Our Team

Julie Silander
Founder, Executive Director

Julie serves as the Executive Director for the Charlotte Institute for Faith & Work bringing more than 25 years of experience in championing human and organizational growth. Julie began her business career as a commercial banker, spending several years in leadership roles for recruiting and human resources in corporate America. She has led training and education efforts in a variety of settings and has been featured in a number of speaking engagements and online publications. 

In addition to her work with the Charlotte Institute for Faith & Work, Julie founded Greener Trees, focused on strategic human resource planning, leadership development, and the curation of events designed to promote human flourishing. Additionally, she has served as an executive coach for numerous business leaders.

Among Julie’s more notable endeavors include her contribution to internationally-acclaimed artist Makoto Fujimura’s Culture Care project and leading a pilot for the prestigious Center for Creative Leadership program for young adults, designed to enhance emotional intelligence, grow communication and leadership capabilities, and connect gifting with passion to serve the common good.

Julie holds a business degree from Furman University and is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Talent and Organization Development and Certificate in Executive Coaching at Queen’s University. She and her husband, David, are deeply grateful to have worked, played, experienced beautifully-messy community, and raised their five kids in Charlotte since 1994.

Mark Upton
Director of Theology

Mark serves as Director of Theology for the Charlotte Institute for Faith & Work, providing theological oversight in the development of programs and resources that challenge participants in vocational discipleship. He also serves as the primary teaching faculty member for the CIFW flagship program, 412 Fellowship.   

Mark was born and raised in Mississippi, attended high school in Georgia, and graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelors of Science in Business. In 1994, he met and married Holly Love Hillsman. They have two adult children Laurel and Davis.

After spending eight years as a youth minister and Young Life volunteer, the Uptons moved to Charlotte in 1998 to complete Mark’s seminary training where he received a Masters of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary. Mark has been an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America for 24 years. He served as Pastor of Missions and Evangelism at Uptown Church from 2000-2002 until he co-founded what is now Hope Community Church. Mark recently assumed a new role at Hope as Pastor of City Impact, allowing him to focus more of his time on identifying, discipling, and deploying God’s people for Kingdom work in the city of Charlotte and major metropolitan centers around the world. Mark has been exposed to a wide variety of denominations and works with a number of nonprofits in Charlotte and around the globe. The biggest influences on Mark’s spiritual development and ministry philosophy have been Tim Keller, Jack Miller, Dan Allender, Larry Crabb, John Piper, Brennan Manning, Henri Nouwen, Frederick Buechner, Lesslie Newbigin, and Young Life. 

When he has some time to himself, he loves to work out at Iron Tribe, watch Alaska shows with Holly, eat out, fly fish, watch football, travel, enjoy craft beer and wine, tell stories, and read science fiction.

Dr. Barbara Peacock
Director of Spiritual Formation

Dr. Peacock serves as the Director of Spiritual Formation for the Charlotte Institute for Faith & Work, providing teaching and spiritual refreshment through a variety of programs, speaking engagements and events.  

Dr. Peacock grew up in Whiteville, NC. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina Central University, her Master of Arts Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, and her Doctor of Ministry degree from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. 

Dr. Peacock is a spiritual director, author, teacher, and preacher and author of the award-winning book Soul Care in African American Practice, Psalm 119 Scriptural Journal, Called to Teach, and her most recent, Spiritual Practices for Soul Care: 40  Ways to Deepen Your Faith. She is passionate about the disciplines of prayer, spiritual direction, and lectio and visio divina. In 2013 she founded Barbara L. Peacock Ministries, an organization that is committed to providing safe spaces for encounters with God. Dr. Peacock is also the founder of Peacock Soul Care (PSC), an institution offering certificate programs in Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Formation for persons seeking a  deeper journey with God. 

Dr. Peacock served previously as Minister of Discipleship and Prayer at The Park Church in Charlotte, NC, Minister of Christian Education at Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, and as Director of Christian Education with the American Baptist Churches of the South. Her passion for soul care and seeing lives transformed is evident in her ministry.

Dr. Peacock enjoys traveling, writing, exercising, eating good food and playing games like Scrabble, Every Word and Sudoku. She has been married to her husband Gilbert for 42 years and they are the blessed parents of Vernee and her husband Michael, and grandparents of Eden and Eliah. 

Ali Crotts
Director of Operations & Advancement

Ali serves as the Director of Operations & Advancement for the Charlotte Institute for Faith & Work, managing strategic initiatives, collaborative community projects, operational design, marketing and communications, and constituent engagement. Ali offers a strong and rich vocational background including a 10-year career in consumer banking and corporate marketing at a large financial institution. She also served as Executive Director of Advancement for a Charlotte-area independent school leading development, donor engagement, and communications strategies. Most recently, she served in a real estate law firm as Chief of Staff, driving project and change management, brand and communications, employee engagement and strategic initiatives. 

Ali is a native Charlottean with a deep connection to our city and she is passionate about the restorative work CIFW is doing for the good of Charlotte. She comes from a legacy of ministry, having grown up in a YoungLife family that modeled missional discipleship. Her heart for discipleship was strengthened through her many years serving in Christian education. Ali holds a business degree from UNC Charlotte. She and her husband, Brad, have two young adult children. In her spare time, Ali enjoys playing pickleball, time with friends and family, and advancing the work of community foundations.