Board of Directors
Mark devries - founder
Mark is the founder and president of Ministry Architects, the co-founder of Ministry Incubators and the Center for Youth Ministry Training, and the founder of Justice Industries. Mark served as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Their Families at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee for 28 years, where he continues to serve in a volunteer capacity.
Mark is the author of a dozen or so books, including Sustainable Youth Ministry and Family-Based Youth Ministry, and the co-author of Sustainable Children’s Ministry and Sustainable Young Adult Ministry. Mark and his wife, Susan, co-authored a marriage book (with their good friends, Robert & Bobbie Wolgemuth) entitled The Most Important Year in a Woman’s Life/ The Most Important Year in a Man’s Life.
Mark has offered ministry training and consulting across the United States and in more than a dozen countries, working with a wide variety of denominations (as well as non-denominations). He has taught courses or been a guest lecturer at more than 20 different colleges and seminaries, including Duke Divinity School (Durham, NC), Princeton Theological Seminary (Princeton, NJ), and Vanderbilt Divinity School (Nashville, TN).
Mark and Susan have been married since 1979 and make their home in Nashville, TN. They have three grown children: Adam, Debbie, and Leigh, and four grandchildren: Parish, Nealy, Liam, and Jack.
ADAM pARSONS - Board chair
Adam grew up in East Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee. After graduation, he spent a year working in New Zealand before returning and finding his new home in Nashville. Adam is the founder of AP Financial Coaching LLC, where he specializes in helping individuals and families make sense of their finances through budgeting, goal setting, debt elimination and saving. He is excited to bring his expertise to Justice Industries and serve their employees and customers. Adam and his wife, Michelle, live in East Nashville with their Lab/Great Dane mix, Winston. They are members of Midtown Fellowship Church.
Ryan Loofbourrow - vice chair
Ryan is a California transplant who moved to Nashville over a decade ago to attend Vanderbilt Law School. Ryan is a business litigation attorney at Baker Donelson, where he strategically solves clients’ problems both in and out of the courtroom. He joins Justice Industries after competing the Young Leaders Council nonprofit training program, and looks forward to helping Justice Industries serve its employees and the Nashville community.
Hugh Swart - SecretARY
Hugh was raised in Texas and attended the University of Arkansas. He relocated to Nashville in 2019 and works as a Financial Consultant for Charles Schwab. He helps individuals, families, and organizations by intimately understanding their goals and needs. As a Certified Financial Planner, Hugh works closely with his clients to create tailored financial plans for their investments. In finding Nashville to be home, Hugh wanted to give his time back to the community. He found Justice Industries’ mission one he is passionate about and will help in planning fundraising events and bringing further awareness to the Nashville community. Outside of work, Hugh enjoys spending time with his fiancé, Abbey, and his GSP, Levi, as well as fly fishing, going to concerts, and cheering on his sports teams.
Annie GARRETT - Board member
Annie is a Nashville native who has watched the city grow over the years to what it is today. She attended Tennessee Tech University and has found her place in the hospitality industry. Through her work with Greater Nashville Hospitality Association (GNHA), she has found a passion in connecting businesses, facilitating relationships, and fostering community. These passions have nurtured a desire to serve the community of Nashville through a non-profit. Justice Industries' mission is one close to her heart, and she looks forward to furthering the reach of JI in the hospitality industry.
Addison Cheek - board Member
Addison was raised in North Carolina and attended Appalachian State University. After moving to Nashville in 2019, he completed his Executive MBA at Vanderbilt University. His professional experience centers on sales with a focus on customer-centric strategies. Addison became involved with Justice Industries through a Vanderbilt entrepreneurship project, where he saw the meaningful impact Justice Industries has in the community. Passionate about giving back, Addison hopes to help expand the organization’s resources and reach. Outside of work, he enjoys hunting, Kentucky bourbon, and spending time outdoors. He and his wife, Rachel, attend Midtown Fellowship church.
