Our Staff
Matthew Berryman
Executive Director
Matt is delighted to lead an organization whose commitment to social justice and human flourishing is resourced by faith and spirituality. Prior to joining Episcopal Charities, Matt was Executive Director of Reconciling Ministries Network—a national, faith-based organization working for the full inclusion of LGBT people in The United Methodist Church. After three years of law school, he took a role at a law firm and as a legal editor at LexisNexis.
From 2002 to 2009, Matt was pastor of United Methodist parishes in Florida and the United Kingdom. As a consultant, he has led training events for The United Methodist Church, the Forum for Theological Education, Emory University, The Episcopal Church (USA), and others.
He received a BA from the University of South Carolina and an M.Div. from Emory University.
Uziel Hernandez
Operations Manager
Originally from Tabasco, Mexico, Uziel has called the United States home for over 20 years. With a deep passion for philosophy, theology, and service, Uziel earned a B.S. in Philosophy and Religion from the University of Tennessee Southern and an M.Div. from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
For more than a decade, Uziel served in leadership roles within both United Methodist and Episcopal parishes in the suburbs of Chicago. While this experience was deeply fulfilling, Uziel found a true calling in the operational and structural aspects of nonprofit leadership.
Beyond professional pursuits, Uziel loves to explore the richness of ancient, ancestral, and pre-Hispanic spirituality from Mexico. This independent endeavor reflects a lifelong curiosity and respect for the spiritual traditions that shaped generations.
Jacob Sierra
Communications Manager
A Chicagoland native, Jacob began his career as a Research Consultant at a market research startup before answering a call into the Episcopal Service Corps. In September 2022, he moved to New York City to spend a year in an intentional community while supporting the outreach work of Church of the Heavenly Rest in Manhattan. There, he worked directly with issues of prison reentry, food insecurity, access to education, mental health, housing, and emergency response. Most recently, Jacob has served as Senior Program Director at the Episcopal Church Foundation, leading the Diocesan Vitality Initiative, the Fellowship Partners Program, and ECF Vital Practices.
Jacob is glad to be back home in Chicago, supporting Episcopal Charities’ mission of building a more just and merciful world. Outside of work, he tends to his plants and finds joy in small handwork—collage, sewing, lino block cutting, and crafting the occasional rosary!
Our Board
Chair - The Rt. Rev. Paula E. Clark, Bishop of Chicago
President - Arthur Clement
Vice President - John Tuohy
Secretary - Jane Schenck [Episcopal Church Women]
Treasurer - Keith Kampert (Jr.)
Legal Counsel - Paul M.G. Helms
Mark Baldwin
The Rev. Dr. Fulton Porter
Rory Smith
Julie Flood
Olivia Elliott
Dave Beil
The Rev. Miguel Briones
Ida Butler
Andrea Flynn
Richard Jones
Thom Oczkowski
The Rev. Emeka Nwachukwu
John Fisher