Executive Director – Don Skinner arrived in the Wilmington area in 1986 when he came to pastor a small Presbyterian Church in Rocky Point.  In 1992 he began working with the homeless as the Job Director at Good Shepherd Ministries.  In 2002 he gathered together a group of men and women who shared his vision for a new endeavor to help the homeless and nearly homeless find long-term, satisfying employment.  That vision became Phoenix Employment Ministry.

Job Coach – Paula Burke began her relationship with Phoenix as a volunteer driving job-hunters to interviews and helping them with their job search.  Impressed with Phoenix and its mission, she welcomed the opportunity to join the staff in May 2009 as Case Manager.  Paula has seen firsthand the emotional toll of homelessness, having two brothers who have been in and out of shelters over the years.  Paula brings warmth and understanding in assisting job-hunters with the challenges of the job search and the details of living life close to the edge.

Asst Job Coach – Enola Hence

Office Administrator – Elaine Thompson joined the staff in January 2009 as the new Office Administrator.  Elaine earned a Masters in Urban & Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University.  Elaine has been on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Museum serving as Chair of the board. She has also been an active volunteer in her children’s schools and at First Presbyterian Church where her husband serves as pastor.  She is a part-time landscaper and owns her own landscape company, Gardenscapes of Wilmington. Elaine brings an eye for detail, a warm personality, and a calm steadiness to the multiple demands of her position.