Keli Cooper and her family came to Tuckahoe in 2024. She was born in Portsmouth, VA and soon moved to Chattanooga, TN where she grew up attending Rivermont Presbyterian Church. After attending Maryville College (B.A. in Political Science), she graduated from Memphis Theological Seminary (M.A. in Youth Ministry) and Union Presbyterian Seminary (Master of Divinity). She has worked in various ministries, including First Presbyterian Church-Knoxville, Camp John Knox, Tyson Student House Foundation, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Downtown Richmond. She was at St. Paul’s for seven years, recently serving as the Associate Pastor for Formation, Program Development, and Welcoming Ministries. This was a validated ministry in the Presbytery of the James (POJ).
Keli believes that the church is guided by the Triune God to proclaim the good news, care for one another, and collaboratively share and support those in our communities. Everyone deserves to be treated with love and mutual respect, even amidst disagreement. All are welcome.
She lives in Bon Air with her husband Marcus, their two energetic and playful children, and meatloaf of a beagle-basset mix Bowser. She enjoys walking, color-coding, tending to houseplants, hiking in the mountains, drinking herbal tea, and exploring all the cool playgrounds in the Richmond area.
Jillian Marie Lincoln Gatewood is a dedicated educator and community advocate. She holds a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Union Presbyterian Seminary, where she received several awards, including the Malcolm and Mildred McIver Scholarship and the Glen Gibson Memorial Award.
Jillian serves as a Board Member and part of the Building Committee for Girls For A Change, a nonprofit focused on empowering Black girls in Central Virginia. She held various leadership roles at Union Presbyterian Seminary, including Student Representative on the Board of Trustees and Vice Moderator of Student Government, where she advocated for student needs and inclusivity.
Professionally, Jillian has authored curricula and instructed at Hill City Church, and contributed to patron relations at Morton Library of UPSem. Her background also includes leadership positions at Young Life and Burbio, where she managed community resources and communications. Previously, she excelled in retail management at Abercrombie & Fitch, Ivivva and Uniqlo, where she significantly increased sales and streamlined operations.
Jillian earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Science from Michigan State University, where she also minored in Health Studies. She lives in Midlothian with her husband Chris and their four daughters. Jillian loves enjoying the diverse selections of food Richmond has to offer. She and her husband enjoy trivia nights and various music and shows in Richmond’s many theaters and live music venues.
Michelle Tuck is a native of Richmond, VA, and spent most of her childhood singing at church and school as well as participating in church youth group activities. After graduating from Douglas Freeman High School, Michelle went on to study music education and vocal performance at Virginia Tech. With a B.A. in Music and an M.A. in Education, Michelle came back to Richmond to begin her teaching career at Tuckahoe Middle School, where she taught for 7 years. Since then, she has taught elementary music at various Henrico County Public Schools, directed youth choirs, and been a principal choir member at another local church, and is now the choral director at Douglas Freeman High School.
Michelle has been the recipient of several HCPS awards including First Year Teacher of the Year (2012) and Teacher of the Year at Tuckahoe Middle School (2019). She has been invited to conduct All-County choruses and adjudicate District Chorus assessments on many occasions. Her students consistently receive superior ratings at district assessments and grand champion placements at competitions.
