Staff & Board of Directors

Erica has served Pres House since 2004. She is a second-generation Taiwanese-American who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. She lives in Madison with her partner, Mark, and together they have two daughters. Erica has a B.A. in Mass Communications from UC Berkeley, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. Some of her favorite spiritual disciplines include practicing the martial art taekwondo and Sabbath.

Until I entered college, I thought Christianity was mythology and that Christians were weak-minded people. But I ended up sharing my dorm room with a Christian and to my surprise, we became friends. During that year, I was challenged to examine what I believed about life and community. What I discovered was that the love and power of God bring radical transformation within people and the world. God’s call for our lives goes way beyond what we can imagine–it’s much riskier, bolder, and more fulfilling than the plans we make.

There are many ‘dividing walls of hostility’ we put up between each other–race, class, sexual orientation, gender, politics, and religion, just to name a few. I believe strongly in Jesus’ vision where all people are reconciled to God and one another. I invite you to enter into this community, not to find people who are just like you, but to live out the commandment to love God and ALL your neighbors, which means practicing what I call ‘holy friction.’ I hope you will engage in that journey with the community at Pres House.

Nii Addo is a second-generation Ghanaian immigrant who spent most of his life in southwest Missouri. He has an M.A. in Religious Studies from Missouri State University and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. Nii Addo has a deep passion for the Star Wars universe (pre- and post-Disney) and is an avid, albeit sad, supporter of Manchester United Football Club. He also appreciates a high-quality donut, especially after a long bike ride.

I grew up in a deeply faithful household and was nurtured in my faith by my parents, my brother, youth pastors, and mentors. But I’ve always been the inquisitive sort. As I got older, I started to probe the boundaries of my faith tradition. Throughout my years in college and seminary, I began to see that God was not who I thought God was. I began to see how God is not bound by our expectations, how God in Christ ‘overturns every notion of propriety to be with us,’ and how God’s Spirit disrupts the status quo and beckons us out toward new horizons. 

I believe that relationships are at the center of what it means to be God’s people. In my role at Pres House, I hope to find new ways to welcome folks into deeper relationships with God and with their neighbors. This community is a place where we can learn how all of our stories—as unique and diverse as they are—intersect with God’s story, and I consider it a privilege to be a part of that journey!

Mark has served as the Executive Director at Pres House since 2004. He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. In addition to his role at Pres House, Mark is also Co-Founder & Lead Builder at RootedGood, which helps institutions and social entrepreneurs succeed by providing tools, training, and experiences that help create more good in the world. Mark’s first book, We Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry, was published in June 2021. Mark has a B.A. in Psychology from UC Berkeley, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and an M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin School of Business. Born in the Midwest to immigrants from England, Mark has also lived in the southern, western, and eastern parts of the United States. Mark is an avid cyclist and considers it a good year when he rides more miles on his bike than he drives in his car. He is married to Rev. Erica Liu — they have two kids together.

I entered college very sure of my faith. That was both good and bad. I found that my image of God, though strong, was actually quite small. Spending time in the dorms talking with friends and on the streets talking with homeless people opened up my view of God. I found that God was in fact much bigger, much more loving, and much more welcoming than any of my conceptions. It is my hope that Pres House is always a place where God challenges our small conceptions, where we freely question and seek, and where we experience God anew whether we have known God for years or are simply wondering…

Sherri Kelly is a mission-driven leader with extensive experience in operations, finance, communications, and education. As the Director of Finance and Operations at Pres House, Sherri is dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive community for students and staff alike.

I am a proud alum of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and am excited to return to my roots and contribute to the vibrant campus life. I am passionate about supporting students in their academic and personal journeys, ensuring they have the resources and guidance needed to thrive.

During my free time, I enjoy spending quality time with family and friends, reveling in live music both from the audience and on stage, and exploring the outdoors. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I am committed to promoting equity and inclusion in all aspects of my work, and look forward to building connections and creating meaningful experiences at Pres House!

