Meet Our New Synod Disaster Response Community Organizers

Dr. Robert Pitts was raised on the South Side of Chicago and followed a wonderfully winding academic path, earning a BA in Sociology from SNHU, and an MPP from Adler University in Chicago. He moved to Buffalo, NY, with his wife, Pastor Kwame Pitts, and has been building connections, ideas, and creative work ever since.

While living in Buffalo, he earned an MS in International Development and Global Health and his PhD from the University at Buffalo. Beyond his academic and community work, Robert is a professional artist whose work has appeared in multiple exhibitions, including a piece in the Burchfield- Penney Art Center’s permanent collection. When he is not working with the synod or turning his dissertation ideas into a graphic novel, he can often be found spending time with family, lifting weights, practicing Filipino Martial Arts, or discovering treasures while thrifting.

Jamie grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and has the season tickets to prove it. In 2016, he started Farming Hope, a food justice nonprofit providing paid job training for folks who have been incarcerated or homeless. Farming Hope is based on the work of the Lutheran farm and shelter where he volunteered in El Salvador for two years, part of the Salvadoran Lutheran Church.

Jamie is energized by helping people join in and build beloved community. He is particularly passionate about environmental justice, and the unique opportunity we have to come together, heal God's Creation, and build solidarity in the face of climate change. Jamie earned his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and M.A. from Stanford University. He lives in Oakland.