Our Team
Susan Junot
President
I am a wife, a mother, and a grandmother working full time as an executive assistant for a local anesthesiology group. I am an active member of my church, where I serve in women’s ministry. Jeremiah 29:11 is particularly poignant when God says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Being part of the Board of Directors for Magdalene’s is a dream come true. It allows me to serve with other Christ-followers to help hurting women find healing and restoration and discover the beautiful life God intended for each of them.
Deborah Atchison
Vice President
In August of 2019, a local operator of a massage parlor was arrested and subsequently admitted to offering sexual acts in return for money. I drive by that massage parlor every day, my heart breaking for the women exploited there. I am reminded of a world where women can experience trauma from daily mental, emotional, and psychological abuse. I choose to be a part of the solution. I'm using my 40 years of interior design experience and owning an artisan designed shop in Pensacola to bring that building to life again. “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 My story is one of celebration for what God can do for a young girl born in poverty, who grew up too fast out of necessity, and took on the role of caring for others at a young age. This Scripture reminds me that regardless of those times I feel inadequate, I can rest in the truth that He is for me, and THAT is enough.
Pat Southerland
Secretary
During the time I spent volunteering for a women’s recovery program, my eyes and heart were opened to the needs and the pains of women. The women I met shared their stories of abuse and addictions, coupled with the daily hardships while trying to make a change of direction in their lives. Together we learned how important it is for each of us to acknowledge and to honor our stories. We looked at our pasts and what had shaped us, but we also looked to the future and what we could become. As we did this, we learned that each of us has a place in the larger story of life--the one that God has written. “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 helps me start my day and remember the source of my strength. Spending time with the women in support recovery made me want to find other ways to help. When I learned about the Magdalene Ministry, I knew God had opened this door as a way for me to continue to learn and write my story as I worked with other women to learn and write theirs. Retired from Santa Rosa School System; Board Member & Volunteer at Pathways for Change, member of my local church.
Shelley Brummett
Treasurer
Every woman deserves to live the life that God designed her to have. Many don't get this opportunity, so we need to be the hands and feet of Jesus to help guide these ladies on their new life's path to become whole once again. Jeremiah 29:11 notes that "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."It is not the Lord's plan for these women to suffer through life. I want to do what I can to help facilitate the Lord's true plan. As the mother of five grown children, I understand that life can be tough and isn't always fair. We need to surround those we love with a blanket of unconditional love and support them through their joys as well as their trials. While we may not be equipped to fill every aspect of healing, each of us can simply love those in need while they navigate their path of healing and restoration. I currently serve on the Board for a local Fire Rescue, a non-profit community service organization. While our goal for that Board is to save lives physically, Magdalene's focus is to support and save women who need healing in their physical, emotional, and spiritual lives. We will stand in "the gap" while these ladies become whole just as God designed them to be.
Mia Burke
Board Member
I desire to see survivors treated with dignity and their needs served well. I hope to see a whole, healthy, healed woman who knows she has something of value to offer others. My life verse is Isaiah 61. I love the second half of verse 3, stating, "that they may be called oaks of righteousness... they shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations." God has a plan to restore, heal, and use our lives' pain and trauma to do amazing things in the Kingdom and for others. I am the Curator and CEO of an online Christian magazine and a much-traveled military spouse who believes that each person deserves to be treated with dignity- in as helpful of a way as possible. Throughout the Bible and history, God has used broken people to reach and serve others. Magdalene's gives me the privilege to help other women use their experiences to craft a beautiful story.
Jackie Bell
Board Member
Enneagram Type 4s live with the belief that she has a chronic deficiency caused by some unknown tragic flaw. It was a revelation that clarified a life-long struggle to fix what was broken. As I grow older, I can see that this quest has prepared me to offer (not always but many times) the grace and mercy I have so desperately needed in my own life. I am grateful to be a part of a sisterhood of women committed to offering love, grace, mercy, and acceptance to each other and the women we will serve. Henri Nouwen once wrote: "True joy is hidden where we are the same as other people: fragile and mortal. It is the joy of belonging to the human race." Bread for the Journey: A Day Book of Wisdom and Faith. I have served on many boards and committees over my lifetime, from a tennis tournament in the late '80s for a children’s ministry to a women’s ministry for a local nonprofit. Through the years, I have experienced failures and successes, all of which I pray prepares me for my role with Magdalene's.
Angie Ishee
Board Member
I'm a Vice President for a local Mission and a longtime member of my local church and believe that each person deserves the opportunity to live abundantly and be joy-filled. Throughout the history of the world, God has used people to reach and serve other people, and Magdalene's gives me the privilege to help women learn their worth, realize their potential, and use their history to craft a beautiful future. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth," which speaks of the might of God during turbulent times and the peace and stillness required of our heart during and after the storm. This is a sweet fragrance for those who are emerging from unspeakable trials, and I look forward to putting my 28+ years of nonprofit and faith-based experience to work for the women of Magdalene's.
Donna Jordan
Finance Committee
Sometimes God calls us to be a part of something that we would never have anticipated. We often support missions in another land, going about our daily lives, not really noticing what is right in front of us-the needs within our own community. Magdalene's is an opportunity to serve others out of our blessings and our own brokenness. We have all been broken at some time in our lives (emotionally, physically, spiritually), but God is the ultimate mender. Psalm 34:18 tells us that, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted. And saves those who are crushed in spirit." And Psalm 118: 5 notes, "Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free." Broken things can become blessed things if we let God do the mending. "I've been involved with a "people" profession for over 40 years as an independent Certified Financial Planner®, including pro bono work primarily in the area of Women's needs. I am a founding member of my local church, serving in several missional capacities at the main campus and on the Distribution Committee of United Way, Alzheimer Family Services, my local Rotary, and other service organizations. Magdalene's is an opportunity to serve others out of our blessings and our own brokenness.
Jan Pacenta
Finance Committee
Bio Coming Soon.