Faith and Sustainability

A native New Englander, Lauren Hoade lives in Decatur and is a parishioner at St. Thomas More Catholic Church and leads their Creation Care Team, a group of passionate people working to bring Laudato Si to life in their faith community. Lauren is a graphic designer supporting several environmental nonprofits in the Southeast. If you'd like to learn more about the work being done at St. Thomas More, please email her at [email protected]

After graduating from Penn State University in 1982, which was a minor miracle because he was best friends with Rob McDowell, David Powell went to work for the family water well contracting company, Edward Powell Pump and Well Drilling.

In 2004, David and another well driller from Maryland founded Wells For Relief, and started working in Morocco installing safe water systems for impoverished communities. After working for 5 years, David decided to move operations to Ghana and merge with another operation to form Lifetime Wells International in 2017.

The combined companies have been drilling water wells and installing sustainable water systems in Ghana and Tanzania obtaining clean water for approximately 100,000 people every year. More than 2 million people have access to clean water because of their efforts.

Gordon Rogers is Executive Director of the Flint Riverkeeper, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the Flint River and its tributaries for all its many users. He's based in Taylor County. He was former the ED for the Satilla Riverkeeper and our co-host Rob McDowell is quoted as saying "This Guy is a Riot!"

J. Renay Loper is the voice of Bard College's "Lead the Change" podcast and the host of her own "Through the Noise" podcast. She is a Clinical Faculty member in Organizational Leadership at the Bard MBA in Sustainability program, where she focuses on justice-centered transformation in the workplace. Her work is rooted in the belief that real change happens when bold ideas meet collaborative action.

From helping pass California's "bottle bill" to living and learning about the rainforest to bringing together groups of people no one thought could work together, Bill uses his passion, care for others and knowledge of integral ecology to make change in the world around us.

Cobb County Chair Lisa Cupid joins the podcast to talk about Faith, Leadership, & Sustainability. We touch briefly on her vision for a Sustainable Cobb County and more importantly we explore how her faith shapes her understanding of Sustainability.

As we remember our former host, Leonard Robinson, who unexpectedly passed away in March 2026, we look back and take a listen to his favorite podcast episodes. In 2023, Leonard visited with Jack Groh, the director of the NFL Environmental Program, a position Leonard always said was his dream job!

On Monday, March 16, 2026, Leonard Robinson, the creator and host of the Faith and Sustainability Podcast died unexpectedly. His co-host Kat Doyle and friend and colleague Rob McDowell share about what made Leonard such a special person in faith and sustainability.

What are some ways that we incorporate Faith and Sustainability into our Lenten journey?

A new and refreshed Faith and Sustainability season begins on April 1st!

Join us for a conversation with co-authors Susan Varlamoff and Dr. Rob McDowell as we mark the 10th anniversary of the groundbreaking Archdiocese of Atlanta's Laudato Si’ Action Plan. This episode explores the faith-rooted vision that sparked a movement, the science and strategy behind the plan, and the enduring impact it’s had on communities across Atlanta and beyond.