AARON DAILEY, LEADERSHIP TEAM, SURGE NETWORK
Aaron Dailey is the founder and pastor of Redemption Church Alhambra, part of the multi-congregational fellowship Redemption Church Arizona. Aaron has been ministering for over two decades in the inner-city Phoenix area, reaching and building a congregation of ethnic and economic diversity with his wife Dana and their five children serving alongside him.
Additionally, Aaron is an Executive Leader for Surge Network, partnering with bi-vocational, inner-city pastors to provide the mentorship and resources they need. He has a heart for reaching the urban unreached, and is gifted in using the creative arts in worship, as well as in communicating the Gospel in ways that connect with people of all walks of life
BART GARRETT, DIRECTOR OF TRAINING, STRATUM FOUNDATION
Before becoming the Lead Pastor at Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church in 2020, Bart founded Christ Church East Bay, with locations in Berkeley and Oakland, in 2006, pastoring there for nearly fifteen years.
Bart has a passion for reaching everyone in the community, whether they were raised in the church, have left the church or have never been to a church. He also desires to see church planters and pastors live as healthy and whole persons, and leads incubators, cohorts, and pastor-to-pastor groups with that end in mind.
Bart lives in Oakland with his wife, Katie and their three daughters, Caroline, Clair and Cammie. He enjoys roasting his own coffee, and keeps physically fit by trail running, mentally fit by reading.
DERRICK PUCKETT, PRESIDENT, THE CHICAGO PARTNERSHIP
Derrick Puckett is the Lead Pastor and Church Planter of Renewal Church of Chicago and serves as President of The Chicago Partnership. He and his wife, Kaley, moved to Chicago in 2013 to plant a Gospel centered disciple making multi-ethnic church. Renewal started in 2014 and has been thriving ever since.
Derrick has a B.A. from Indiana University and a M.Div. from Mid America Baptist Theological Seminary. Derrick and Kaley have 4 beautiful daughters, Ramiyah, Elyana, Isabelle and Nalah and a handsome son, DJ.
LARRY ACOSTA, DIRECTOR, CITY TO CITY LOS ANGELES
Over the course of his career, Larry Acosta founded the Hispanic Ministry Center, Urban Youth Workers Institute (UYWI) and KIDWORKS, a community development corporation that reaches and educates at risk youth in Central Santa Ana, which he co-founded with his wife Jayme.
Under Larry’s leadership, UYWI grew from a local, Southern California ministry, to a national urban leadership development organization - training next gen. ethnic pastors and leaders in over 32 cities across the U.S.
Larry is currently the Executive Director and Lead Catalyst for City to City Los Angeles. His vision is to see 100 multiethnic, Gospel centered churches planted or re-planted throughout Southern California by 2026.
After graduating from Biola University and Talbot School of Theology, Larry completed his doctorate in Leadership Development at Fuller Theological Seminary. He also serves on the boards of Kingdomworks SDG and Azusa Pacific University.
Larry is married to his lovely wife Jayme of 31 years, and they have four young adult children that they are crazy about...most days - Brock, Karis, Malia and Diego.
NILZA OYOLA-DIAZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CITY TO CITY MIAMI
The calling to transform lives, communities, and cities propelled Nilza Oyola-Diaz to seek opportunities through City to City Miami to lead and encourage gospel movements in the city by providing strategic vision and direction. Oyola-Diaz offers more than eighteen years of experience in strategic business management, youth development, adult education, and family development. Nilza has served as Senior VP of the Education and Career Development Division of one of the largest community development organizations in the Bronx, NYC--SoBRO. Nilza also co-authored the Case Management Certificate Program for Human Services Organizations at Hostos Community College, Bronx, NY, served in the founding Board of the NYC Montessori Charter School, and as a member of the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) Board of Directors, Washington, D.C.
Nilza has dedicated her life to serving marginalized communities, families, and particularly empowering women to share their stories. As a Latina woman born and raised in Puerto Rico, Nilza understands the challenges women of color face, and founded REINA (Queen in Spanish) based on the paradigm of the 5Cs: Connect, Conceive, Care, Commit and Carry that addresses the cultural and institutional barriers that affect the personal, professional, and spiritual growth of women. Nilza believes that women should partner together, and care for one another like Naomi to Ruth, and this is how Soul & Salsa developed: A Latina and a Black living ministry from shared experiences that most women can relate to through raw conversations and the Word of God. Oyola-Diaz is working on “Caribbean Sancocho” a collection of women sharing their stories of healing from trauma connected to the 5Cs.
Oyola-Diaz earned an MBA from Dowling College, was part of Bank Street College Educational Leadership Program, and received accreditation from Cornell University's FDC Leader Empowerment Skills Program. Nilza was licensed by the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church as a local preacher of the Gospel, and is a Licensed Minister under the cover of the Council of Holistic Christian Churches and Ministries (CHCCM) presided by Bishop Raymond Rivera. Nilza is married to renowned Latin musician/percussionist Ray “Chino” Diaz, and they have a blended family of 5 adult children, and 5 grandkids. In her leisure time, she embraces her Hispanic heritage as a “Salsa on 2” dance instructor.