Michael Woodnorth - Board member
Michael Woodnorth joined the Board of Justice Industries in the summer of 2020 as an acting intern through The Young Leaders Council. Michael is an accomplished Strategy and Finance Professional with extensive experience in multiple industries including investment banking, healthcare corporate lending, wealth management, social enterprise/impact investing, and nonprofit management. He is a strategy-minded and results-oriented leader with the ability to develop valuable solutions for people and organizations that improve business operations and growth prospects. He served as the Strategic Growth Director for Project Return and brings great experience working in the challenging area of employment for marginalized people.
Catarina Muschaweck - BOARD MEMBER
Catarina envisions flourishing local communities where our resources continue to be used to their greatest potential, the need for landfills is reduced, and safe air and clean water continue to be available for future generations to enjoy. As the Marketing and Communications Director at Compost Nashville, she engages Middle Tennesseans to compost food waste and give back to local farms and community gardens. Before moving to Nashville in 2013 to attend Belmont University, she spent most of her life just outside Grand Teton National Park. Growing up in a beautiful place, coupled with her love of exploring underwater environments through SCUBA diving with her husband, has given her a deep appreciation for the natural world and conserving it. She joined the Justice Industries board in 2026 to help those with barriers to employment while preventing even more material from ending up in a landfill.
Luke Duncan - Board Member
Luke is an Associate Client Manager at NielsenIQ, where he partners with retailers to deliver data‑driven consumer and retail insights that inform pricing, promotion, and assortment strategy. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from Centre College and a Master’s in Marketing from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. Luke brings a strong background in analytics, consumer behavior, and leadership to his work, with experience presenting insights to senior executives and driving measurable business outcomes. When not forced to be at his computer, Luke enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, and snowboarding – or anything else that gets him outside
STEPHEN HANDY - BoarD Member
Stephen is the lead pastor visionary, strategist and partnership collaborator of the gospel message of Jesus Christ at McKendree UMC. He is a passionate communicator that desires to speak God’s truth so people of different cultures, experiences, neighborhoods, and all of God’s unique diversity can be reconciled through the unity in Jesus Christ. Stephen is a strong advocate of restorative justice, serving the poor and needy, and participating in life groups for spiritual formation and accountability. He and Shelley are married with three children and live in the Greater Nashville area. Stephen not only brings physical diversity to our Board, he also brings a diversity of perspective from his work at UMC for restorative justice. Ellen and Stephen met while working on a collaborative study team through Vanderbilt Divinity School, exploring the church’s role in income inequality.
Michelle Carrow - BoarD Member
Michelle Carrow was born and raised in Buffalo, NY but has been a proud Nashvillan since 2017 when her culinary career brought her here. Michelle's experience as a chef spans from large scale catering and events to a quaint european inspired restaurant, but what Michelle truly enjoys is hosting events on her Fiance farm HydroHouse Farms, where he grows hydroponic leafy greens. She is most excited about joining Justice Industries board of representatives to collaborate on ways to continue to have a positive impact on the environment and community. Michelle also loves time spent gardening and playing with her cats Tater Tot and Hashbrown.
Jason Laiacona - Board Member
Born and raised in New England, Jason is a transplant to Nashville by way of Illinois. He has spent more than two decades in the hospitality industry, with formal French training at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Cooking and Hospitality Institute, Chicago. Jason has found purpose in, not only feeding people, but also building strong relationships in every community. Thriving in leadership roles, it has been his pleasure to mentor the next generation of Culinarians. Justice Industries spoke to him deeply knowing full well the many, and often unfair, barriers that can hinder people's growth. When not in the kitchen, Jason enjoys painting, playing music, and spending time with his lady Mary, and their cat Charlie.
Paul Van Pernis - Board Member
Paul is a Nashville native who joined the board in January of 2025. He attended the University of Virginia and spent over a decade in DC, NYC, and LA before moving back to Nashville in 2024. As the Founder and Managing Director of Riverside Advisory Services, Paul helps small businesses scale sustainably through strategic planning, financial analysis, and data-driven insights. He is also the founder of Blanco Hill, an investment firm focused on acquiring and growing service-based businesses. Beyond his professional work, Paul has served for 6 years on the Associate Board of Bottom Line, an organization dedicated to helping first-generation and low-income students get to and succeed in college. Paul lives in East Nashville and enjoys exploring Nashville's restaurant scene—feel free to send any great recommendations his way! He’s also a devoted (and eternally optimistic) Tottenham supporter.