REC of Florida State Board of Directors
Kris Schonewolf – Spiritual Director
Kris is the founding Pastor and Director of The Oasis, a ministry at Lowell Correctional Institution (LCI), in Ocala, FL. The mission of The Oasis is to utilize faith formation, the arts, and education to reduce recidivism and to improve the quality of life for incarcerated women, empowering them to experience transformation through Jesus Christ and change their lives for the better. She and her volunteers provide worship services, Bible studies, mentoring, counseling, keyboard and guitar lessons, art therapy, reading literacy, crochet ministry, financial literacy, and re-entry seminars for the women of LCI.
Kris has a passion for seeing women set free from the chains of shame, trauma, and rejection. By helping them discover their true identity as daughters of God, they are able to focus on becoming all they were made to be and embrace hope for a brighter future.
Kris went on the Walk to Emmaus in 1999, and since then has served on over 40 teams for Emmaus, Chrysalis, and REC. She also led Bible studies for 2 years in a teen detention facility in Delaware. Prior to beginning her work at LCI, Kris pastored two local United Methodist congregations, and holds a Masters of Divinity from Palmer Theological Seminary.
Judy Stuart - President
Judy, spending most of her life as a military family member, calls Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland her home where she spent her formative years. She moved to Florida’s west coast in 1976 and has called it home since. Judy and her husband, Charles, moved to The Villages from St. Petersburg in 2011.
Most of Judy’s career endeavors were administrative related primarily in the field of real estate development. She specialized in converting apartments to condominiums, motels into timeshares and new condominium development throughout Florida in the 70’s and 80’s. The 90’s saw her in commercial real estate as the primary negotiator for warehouse space throughout North America for a large Florida corporation.
Judy’s love of prison ministry started many years ago when she realized that “except for the Grace of God there go I” was very true in every sense. It was not until Judy joined New Covenant United Methodist Church that she understood that God had saved her for a purpose and that purpose was to serve Him. He placed on her heart the jail ministry and then introduced her to REC. Judy began serving the community in 2015 by being on a Sumter County REC Team. She has since been involved in this jail ministry in various capacities including serving as President of the REC Central Florida Board.
Judy looks forward to participating on the State Board where it will give her an opportunity to reach across the counties to meet and learn from other REC members.
Cindy Hall - Vice President & Community Liaison
Cindy Hall took her Walk to Emmaus in 2008 and served on her first REC team shortly thereafter the same year. Since then, she has served on several teams in various capacities.
Prior to its closing, Cindy was an active member of the leadership team for her church and was instrumental in creating the guidebook, providing training for volunteers and promoting their HUGS (Hospitality, Ushering, Greeting, and Safety) Ministry.
She has a deep love of our Lord and with a career as an Administrative Assistant, offers her office and organizational skills to the REC Ministry to help bring the Good News to everyone.
Dawn Carr - Secretary
Dawn has been involved with the Walk to Emmaus ministry since her Pilgrim walk in 2008. She has served in the past and is currently serving on the Aldersgate Emmaus Board of Directors where her role includes Team Leadership Selection. She also serves on the Greater Orlando Board of Directors as Historian and Wheat/Agape Coordinator.
She is a Stephen Minister at her church and has led Bible studies and small groups.
Dawn retired from medical billing in 2022 after a 25-year career.
She has been interested in REC since hearing others talk about it and she served on her first weekend in 2016. Since then she has served many REC weekends.
These Ministries allow Dawn to share her love for Christ with others.
Mary Starkey – Executive Director
Mary has been involved with prison ministry and resident after-care programs since 2003. Prior to relocating to Central Florida in 2007, she served on the Residents Encounter Christ (REC) Board of Directors in Louisville, KY. Mary was on staff from 2004-2007 as the Director of Operations for Prodigal Ministries, the largest after-care provider in Louisville. She also represented the ministry on the Louisville and Jefferson County Offender Re-entry Task Force.
In Central Florida, she serves as a resource member of the Prison/Jail Ministry Task Force for the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church and served as President of the REC Community Board of Directors from 2008-2010. In 2010, she accepted the position of Executive Director of REC for the State of Florida. Mary attended Eastern Michigan University and has a Bachelor of Ministry degree from Pillsbury Seminary.
