Annual Session 2026

Nadine will lead our Pre-Sessions Retreat, taking place Monday, July 27th and Tuesday, July 28th. 

Nadine Hoover of Niagara River Meeting in New York, is a life-long Quaker, AVP facilitator since 1978, and conscientious objector to war. She is active with Friends Peace Teams and a founder of the Asia West Pacific Regional Team. Nadine authored Walking in the World as a Friend: Essential Quaker Practices with QREC and Creating Cultures of Peace: a movement of love and conscience, and edited The Power of Goodness: Art and Stories for a Culture of Peace and Justice (2nd Edition). She is a graduate of George School and Friends World College, former Secretary of SEYM, and former FGC Bookstore Manager. 

Evan will deliver our Opening Plenary on Tuesday, July 28th at 7:30pm. 

Evan Welkin is a member of Olympia (Wash.) Meeting of North Pacific Yearly Meeting. While living in Italy, he joined the staff of the Friends World Committee for Consultation, Europe and Middle East Section (EMES) and the FWCC World Office facilitating the Global Quaker Sustainability Network. In July 2024, he was appointed executive secretary of the FWCC Section of the Americas.

Valerie Brown is an author, Buddhist-Quaker Dharma teacher, facilitator, and executive coach specializing in leadership development and mindfulness practices with a focus on diversity, social equity, and inclusion. A former lawyer and lobbyist, Valerie transformed her high-pressure, twenty-year career into serving leaders and nonprofits to create trustworthy, authentic, and compassionate workspaces. Valerie is the author of several books, including Hope Leans Forward (2022) and Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teaching on Ancestors, Joy, and Liberation (2024).