At the January 2021 meeting of VIPCare's Board of Directors, President Jessica Young Brown, Vice President Marlene V. Fuller, and Secretary Sister Cora Marie Billings were voted into office.
PRESIDENT: VIPCARE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Jessica Young Brown is a counseling psychologist who serves as Assistant Professor of Counseling and Practical Theology at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, where she teaches and provides consultation and program development on issues of vocation, spiritual formation, burnout. prevention and recovery, and human development. She is the co-principal investigator for Virginia Union’s Thriving in Ministry project, which focuses on equipping pastors for sustainable, healthy ministry, with support from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Dr. Brown is also a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in private practice, and provides education and consultation to churches and community organizations on mental health, trauma, race and racism, and organizational dynamics.
Dr. Brown completed her undergraduate education at Elon University in Elon, NC. She then matriculated at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA where she received her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, both in Counseling Psychology. Her community work includes Varina District representative for the Henrico County Board of Mental Health and Developmental Services. and representative for central Virginia on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Association of Community Services Boards.
VICE PRESIDENT: VIPCARE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Rev. Dr. Marlene V. Fuller is the pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, Va., and owner and director of LEAP, LLC where she provides counseling, spiritual direction, and life coaching to individuals and small groups.
Dr. Fuller graduated from The College of William and Mary with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Theatre/Speech, an MBA from Averett University, a Master of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University and earned a Doctor of Ministry in Formational Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary.
Additionally, she is a Vice-President in Project Management at Citizens Bank.
Her greatest passion is positioning others for healing; helping them to identify areas of broken-ness and break-free of the bondage of old wounds.
SECRETARY: VIPCARE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sister Cora Marie Billings, RSM, has been a member of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas since 1956. From 1956 until 1981, she was a teacher on the elementary and high school level and a part-time professor at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Since her move to Virginia in 1981, she has served as a Campus Minister at Virginia State University, the Directress of the Office for Black Catholics for the Diocese of Richmond, the Pastoral Coordinator for St. Elizabeth and Holy Rosary Parishes in Richmond, and the Deputy Director for the Human Rights Council for the State of Virginia. At present, she considers herself a Community Volunteer.
Some of Sister Cora Marie's passionate involvements include the National Black Sisters Conference (as a founding member), anti-racism work, and work as a board member of several organizations and schools in Virginia.
