Kelly Carpenter
Originally from Indiana, Kelly is an ordained United Methodist minister. For the past 20 years, he has served as Senior Pastor of Green Street United Methodist Church, a multiracial congregation with a commitment to community service,social justice, ministries with people in recovery, the LBGTQ community, interfaith relations and public activism. In 2006, Kelly founded The Shalom Project, a local non profit seeking to disrupt the cycle of poverty for people. With a B.A.’s in Religion & English Literature from the University of Indianapolis, 1988, and a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School, 1994, Kelly has a love of writing/reading poetry, organic gardening, centering prayer, jazz, Jungian spirituality and running. In 2007, his dear friend Georgia Sprinkle began the process of leaving the gift of her estate for the founding of a retreat center. After many talks on long runs, Dr. Scott Wilson and Kelly began mapping out the vision of The Threshold. In 2016 at 99 years of age, Georgia passed the same year that the Threshold project began. He is certified in Dream Group Leadership (2015) and Spiritual Direction (2017) from the Haden Institute. |
Beth Thoresen
Originally from the Midwest (Milwaukee and Indianapolis) Beth has called North Carolina her home since 1996 when her career in operations management moved her with her family to Greensboro. She now serves as Director, Peer Review Operations for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Since childhood Beth has enjoyed a deep connection with nature, has loved organizing and hosting gatherings for her family and friends and volunteering in her community. She has facilitated refugee resettlement, served as a Stephen Minister, co-created and lead a job placement ministry for unemployed individuals, and has been a host parent and liaison to more than a dozen exchange students from many countries with AFS Intercultural Programs.
Beth is excited to further deepen and share her passions for sustainable living, mindfulness meditation, and healing through connecting in nature with the Threshold community. Beth is certified as a Forest Therapy Guide with the Global Institute of Forest Therapy & Nature Connection and loves guiding others through the healing practice of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing” in the rich & beautiful nature in Yadkin County.
Jissan Michelle Nicolle
Jissan Michelle Nicolle, PhD, BCC, is a professional chaplain and novice Zen priest. She graduated from the Upaya Buddhist Chaplaincy program in 2015 and was ordained as a lay minister by Roshi Joan Halifax in 2016. She completed a Clinical Pastoral Care (CPE) residency at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and was board certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains in 2018. Prior to chaplaincy, Dr. Nicolle was engaged as a researcher in behavioral neuroscience studying the neurobiology of cognitive decline in aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Jissan is currently employed as a spiritual care provider at the Wake Forest School of Medicine and Medical Center. In 2019, Jissan happily made the commitment to deepen her practice and study of the Dharma as a novice priest with Sensei Joshin Byrnes of Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community. |
Zoe Wilson
The oldest "zister" of the Wilson family, Zoe has a bachelor degree in Communication from NC State University and an MBA masters degree in Business Analytics from UNG Greensboro.
She works at Volvo Group as a Marketing Business Analyst supporting websites and digital transformation for Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks.
In her free time Zoe enjoys walking her pit terrier dog, running half marathons, and crocheting.
Adrian Boone
Adrian Boone is a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), a Heating Ventilation, and Air Condition (HVAC) Technician, and is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He is a certified Peer Specialist with years of experience as an Independent Living Specialist, a Community Inclusion Specialist, and a Re-entry Specialist. He is also a Functional Assessment Support Team (F.A.S.T.) member for NC Emergency Management.
Before his employment at Solutions for Independence, Adrian worked as a Travel Trainer and has years of experience working with the Transition to Community Living Initiative (TCLI). He has also worked with justice-involved/formerly incarcerated individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) within the Butner Federal Prison Complex and the NC State Prison System. Demonstrating a penchant for positive reinforcement, Adrian encourages and supports his staff to deliver the most empowering, comprehensive, and inclusive Independent Living Plans (ILP), thus permitting Solutions for Independence's consumers to live independent and full lives.
In his free time, Adrian enjoys freelance photography, writing, traveling, learning new recipes, watching sports, and spending time with his children and family in Baltimore, MD.
Adrian Boone
Adrian Boone is a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), a Heating Ventilation, and Air Condition (HVAC) Technician, and is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He is a certified Peer Specialist with years of experience as an Independent Living Specialist, a Community Inclusion Specialist, and a Re-entry Specialist. He is also a Functional Assessment Support Team (F.A.S.T.) member for NC Emergency Management.