I can’t say enough how excited I am for this opportunity with Pres House. Something I truly value is making a difference, and I believe that my role here at Pres House will provide several opportunities of being able to do that. This is a bit of a change for me, and I am delighted to have come across this organization. I look forward to doing whatever I can to make a positive, sustaining impact with Pres House, and serve our students and members. Pres House has members that are from a variety of backgrounds. Meeting a diverse group of people is something that ignites me. Everybody has their own unique story, and Pres House is a place where people of all different backgrounds can call home.

I am a graduate of UW-Oshkosh, with a BS degree in Journalism with an emphasis on Advertising and Public Relations. I was born and raised in the Milwaukee area and moved back there after college for work. However, for the past several years now I’ve been living in the Madison area. I am completely thrilled to now be able to work in Madison as well. I am a big sports fan, and I enjoy both watching as well as playing sports whenever I can. Also, I love to be outside as much as possible. I really enjoy hiking, kayaking, golfing, etc. It really doesn’t matter what the activity is. As long as I’m out in nature, you won’t hear me complain! I also enjoy northern WI and try to get there as much as time permits. Otherwise, if you have any questions, just let me know!

Ginger holds a Ph.D. from Denver University & Iliff School of Theology and comes to Pres House having served as the Associate Dean of Students at Colorado College. She has extensive experience in mental health, higher education administration, and pastoral care. Though hailing from the Midwest, she had the opportunity to live for two and a half years in India, for five years in Nashville, TN, and for over 16 years in Colorado Springs, CO.

It took me a long time to learn that I couldn’t always see around the next bend in life, in spite of all my plans to the contrary! What a delightful and surprising journey that brought me to the heart of the UW campus and Pres House. I’ve lived a lot of different places (Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Colorado, India, Nebraska) and done a lot of different types of work (college admissions, chaplain, crisis counselor, natural foods grocery stocker, dean of students) and am still excited by what I’m learning, the people I meet, and how the path will unfold.

I love working with UW Madison students and helping them learn and practice skills and habits that will allow them to thrive here. As a health and life coach I see my work as planting and nurturing the seeds that will continue to grow and blossom throughout life. Figuring out how the live the life you are dreaming of shouldn’t be a deferred dream for another day. I want to support each student crafting and living a life they love, even when they have to do hard, challenging things–and those lessons can carry forward into life after UW. If you want encouragement and support in learning what helps you learn and thrive in your life, I hope you’ll set up a time for us to talk.

Born and raised in Japan, Manato moved to the United States in 2015 and earned his B.A. in Sociology at Calvin University in 2019. Manato has a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School and is an ordained minister in the American Baptist Churches USA. He has served as an interfaith chaplain at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MIT, and Emerson College. Manato also served in ministry at Old Cambridge Baptist Church.

Manato comes to Pres House Apartments having worked in residential life at Harvard College as a dorm proctor for first-year students. He continues to find joy serving in spaces where residential life, student support, and caregiving come together. In his spare time, Manato enjoys slow mornings with his cat Homer, exploring maps and all things cartography, learning languages, and playing the guitar, trombone, handbells, and organ when he gets the chance. Tokyo, West Michigan, and Boston all feel like pieces of home to Manato, and he looks forward to Madison growing into that family of homes.

A recent graduate of UW-Madison, Allyson understands that college can be one of the most exciting and difficult times in one’s life, and how important it is to have a community to lean on while navigating young adulthood. Originally from Milwaukee, Allyson earned her B.A. in English and Voice Performance at UW in 2023 and is currently finishing up a M.S. in Environment & Resources. She was engaged in the Pres House community as a student for over 4 years. Now, she is excited to support residents’ growth and wellbeing through meaningful programming and mentorship!

With interests in mental health, personal development, and community flourishing, Allyson comes to Pres House Apartments having held various student support and outreach roles on campus. She has worked at UW as a first-year seminar facilitator and peer mentor in Chadbourne Residential College, as an International Student Services Engagement Intern, and as an instructor for three UW courses. She has also served as a 2023 Interfaith Fellow and a GSCC peer mentor. She finds joy serving in spaces where students can be their full, authentic selves and thrive in community with peers. In her spare time, Allyson enjoys making art, exploring the outdoors, going to performances at the Overture Center, playing tabletop roleplaying games, scuba diving, and singing.