Tracey DePasquale became LAMPa’s director in May, 2016, after serving three years as associate director. She brings experience in journalism, education, community development, farming and ministry to her post.

In her role at LAMPa, DePasquale provides an advocacy presence in the state Capitol on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and leads and equips non-partisan advocacy by Pennsylvania ELCA Lutherans to further human dignity, freedom, justice, and peace, with a special focus on hunger and its root causes.

Her belief in the importance of food security, equity and sustainability has roots in her faith and a childhood on the family dairy farm in Franklin County — a farm that is still growing food, but now features several thousand hand-planted trees that are helping to mitigate climate change. She left the farm to study environmental science, but decided the earth also needed truth-seekers and storytellers, and so became a journalist, and later, a teacher.

DePasquale serves as part of the ELCA’s Creation Care Network, initiating a sustainability pilot among Pennsylvania ministries, and has served as part of the ELCA Advocacy team at United Nations Climate Conferences. She also serves on the Commonwealth’s Emergency Food Assistance Advisory Committee and as part of the executive team of the Pennsylvania Hunger Action Coalition.

DePasquale holds a master’s degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania Fels Center of Government, and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
A lifelong Lutheran, she is a member of St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church in York, and studied at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg.

She enjoys kayaking with friends and hiking almost anywhere with her two young adult children, but especially in our National Parks.

Rev. Erin Jones joined LAMPa’s team in August of 2023. She brings a wealth of faithful advocacy experience, having served as a Public Policy Director during her year of service with Lutheran Volunteer Corps, as well as serving on Policy Councils for the Lutheran Office of Public Policy in California and LAMPa.

Jones received her bachelor’s degree in both religion and political science from St. Olaf College and earned a Master of Divinity degree from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. She was ordained in 2016 and has served congregations in Southern California and Southwestern Pennsylvania. She completed the Iron Sharpening Iron Executive Leadership Certificate at Princeton Theological Seminary in 2023.

Jones is a current member of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh. She lives with her husband and two sons. She and her husband co-host and produce the podcast “Spirited Animation” where they combine their expertise in spirituality and animation studies. She is passionate about LGBTQ+ inclusion, cultivating good stewardship practices, and helps teach transitional ministry courses for interim pastors.