark will maintain access to Poema’s bank account and financial records, as managed and compiled by The Salesberry Group.

Eyob Villa-Moges

Secretary

Public Policy Research and Advocacy

Eyob he has lived in Chicago since 2021, where he works in public policy research and advocacy.

Prior to his work in public policy research, Eyob was a involved in an on-campus ministry, both as a student and as a staff member. He has personally experienced how intentional discipleship can build deep, faithful relationships. These relationships have the potential to radically alter both the life of the student as well as the life of the mentor.

When he has some free time, you can typically find Eyob at the nearest coffee shop with his wife, Alejandra, or weaving between cars on his bike (hopefully with a helmet on).

Bekka Schaffer

Director

Manager of Development and Stewardship at Braven, Inc
Former College and Career Guidance Counselor
BS University of Chicago
Pursuing an MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Bekka is the Manager of Development and Stewardship at Braven, Inc, a national nonprofit focused on empowering college students for impactful careers. As a member of Braven’s development team, Bekka excels in cultivating a deeper understanding of philanthropic communities, shaping Braven’s narrative through data-driven storytelling to inspire action, and managing effective stewardship processes to sustain donor commitments.

Prior to her role at Braven, Bekka served as a College and Career Guidance Counselor in Chicago, dedicated to providing equitable educational opportunities to young people in Chicago. Bekka graduated from the University of Chicago in 2018 and is currently pursuing an MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Outside her professional and academic pursuits, Bekka is an active leader in her community at Oasis Church Chicago. She joined the board of Poema in Fall 2023, further expanding her commitment to community engagement.

Dr. John Yoon

Director

Assistant Professor of Medicine, U. of Chicago
Senior Faculty Advisor for the Hyde Park Institute
Lay leader at Hyde Park Church
BS/BA Stanford University
MD University of Texas – Dallas

John Yoon serves on the board of Poema and is also on faculty with the University of Chicago. For the past 20 years, he has had a deep interest in supporting various ministries on campus, and is particularly excited about the movement of meaningful, transformative mentorship that Poema is cultivating on college campuses in Chicago.

Dane Berger

Director

Deals Partner at PwC

Dane is a CPA by training, bringing a thoughtful and disciplined approach to stewardship and governance. As the beneficiary of an impactful campus ministry experience himself, he’s passionate about seeing similar opportunites thrive for students in Chicago. Dane and his wife live in Lincoln Park with their two daughters and is a member at Park Community Church – Lincon Park.

Who We Are

Director

Matt Podszus

Matt and his wife Kori moved to Chicago in 2013 to launch a campus-movement with The Navigators. After launching and leading this work for 7 years, they sensed God leading them to begin a work dedicated to the unique challenges and opportunities present on city campuses.

With over 20 years of campus ministry and leadership experience, Matt is energized to partner broadly in seeing the Gospel grow among the future leaders represented on Chicago campuses.

Give to Matt & Kori

INTERN

Arianna McKnight

Arianna, daughter of Jamaican immigrants and a 2026 graduate of the University of Chicago, studied Biology and Religious Studies on the pre-med track. Passionate about both medicine and ministry, she is spending her gap year exploring God’s calling through campus ministry with Poema and serving as a pastoral assistant at the Vineyard Church of Hyde Park. She is excited to mentor students, share the Gospel, and grow in leadership and service while discerning her future in pediatrics, family medicine, and ministry.

Give to Arianna

What We Believe

Poema is an interdenominational campus ministry organization. We are not a church nor are we affiliated with a particular denomination.

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More Info

If you would like more information about Poema and our work in the Chicago area, we would love to talk.

Email Us

Board of Directors

The Poema Board

The Poema Board of Directors guides the vision and direction of our work. The board meets quarterly to plan strategically, maintain accountability within the organization, and actively seek to fulfill our calling. The board serves in staggered, 3-year terms.