OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
To contact the Leadership Council:
leadershipcouncil@riverwalkboston.church
Kat Hampson
PASTOR
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Kat's call to ministry began when the Lord asked her, "Do you want to see people come alive?" Since then, she has sought to live into that call to see people and communities come alive in Christ.
Kat started serving as pastor at Riverwalk/Highrock Brookline in April 2021 and has previously served with InterVarsity as a campus minister and at Highrock Quincy as worship pastor. She is ordained with the Evangelical Covenant Church denomination.
As a Filipino-immigant-American having also grown up in the Middle East, she is a child of many cultural “intersections” and passionate about the intersection of the Church and racial justice, with the local church embodying mutuality and solidarity as part of the global Church.
She lives in Quincy with her husband Ben, their very energetic son, and their German shepherd dog. She is fond of karaoke, productivity life hacks, weighted blankets, good books, and copious amounts of sugar in her coffee.
Justin Chang
LEadership council Chair
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Justin, originally from New York, relocated to the Boston area in 2014 and has gradually become a fan of the local sports teams—except for the Red Sox. He has been part of the Riverwalk community for 10 years, contributing to various ministries such as ODM, young adult ministry, and leading a small group. With an entrepreneurial spirit,
Justin has enjoyed launching new initiatives like Family Room and Dinner Party and is eager to create more opportunities for the community. In his free time, he loves exploring new places with his wife, Joyce, and daughter, Sophie. He’s also always up for discussing personal finance, board games, and Marvel.
NICOLE SHEN
LEadership council Vice-Chair
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While not a Boston native, Nicole has picked up a slight Boston accent over the years (though only when saying the word “Boston”). She grew up in several church communities, always connected by their love for Jesus and VeggieTales’ silly songs. After a season of church hopping, Nicole began attending Riverwalk in 2022. Since then, she has served by creating church-wide games and playing on the worship team.
Nicole has long sensed God’s call to ministry and has accepted the call to serve on the LC, helping to further develop Riverwalk as a community where everyone belongs and is loved unconditionally.
Outside of ministry, Nicole conducts educational research on decolonial pedagogy and the AAPI experience. She currently lives in the Boston area with her partner, under the iron grip of their self-absorbed roommate/pet bunny rabbit.
Caleb Orth
LEadership counciL TREASURER
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Caleb grew up in central Massachusetts in a large family. Having attended church his whole life, he began to explore ways to make his faith his own as he navigated college and beyond. He moved to Boston in 2018, chasing a job, and shortly afterward joined Riverwalk.
In his free time, Caleb enjoys baking and playing a variety of tabletop and board games with friends. When he’s not enjoying some downtime, he works as an accountant. Now that he’s found his church home, he’s settled into the community, serving on teams like sound, worship, and crew, and is ready to step forward with Riverwalk as we continue to grow and learn together.
As a member of the LC, he hopes to lend his voice to efforts that build up our community in Christ. He’s excited to help steward connection, whether through small groups, larger gatherings, or our regular Sunday worship.
Biota Macdonald
LEadership council SECRETARY
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Raised in the Midwest, Biota spent two decades in Connecticut before moving to Boston for work in 2025, joining the Riverwalk community a year later.
As a Chinese- and Taiwanese-American living “on the hyphen” in a number of ways, her faith journey was deeply shaped by a childhood in immigrant-led churches, involvement in multiethnic campus ministry, and serving on the core team for a church plant in a predominantly Puerto Rican community. Her driving desire is to see others experience the restorative love of Jesus and then be inspired and equipped to join in God’s work in the world.
She works as part of a research center at a wealth management firm, where she uses insights and behavioral science to help investors with their financial wellness. Her hope is to apply her work experience in marketing and business strategy and her volunteer experience in leadership development and governance to her work with the Leadership Council.
Biota lives in Dorchester with her husband Ian and their two rescue dogs, Avo(cado) and Latte, aptly named for “things that millennials spend too much money on.” Her current (vegan) quest is to find the best noodles in Boston and bake the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Ask her about generational trends, what she’s reading/watching/listening to at 2x, and her latest kitchen gadget - or pose a random hypothetical question.
Sarah EarLy
LEadership council Member-AT-Large
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Sarah has been a follower of Jesus from a young age. She attributes the strength of her faith to the powerful example set by her mother. In college, Sarah appreciated the opportunity to earn a minor in theology along side her nursing degree. She has come to uniquely value the intellectual, spiritual, and experiential sides of her faith.
She began attending Riverwalk church in early 2021, just as in-person worship services were resuming during the pandemic. Since then she has enjoyed serving actively on the worship team.
Sarah works as a pediatric nurse in Boston and values Jesus’ call to have a “childlike faith.” (Matthew 18:3). Outside of work, she enjoys fostering authentic community, cooking (and eating) Italian food, anything remotely related to Taylor Swift, and spending time with her very expressive (and very dramatic) dog, Nellie.
She is humbled by the call to join the Leadership Council and is eager to see how God will use her in the role. She is passionate about answering God’s call to foster a community of deep belonging and radical inclusion, where all call receive and emulate the love of Christ.