Before his employment at Solutions for Independence, Adrian worked as a Travel Trainer and has years of experience working with the Transition to Community Living Initiative (TCLI). He has also worked with justice-involved/formerly incarcerated individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) within the Butner Federal Prison Complex and the NC State Prison System. Demonstrating a penchant for positive reinforcement, Adrian encourages and supports his staff to deliver the most empowering, comprehensive, and inclusive Independent Living Plans (ILP), thus permitting Solutions for Independence's consumers to live independent and full lives.
In his free time, Adrian enjoys freelance photography, writing, traveling, learning new recipes, watching sports, and spending time with his children and family in Baltimore, MD.
Mary Jac Brennan
Mary Jac Brennan enjoys connecting people with nature through gardening and gardens. As a landscape designer and consultant, she has helped bring change into the lives of home gardeners, school communities, and commercial entities through the design and development of sustainable and seasonally inspiring landscape gardens. Mary Jac taught environmental science to high school youth. True to her horticultural training (Clemson University), she used a quarterly garden project to help students experience the natural world first hand.
As the first Community Garden Agent of the Forsyth County Extension, she established the Forsyth Community Garden Program and Community Garden Mentor Training program from 2010-2013. In July 2013, she was hired by NC A&T University to support and educate small farm operators in sustainable fruit and vegetable production. Mary Jac developed and led the Forsyth County Urban Farm School from 2015-2020.
After retiring, Mary Jac has consulted with the MICDC Farm Incubator, has designed residential gardens, taught online courses, been a presenter at the UNC Botanical Gardens, and has compiled a curriculum for NC State on CSA development. Mary Jac enjoys spending time growing gardens on her small farm near Walkertown, NC., hiking and biking, and going to the beach with her husband. She is the mother of 3 adult sons and grandmother to Colin and Isla.
Mary Jac Brennan enjoys connecting people with nature through gardening and gardens. As a landscape designer and consultant, she has helped bring change into the lives of home gardeners, school communities, and commercial entities through the design and development of sustainable and seasonally inspiring landscape gardens. Mary Jac taught environmental science to high school youth. True to her horticultural training (Clemson University), she used a quarterly garden project to help students experience the natural world first hand.
As the first Community Garden Agent of the Forsyth County Extension, she established the Forsyth Community Garden Program and Community Garden Mentor Training program from 2010-2013. In July 2013, she was hired by NC A&T University to support and educate small farm operators in sustainable fruit and vegetable production. Mary Jac developed and led the Forsyth County Urban Farm School from 2015-2020.
After retiring, Mary Jac has consulted with the MICDC Farm Incubator, has designed residential gardens, taught online courses, been a presenter at the UNC Botanical Gardens, and has compiled a curriculum for NC State on CSA development. Mary Jac enjoys spending time growing gardens on her small farm near Walkertown, NC., hiking and biking, and going to the beach with her husband. She is the mother of 3 adult sons and grandmother to Colin and Isla.
Scott Wilson
While attending Wake Forest University Scott spent summer vacations working on his family’s apple farm where his brother Dan continues as owner of Hicks Orchard and Slyboro Cider house in Granville, New York. He is now an associate professor of orthopedic oncology at Wake Forest Atrium Health Comprehensive Cancer Center and adult reconstruction at Davie Medical Center. Scott and Kelly met through Green Street Church. On one of their many runs around Salem Lake, Kelly shared his friend Georgia Sprinkle’s vision of creating a retreat incorporating organic farming with spiritual formation programming.
Scott envisions a time soon when Threshold will be able to offer more extensive overnight and weekend programming that blends ancient wisdoms of spiritual insight with contemporary theories of scientific inquiry to celebrate the mystery of our witness to creation.
While attending Wake Forest University Scott spent summer vacations working on his family’s apple farm where his brother Dan continues as owner of Hicks Orchard and Slyboro Cider house in Granville, New York. He is now an associate professor of orthopedic oncology at Wake Forest Atrium Health Comprehensive Cancer Center and adult reconstruction at Davie Medical Center. Scott and Kelly met through Green Street Church. On one of their many runs around Salem Lake, Kelly shared his friend Georgia Sprinkle’s vision of creating a retreat incorporating organic farming with spiritual formation programming.
Scott envisions a time soon when Threshold will be able to offer more extensive overnight and weekend programming that blends ancient wisdoms of spiritual insight with contemporary theories of scientific inquiry to celebrate the mystery of our witness to creation.