Our Staff

Founder/Chaplain

Rev. Carolyn Schuldt

Carolyn is an Ordained Deacon in Full Connection in the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Meredith College (2006) and a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School (2009). She has completed three units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Duke and Wake Medical Centers and additional graduate work in Adult Health and Mental Health at UNC Chapel Hill. She lives in Durham with her dog, Lucy. She is mother to three lovely daughters and enjoys nine grandchildren.

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Executive Director

Drew Woten

Drew Woten is a native Floridian who is thrilled to claim Durham as his home. Formed deeply by his experiences in the local church, collegiate ministry, and intentional living communities, Drew is passionate about promoting social equity through holistic community programs. He received his Master of Social Work degree from UNC Chapel Hill and his Master of Divinity degree from Duke University. In his free time, he enjoys spending time in creation, listening to podcasts, spending time with his wife, Katie, and their children, and relaxing with friends and family.

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Resource Coordinator

Nicole McDonald

Nicole joins us as the Resource Coordinator for Open Table Ministry. She is returning from 3 years in Central Asia with a missions organization. Before moving overseas, she worked for 5 years with a nonprofit in Denver, CO. She lives with her adorable puppy and is passionate about meeting people in their brokenness, oh and also coffee! She has a Masters in Intercultural Studies from SEBTS…and she is still not done with school. Next steps for her include a Masters in Counseling, so that she can better serve the community. If you drop off donations or come to OTM to volunteer, she will be the friendly face that greets you.

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Case Manager

Namya Stamps

Namya Stamps comes all the way from Fayetteville, North Carolina and is very grateful to join the team as a Case Manager! She is super passionate about all things involved with advocacy work because in the future she hopes to change the world for the better. She graduated from University of North Carolina at Pembroke with a bachelor’s in political science in 2021 and hopes to use that degree to help those around her gain access to basic human rights. As a talker, she believes that her talents are better suited amplifying the voices of those around her to help improve the quality of life. In her free time, you can usually find Namya cuddled up with her dog in a nice comfy chair, crocheting a blanket, with an audio book playing in the background (in that order).

Case Manager

Sean Hardy

Sean is grateful to join Open Table as Case Manager. Sean grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina, and now lives in Mebane with his wife and their two dogs. Sean is a recent graduate of Duke Divinity School where he discovered and cultivated his passion for ministry. In his spare time, Sean enjoys time in nature, Carolina Hurricanes hockey games, and golfing.

Social Work Intern

Suzanne Pape

Suzanne is excited to intern with Open Table for the 2024-2025 academic year! She is currently pursuing a dual degree at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke Divinity School to earn a Master of Social Work and a Master of Divinity. Suzanne is passionate about partnering with different organizations to serve the Durham community. When she is not interning at Open Table Ministries, you can find her spending time with her husband, eating homemade ice cream, and watering her tomato plants.

Ministerial Intern

Brant Copen

Brant is a Duke MDiv student who has served in various ministries for the unhoused in Phoenix AZ, Buffalo NY, Black Mountain NC, and Kolkata India. He also worked with rural villagers for eight years in Hyderabad, developed turbine engines for Honeywell Aerospace in Arizona, and lived unhoused himself for a little while. When not studying theology, he likes to travel and climb mountains and cook spicy food with his wife.

Our Board

Board Officers

Jennifer Mario, Board Chair

Jennifer Mario has served as our Board Chair since October of 2016. A graduate of Duke University, she has a background in writing, editing, and publishing and is the author of two books. Jennifer became involved with OTM after being invited to a Monday lunch by an OTM client whom she had befriended. She is a member of Triangle Grace Church in Durham and enjoys spending time with her husband, three grown children, and new grandbaby.

Rosa Anderson, Vice Chair

Rosa S. Anderson joined our board in 2021 after many years as a volunteer - you have probably seen her smiling face at one of our Monday lunches. She is the Director of Student Service Programs at North Carolina Central University and holds two master’s degrees. Rosa’s passion for serving the community shines through her extensive board experience with local nonprofit organizations. She is a member of Mount Level Missionary Baptist Church.

Suzanne Cross, Treasurer

Suzanne Cross has served as Treasurer of Open Table Ministry since joining the board in 2011. Suzanne has an MBA from Kellogg (Northwestern University) in Marketing and Management Strategy. Suzanne became active in Open Table Ministry after one of Open Table's folks met up with her husband, a mechanic, to help with work on his broken van he was living in.

