THOUGHT LEADERSHIP STAFF
ABE CHO, Vice President for Thought Leadership
Abe is the Interim Senior Director of Global Resources at Redeemer City to City. He holds an MDiv and ThM from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary as well as a DMin from Fuller theological seminary. Previously, he was a pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC for 14 years. The last six of those years he served as the Senior Pastor of Redeemer East Side on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He currently serves on the pastoral staff at Redeemer East Harlem.
Abe has also taught extensively both on the theory and practice of faith and work integration in the context of the local church. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, Jordyn, and four children.
SARA MERTEN, Operations Manager for Thought Leadership and Content
Sara Merten develops and maintains people-centered systems that support global content strategies. She is passionate about helping people and ministries get organized without becoming overly institutionalized.
Sara and her nine-year-old son currently reside in the same neighborhood where her all-time favorite book, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, is set.
BRANDON O’BRIEN, Sr. Director of Global Thought Leadership
Brandon is responsible for developing and carrying out a publishing strategy that equips gospel movements around the world through books, training and other content resources.
Originally from Arkansas, Brandon has served in pastoral ministry, worked in publishing, authored a few books and taught for state and Christian colleges and universities. One of the things that is most exciting to him about his role at CTC is that it allows him to combine his passions for ministry, publishing and education.
Brandon, his wife, Amy, and their two kids live in Chicago, Illinois. They enjoy good food, good company, and exploring the city.
JULES MARTINEZ-OLIVIERI, Assistant Director of Curriculum and Spanish-language Strategy
Jules Martinez-Olivieri is a theologian, practitioner, and author focusing on theology and curriculum development. He has taught in seminaries and universities in Puerto Rico, Latin America, and the United States. His ecclesial experiences include church planting and community development. He is the author of A Visible Witness: Christology, Liberation and Participation (Fortress Press 2016) (translated in Spanish Un Testimonio Visible: Cristología, Liberación y Participación). Jules and his family live in Miami, Florida.
SUSAN THORSON, Manager, Communications
Susan is part of a team that works to communicate City to City’s mission, vision and story.
For as far back as she can remember, Susan has loved both reading and writing compelling words. One of her favorite parts of homeschooling their four (now adult) kids was teaching a variety of literature and writing classes in their co-op where she shared her passion for captivating communication, tales and characters.
She was thrilled when she and her husband Doug moved to NYC in 2015, as she has always had a love for cities and feels her dad’s childhood in Queens somehow placed NY in her blood and in her heart. Susan and Doug have been married for 34 years. Three of their kids now live in NYC and one in DC. Susan loves flea markets, thrift stores, cozy outdoor dining spots, connecting with family and friends and looking and listening for the stories we all have.