CHICAGO — Adam Nicholas Phillips, former executive director of the Local, Faith, and Transformative Partnerships Hub at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has joined Interfaith America as its Chief Strategy Officer and Chief of Staff.
In this new role, Phillips will help lead strategy and scaling efforts with the organization to further inspire, equip, and connect leaders and institutions to unlock the potential of America’s religious diversity. He will support the organization in strategically identifying trends and opportunities to advance its mission and vision and lead projects that require collaboration and communication.
“Interfaith America works with institutions and partners across diverse sectors of American civic life, like healthcare, higher education, and corporate, to engage religious diversity positively and encourage people to work together across religious lines,” says Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith America. “With his two decades of experience working at the intersection of faith and public life, Adam is a tremendous new addition to our team, and I am excited for his thought leadership and strategic partnership to advance our work.”
Adam has worked across sectors, including government, policy, political campaigns, advocacy, and starting and leading local churches. Most recently at USAID, Adam oversaw new, non-traditional, and local partnerships programming in 60+ countries as well as led the Agency’s first-of-its-kind policy called “Building Bridges in Development: USAID’s Strategic Religious Engagement Policy,” which seeks to center faith-based organizations and religious communities to maximize sustainable development and humanitarian assistance outcomes.
“In my efforts working with others to seek inclusion and the common good, I have come to deeply experience the fundamental importance of pluralism,” says Phillips. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to join Interfaith America at this crucial time in our nation’s history. With so much at stake in our shared democracy and everyday life, Eboo Patel and the team at IA are the leading civic organization calling us forward as a people by reminding us of our country’s original melody line that our religious diversity, amongst all our diversity, is our greatest strength. As a friend and fan of Interfaith America’s inspired civic work for years, I’m now humbled to join the band.”
Previously, Adam has served as a pastor, movement organizer, campaigner, and political strategist, leading inclusive and interfaith mobilization efforts for organizations like The ONE Campaign, Bread for The World, World Vision, and Faith 2020, as well as starting the first-of-its-kind open and inclusive church in Oregon called Christ Church: Portland. A TEDx speaker, his work has also been featured in The Atlantic, CNN, Washington Post, NPR, Huffington Post, Relevant Magazine, and the Christian Broadcasting Network’s 700 Club. He and his family are excited to call Chicago home again.
About Interfaith America
Interfaith America (formerly known as Interfaith Youth Core) is a national nonprofit that equips the next generation of citizens and professionals with the knowledge and skills needed for leadership in a religiously diverse world. Partnering with civic groups, higher education institutions, public health, and business, Interfaith America is dedicated to making interfaith cooperation the norm and building Interfaith America in the 21st century.
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Contact:
Silma Suba
Interfaith America
312.573.4770
[email protected]
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