David Shih-Heng Chen, Secretary

David Shih-Heng Chen, Ph.D., joined our board in 2019. After volunteering with OTM starting in 2017, David wanted to find a way to be more involved with caring for people in need in his community, and often helps photograph our events. In his free time, David enjoys traveling, marathoning, fishing, reading, photography, and spending time with his wife, Janice, and their three children.

Members at Large

Cindy Camille

Cindy Camille joined OTM’s board in 2021 after volunteering at the Free Store and Monday lunches through her church, Triangle Grace Church. She serves as one of our Free Store Day Coordinators and is often joked to be the “shoe bandit” because of her many successful pursuits to get donations from local shoe stores. Cindy retired from a 42-year nursing career as a nurse and nurse practitioner in 2018 and lives with her husband, Dennis, in Durham.

Mactrice Henderson

Mactrice Henderson joined the Open Table Ministry Board of Directors in 2024. He has a passion for working with individuals in need and is inspired by their resilience and strength to overcome some of life’s biggest obstacles. His passion for serving has spanned throughout her career in leadership roles, creating, developing, and executing a vision by collaborating with team members and community partners. He is excited to get more connected to the amazing people doing the work in Durham. When not at work, he likes to spend time with his family, friends, read, and explore nature.

Mary Hall

Mary Hall joined the Open Table Ministry board in January of 2017 after serving as a volunteer for several years and helping to establish our Free Store program. She has a background in life coaching and early childhood education and is currently working for RTI International as a Field Interviewer. Mary is married to Joe Hall and has five children and four grandchildren.

Mark Scruggs

Mark Scruggs, a jack of all trades, has been on our board since October of 2013. He came to Open Table Ministry after twelve years of homelessness and now regularly volunteers with OTM and bridges the work of OTM and Trinity UMC where he is also a long-time member and currently serves as sexton. As he says, “there is nothing else I would rather be doing.”

Linda Smith

Linda Smith joined the board in 2024 after serving in the OTM Free Store for the past several years. She enjoys the depth of community spirit and kindness found so abundantly among the staff, volunteers and clients of OTM. Bringing people together for support, mutual understanding and appreciation of the multiple perspectives and challenges in life is a value that she cherishes.

Linda has a Masters Degree in Physician Assistant Studies. She retired from Duke Integrative Medicine several years ago and now spends her free time volunteering, riding her bike, playing pickleball with friends, having time with family, and enjoying the every day gift of life to its fullest.

Rev. Wes Neal

Rev. Neal has been the pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church in Durham for the last seven years. He brings 25 years of experience as a church planter, as a teacher at a theological training school in Fiji, and in congregational partnerships with social service providers to his work on the Open Table Board. Wes is married to a professor of preaching at Duke Divinity School, has two kids in college at nearby institutions that shall remain unnamed, and loves to be outside, whether in the garden, or on a hiking trail with his dog.

Vera Stewart

Vera Stewart joined OTM’s board in 2019 after serving as a long-time volunteer with the Open Table Ministry Free Store program. Vera currently serves as Open Table’s move-in coordinator and is an active member of Trinity United Methodist Church. She helps to bridge the work of Open Table Ministry and Trinity UMC. Vera has been married to her husband, Michael, for 51 years and enjoys spending time with her two children and three grandchildren when possible.

Blake Stansell

In 2013, Blake Stansell became a regular volunteer at Open Table and in September of 2016 joined the board. Blake works in Chapel Hill at The Forestland Group where he is now the CEO. He lives in south Durham with his wife and three daughters. He is an active member of his church works hard to serve our local community.

Megan Ward

Megan Ward is a Raleigh native who moved to Durham seven years ago. She works as the Director of Riding at Triton and the Head Coach for their IEA riding team. Megan began volunteering at Open Table Ministry, serving lunches in 2019. She looks forward to continuing to give back to my community through Open Table Ministry.

Mary Wilson

Mary Wilson is honored and grateful to be a part of Open Table Ministry, having joined our Board in 2022. After a career as a nurse, she and her family founded the nonprofit Fresh Start Durham. The ability to partner with, and continue to serve and care for the people of Durham alongside OTM is a true privilege. Mary’s care for our homeless community and desire to help those that need us helps her faithfully serve the board at Open Table Ministry.