Planner & Public Health Specialist, EMI USA

Professional Training & Experience

• BS, Architecture - University of Michigan, 2017
• Master of City and Regional Planning, Land Use & Environmental Planning Concentration - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2021
• Master of Public Health, Global Health Concentration - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2021 
• Graduate Certificate in Christian Ministry - City Vision University, 2023
• Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management - City Vision University, 2024
• EMI Uganda Architectural Design Intern, Summer 2017
• EMI Master Planning Fellow, August 2021 - August 2024

Ellery desires to be an advocate for the promotion, planning, and development of healthy spaces and communities, and her interests in international development and global health have led her to work with an array of different organizations, including architecture firms, a health start-up, and several NGOs. She has experience in residential and commercial design; site planning; strategic planning; program planning, implementation, and evaluation; and non-profit operations. In 2021, God opened the door for Ellery to return to EMI as a Master Planning Fellow in the South Africa (2021-2023) and USA (2023-2024) offices. After three years as a Fellow, Ellery decided to join EMI USA as Member Staff in 2024, supporting EMI's efforts around the world in her role as an urban planner and public health specialist. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to use her gifts, training, and experience to be part of designing a world of hope.

Ministry Experience

As a freshman in high school, Ellery's eyes were opened to God's heart for the world while serving on a short-term mission trip with Horizon International in Limpopo, South Africa. It was there, dancing and singing with a hundred little children, that God began stirring her heart toward something greater than the plans she had dreamed up for herself. Ellery returned to Africa on several short-term missions and even spent a summer in college serving with Horizon in South Africa and Zambia.

At the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), Ellery became heavily involved with a campus ministry called Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ). She led community groups on campus, was involved in discipleship, and participated in Cru's Ocean City Summer Mission in 2015 where she spent 12 weeks with 100 other college students from across the country in an intensive ministry program focused on spiritual formation, leadership, and evangelism. 

While searching for a way to bring deeper purpose and meaning to her work in the design field, Ellery stumbled across EMI. Ellery believes design has the power to restore life, dignity, and hope, through the spaces themselves and the work of those using them, and she counts it a great privilege to use her skills to be part of planning, designing, and building a healthier world - to be part of bringing glimpses of heaven down to earth.

Ellery is blessed to be part of several amazing, Bible-centered, mission-minded churches and communities that have been instrumental in equipping her for living life on mission. Above all, Ellery deeply loves Jesus and is passionate about studying God's Word, and learning, growing, and living life the Jesus way alongside her fellow believers. 

Family

Ellery is the daughter of Mark and Lori, two of the most devoted, hardworking, compassionate, and faithful followers of Jesus she knows. They, along with Ellery's older brother, Nick, his wife, Elsie, and their sweet children, Finley and Elliott, can be found in Ellery's hometown of Marshall, MI serving the Lord and loving others through functional medicine (Lori), hardware supply (Mark), youth ministry (Nick), and photography (Elsie). Ellery is so grateful to have family and friends who continually cheer her on and support her in doing whatever the Lord calls her to do, and in going wherever He calls her to go.