Matthew Sleeth, MD – Executive Director

A former emergency room physician, Dr. Matthew Sleeth felt like he was straightening deck chairs on the Titanic saving one patient at a time while the whole ship (Earth) was going down. Together with his wife and two teenaged children, he began to bring his lifestyle in line with his values, cutting back on their fossil fuel by two thirds and electricity use by nine tenths. Following a new calling, Dr. Sleeth resigned from his position as chief of the medical staff and director of the ER to teach, preach, and write about faith and the environment throughout the country. Dr. Sleeth is a graduate of George Washington University School of Medicine and has two postdoctoral fellowships. He is the author of Serve God and Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action (Zondervan, April 2007), the introduction to the Green Bible (HarperOne, 2008), and a second book, The Gospel According to the Earth: Why the Good Book is a Green Book (HarperOne, 2010).

Nancy Sleeth – Managing Director

As co-founder and Managing Director of Blessed Earth, Nancy Sleeth travels throughout the U.S. speaking and writing about faith and the environment. Prior to heeding this spiritual and environmental calling, Sleeth served as communications director for a Fortune 500 company and as an educator and administrator, most recently at Asbury University. Sleeth is a graduate of Georgetown University and holds a masters degree in journalism. She is the author of Go Green, Save Green, the first-ever practical guide for going green from a faith perspective. Nancy specializes in leading workshops on the nuts and bolts of stewardship practices at home, work, school, and church and facilitating women’s retreats on Sabbath practices, simplicity, and sustainability. She and Matthew Sleeth recently celebrated 30 years of marriage. They are the parents of Clark (a fourth year medical student) and Emma (creation care speaker/author for teens and young adults).

Will Samson – Director of Advancement and Institutional Relations

Six years ago, Will Samson left his corporate consulting position in Washington, DC, to pursue a more sustainable and Christ-focused life.  Together with his wife and three children, Will relocated to Lexington, KY, and pursued doctoral studies in theology and sociology, with a focus on food and the environment. Will is the author of Enough: Contentment in an Age of Excess (Cook, 2009) and co-author with his wife, Christian novelist Lisa Samson, of Justice in the Burbs (Baker, 2007), a book that engages Christians in issues of social justice. Will has worked in diverse areas throughout his career, including serving as a Christian college professor, campaign consultant, fundraiser, and CEO for a dot-com company. His many talents will be used to help lead the Seminary Stewardship Alliance as well as Blessed Earth’s Development and fundraising partnerships.

Brian Webb – Director of Educational Programming

Initially hired in August 2010 as the Director of Communications, Brian Webb currently serves as the Direction of Educational Programming for Blessed Earth. Brian holds a Masters degree in Experiential Education and has experience working in higher education, full-time missions, and camp ministry. Having grown up camping and hiking, Brian has always appreciated the beauty of God’s creation. He is passionate about helping others grow in their walk with Christ by making the connection between faith and the environment. Brian also currently serves as the Director of Intercultural Student Programs at Houghton College in western New York, where he lives with his wife, Becky, and daughters, Acadia and Galilee.

Geoff Maddock – Director of Communications

Geoff joined the Blessed Earth team in August of 2011 to serve as the Director of Communications. He grew up on a dairy farm in Australia and has lived in Kentucky since 1998. Geoff and his wife Sherry completed their Masters degrees in Missiology in 2001 (Asbury Theological Seminary) and serve as missionaries in the downtown, East End neighborhood of Lexington. Geoff serves on the board of Seedleaf, an innovative, community gardening organization, and is passionate about creation care theology and practice. He is also an avid photographer. Geoff and Sherry have one child, Isaac, and as a family they are working hard to pioneer an urban farm in the lot next to their home where they care for fruit trees, chickens, bees, as well as berry and vegetable beds.

Emma Sleeth – Special Projects Coordinator

Emma, a recent graduate of Asbury University, wrote It’s Easy Being Green as a teenager. When not speaking to high school and college students about creation care, she assists other members of the Blessed Earth team with research, writing, and design projects. She enjoys writing and protecting the planet, but what she really loves about her job is how often she gets to go to the post office.