Community Leader & Executive Director
Laura Steed Lorino
Laura is originally from the Midwest and attended the University of Indianapolis, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Youth Ministry. She then completed a Master of Divinity degree at Duke Divinity School. While at Duke, Laura was involved in several ministry opportunities and has since completed a Clinical Pastoral Education residency at the UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco.
Laura is coming to L’Arche North Carolina from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, where she served as the Director of Religious & Spiritual Life and Multifaith Chaplain. In this role, she supervised the Affiliate Campus Ministers and Morris Chapel staff, providing opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to explore and strengthen their religious and nonfaith beliefs and traditions, while encouraging the campus community to build bridges amongst differences through organizing programs and events.
Passionate about service and helping others feel heard, seen, and included, she also led numerous interfaith service-trips locally and beyond. Laura served on the Board of Directors for the Sierra Service Project, an ecumenical Christian non-profit organization providing life-changing experiences through acts of service repairing homes in rural and urban communities, from 2015-2018.
Laura and her wife, Stephanie, were recently married in Yosemite National Park. They have two pups, Berkeley (a Goldendoodle) and Duke (a mini Aussie Doodle). In their spare time, they love to camp, hike, bike, and travel.
Contact Laura at [email protected].
Operations Manager
Beverly Christian
Beverly is a Durham native. (Yes, one of the few!) After graduating from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education, Beverly spent 11 years at Chestnut Ridge Camp and Retreat Center where she worked on a team to make the love of Christ visible through hospitality, responsible care for the earth, and meaningful fellowship to strengthen the community. As the Associate Director, Beverly hired and trained summer staff as she worked to create spaces where campers and staff felt safe, loved, and accepted.
Most recently she served as the Coordinator of Administration and Communication at Duke Memorial United Methodist Church. Beverly has experience as an accreditor for the American Camping Association and helped to lead accreditation efforts at Chestnut Ridge. Beverly is excited to use this experience as L’Arche seeks accreditation for their new home. Beverly is also excited to use her skills and experiences to help create inclusive spaces with L’Arche where diverse people with and without disabilities thrive.
In her free time, Beverly loves to run, hike, camp, explore new places, and eat ice cream with her husband, Tyler, and daughter, Eleanor.
Contact Beverly at [email protected].
Communications and Community Events Coordinator
Rofida Bakheet
Rofida was born and raised in Greensboro, NC, just an hour away from Durham. Her parents, though, came from an ocean away – Sudan. As a child of immigrants, Rofida has gained a passion for inclusion, self-determination, and crossing language barriers.
Rofida graduated University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2023, earning her bachelor’s degree in English. While at UNC, she joined the People, Ideas, & Things Journal, where she worked to highlight undergraduate voices in academia. Through her experience working as a conference liaison, she gained experience in communication, advertising, and event coordination.
Rofida joins L’Arche through the Johnson Service Corps, an eleven month program focused on creating intentional community through service and spiritual practice.
In her free time, Rofida loves to hang out with her JSC housemates, solving puzzles and watching musicals.
Disability, Justice, and Theology Intern
Tatum Tricarico
Tatum Tricarico is a student at Duke Divinity and a Disability rights activist on Instagram (@blind_person_in_area). She also serves as an Advocate with the California Foundation of Independent Living Centers Youth Organizing program as well as other agencies. Tatum is an author who writes on Disability History, Justice, and Culture, and how they intersect with the Church and theology. She has spoken at the San Diego California Women’s March, Point Loma Nazarene University’s Crossing the Lines Conference, and many other classrooms and conferences on Disability justice and theology.