Senior Management Council

Paul Cleckner

Interim CEO

Paul Cleckner serves as Interim CEO at American Bible Society. He is an experienced leader of organizational transformation, having served most recently as Interim CEO of Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana…

Paul Cleckner serves as Interim CEO at American Bible Society. He is an experienced leader of organizational transformation, having served most recently as Interim CEO of Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Previously, he served as Managing Director of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., where he completed multiple CEO and other C-suite searches across various industries.

Cleckner holds a BA from Trevecca Nazarene University and a JD from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He is deeply invested in sharing the good news of Scripture. He serves on the board of Ethiopia ACT, which provides healthcare services to underserved communities. He and his wife Jenny also served as Young Life leaders for 13 years and have supported the work of Cru in Eastern Europe for over 20 years.

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Stephen Kao

Chief Legal Officer

Stephen Kao serves as Chief Legal Officer at American Bible Society. He has represented nonprofit organizations, including churches, ministries, and humanitarian causes, for over two decades…

Stephen Kao serves as Chief Legal Officer at American Bible Society. He has represented nonprofit organizations, including churches, ministries, and humanitarian causes, for over two decades. Prior to joining American Bible Society in 2015, Kao served as Director and Counsel for Corporate & Transactional Practice at Gammon & Grange, a private law firm outside of Washington, D.C.

In addition to his legal expertise, Kao brings a passion for ministry. He led a CRU single adult ministry in North Carolina, promoted restorative justice under Chuck Colson’s leadership at Prison Fellowship in Washington, D.C., and served as president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Columbia University.  

Kao graduated with honors in Political Science from Columbia University and earned his Juris Doctorate at the University of Virginia School of Law. He lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He and his wife Teresa have three children, Caleb, Bethany, and Micah, and one precocious toy poodle, Kit. 

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Nicholas Pagano

Chief Financial Officer

Nicholas Pagano serves as Chief Financial Officer at American Bible Society. He joined American Bible Society in November 1992 and has more than 35 years of investment and finance-related experience…

Nicholas Pagano serves as Chief Financial Officer at American Bible Society. He joined American Bible Society in November 1992 and has more than 35 years of investment and finance-related experience.

Prior to joining American Bible Society, Pagano spent three years in Global Custody Services at Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., working on a dedicated team for the IBM Pension Fund.  Prior to that, he served as a municipal bond and preferred stock account executive following five years of brokerage operational experience at Prudential-Bache Securities.

Pagano has a MBA in Finance and a BSS in Management from St. John’s University, and he holds the Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) designation. Nicholas resides in New Jersey with his wife Amy, and has three adult children: Nicholas, Gabrielle, and Brandon. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, and fishing.

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Dr. John Farquhar Plake

Chief Ministry Insights Officer

Dr. John Farquhar Plake serves as Chief Ministry Insights Officer at American Bible Society. Plake brings a pastoral heart to the disciplines of research and innovation, bridging the worlds of social science, business intelligence, and spiritual formation, and helping Christian leaders understand how people grow in Christ….

Dr. John Farquhar Plake serves as Chief Ministry Insights Officer at American Bible Society. Plake brings a pastoral heart to the disciplines of research and innovation, bridging the worlds of social science, business intelligence, and spiritual formation, and helping Christian leaders understand how people grow in Christ.

Plake is the author and editor of several books and articles for both scholarly and popular media. As editor-in-chief of American Bible Society’s annual State of the Bible research series, his work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including CBN, The Christian Post, Christianity Today, Outreach Magazine, Philanthropy Daily, Relevant Magazine, and Washington Watch.

Over 34 years of full-time ministry, Plake has served as a pastor, missionary, professor, and researcher. He is an ordained minister with a Ph.D. in intercultural studies. He lives with his family in Wilmington, Delaware.

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Rev. Dr. James J. Puchy, Chaplain (Colonel) U.S. Army – Retired

Chief of Staff

Rev. Dr. James J. Puchy serves as Chief of Staff at American Bible Society. Previously, he served in a variety of roles, including Executive Director of Armed Services Ministry, Interim Executive Director of the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center, and Vice President of Presidential Initiatives…

Rev. Dr. James J. Puchy serves as Chief of Staff at American Bible Society. Previously, he served in a variety of roles, including Executive Director of Armed Services Ministry, Interim Executive Director of the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center, and Vice President of Presidential Initiatives.

Puchy retired from the U.S. Army on February 1, 2011, after serving in the Army Chief of Chaplains’ Office as Commandant and Director of Sustainment and Information. He was the founding pastor of Helemano Community Chapel, Hawaii; Continental Community Chapel; Fort Monroe; and Chapel Next, Fort Belvoir.

Puchy’s civilian education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and English from Rutgers University; a Master in Systems Management from the University of Southern California; a Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary; a Master in Business Administration from Syracuse University; a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College; and a Doctor of Education from the University of Southern California. In addition, he has completed extensive military education and has a post-doctoral certificate in leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is certified as a Gallup Strengths Coach, a MCORE Coach, a Paterson Center StratOps Facilitator, and LifePlan Facilitator.

Puchy is married to the former Rebecca Lynn Genshaw of Bad Axe, Michigan. They reside in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

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Rob Wonderling

Interim Chief Ministry Advancement Officer

Rob Wonderling serves as Interim Chief Ministry Advancement Officer at American Bible Society and is also Executive Director of the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center. He brings diverse experience in government and private-sector business leadership…

Rob Wonderling serves as Interim Chief Ministry Advancement Officer at American Bible Society and is also Executive Director of the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center. He brings diverse experience in government and private-sector business leadership.

Before joining American Bible Society in 2022, Wonderling served as President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. He previously served in the Pennsylvania State Senate, first as Chairman of the Communications and Technology Committee and later as Chairman of the Transportation Committee.

Wonderling has also been active on several boards and commissions relating to civic development, technology, education, healthcare, and the environment. He has received numerous awards from groups including the Anti-Defamation League, the March of Dimes, Boy Scouts of America, the Salvation Army of Greater Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania Parks and Forest Foundation.

He did his undergraduate education at Allegheny College and earned a master’s degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania. He also attended the program for Senior Executives in State Government at Harvard University. He and his wife Kristin have three adult sons and are members of Cornerstone Church of Skippack.

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Board of Directors

Katherine Barnhart

Chair

David Wills

Vice Chair

Mary Banks

Secretary

Georganne Perkins

Treasurer

Elaine Allen

Tessie Güell Devore

Deborah Garcia Gratacos

Timothy Houseal

Nicole Johansson

Theodore Nicolakis

Ash Noah*

Karen McDonald**

Helen Osman

Mario Paredes

*On Leave of Absence February 15 – December 31, 2023.

**On Leave of Absence May 16 – December 31, 2023.

The mailing address for all Directors is our headquarters at: American Bible Society, 101 N. Independence Mall East, FL 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155