Rev. Dr. Lauri Ann Swann, ACPE-CE, BCC, Director of Chaplain Services and ACPE Certified Educator

The Rev. Lauri Ann Swann is a distinguished spiritual care leader, dedicated advocate for social justice, and champion for the dignity and inclusion of all individuals within faith communities. Ordained in the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church as a traveling elder in full connection, Lauri brings a wealth of experience as a chaplain, educator, and thought leader in the realm of spiritual care. Currently, she serves as the Director of Chaplain Services at St. Elizabeths Hospital, where she has become the first African American woman to hold this position, a testament to her groundbreaking leadership.

Lauri is an active advocate for equity and access within the field of spiritual care. She is deeply involved in organizations that seek to transform how spiritual care is understood and delivered, including her leadership role in the “Womanist Approach to Care and Curriculum Community of Practice” and her work on the Anti-Ableism Task Force within the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). As a Board Certified Chaplain and Certified Educator, Lauri’s expertise is respected across faith communities, particularly in her research projects like Code Blue: The Crisis of Spiritual Care in State-Funded Psychiatric Hospitals, which seeks to uncover systemic barriers to spiritual care access and promote reform.

Lauri’s academic and professional journey reflects her commitment to addressing pressing social issues, from sex trafficking in the Washington, D.C. Black church community to the disparities faced by African American populations in mental health settings. She holds a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary, along with a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Syracuse University. Lauri’s doctoral project, Sex Trafficking within the Washington, D.C. Black Church Community: A Call and Response, underscores her interdisciplinary approach to tackling injustice within both faith and secular communities.

Beyond her professional and academic roles, Lauri is a published writer, with contributions in the 2016 Common English Women’s Bible (Abingdon Press). Her work continues to inspire and empower those who seek to create inclusive, compassionate, and justice-centered spaces in congregational and healthcare settings.

Lauri resides in White Plains, Maryland, with her husband, Kevin, and their three adult children, Matthew, Joshua, and Hannah, along with their beloved grand-dog, Walden.

Rev. Amy Canosa, ACPE-CE

Rev. Amy Canosa is a certified pastoral educator endorsed by the Alliance of Baptists. She serves on the Alliance’s Board of Directors and Endorsement Committee and is an active member of the Alliance of Baptists’ Community of Practice for ACPE educators. Within the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), Amy co-leads the Anti-Ableism Taskforce, serves as a National Site Team Chair for the Accreditation Commission, and contributes to several ad-hoc committees.

A graduate of Campbell University with a BS in Psychology and Religion, Amy earned her MDiv from Duke Divinity School. Before transitioning to hospital chaplaincy, she served on the staff of several churches and as a collegiate minister at UNC-Chapel Hill and Furman University. She completed her Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) residency at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill and her supervisory education training at Wake Forest Baptist Health. Amy served as an ACPE educator at Greenville Memorial Hospital in Greenville, SC, before relocating to Raleigh, NC, in 2018.

From 2020 to 2023, Amy also served as the DEI Program Manager for Duke Raleigh Hospital, leading efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable environment. Currently, she is the CPE Program Manager for Duke Regional and Duke Raleigh Hospitals, where she oversees curriculum development, accreditation compliance, and faculty management for ACPE programs, in addition to supervising intern and resident groups. She is also pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Learning and Leadership, further refining her expertise in fostering growth and collaboration within organizations.

Amy lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and when not engaged in her professional commitments, she enjoys spending time with her niece and nephew and cheering on the Carolina Tar Heels.