Our Team

Mary Carol Pederson | Executive Director

Mary Carol leads the amazing team at STEP, and is excited to deepen and expand STEP’s church partnerships throughout central Arkansas, so that more under-resourced children can be provided with a one-on-one Christian mentor or tutor, for the transformation of our city and the glory of God. She is co-founder and past executive director of The CALL, a statewide Christian non-profit mobilizing the Christian community to foster, adopt, or otherwise support children and their families in the Arkansas foster care system. She, and her husband, Jason, live in Little Rock and have two adult children, a “bonus” adult son and daughter-in-law, as well as a “bonus” grandson.

Contact Mary Carol: marycarol@stepministries.org | 501.425.4735

Juli Atkinson | Literacy/Tutoring Coordinator

Juli has led STEP’s After-School Tutoring program and Literacy Camp since 2016. She grew up in Benton, Arkansas, and now lives in North Little Rock with her husband, Ronnie. She and her husband have three children. Juli is thankful to be working with STEP Ministries because of the opportunity it has given her to serve Jesus Christ through serving the families of The Homes at Pine Crossing (formerly Eastgate Terrace).

Contact Juli: juli@stepministries.org | 501.539.3959

Natalie Benjamin | Mentoring Coordinator

Natalie was born and raised in Little Rock, AR. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a Master’s degree in Biblical Counseling from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth TX. Natalie has 2 adult children, Alexys and Jacobi. She is a member of St. Mark Baptist Church, where she serves as a grief ministry facilitator and a soul-care counselor. Natalie enjoys listening to people, hearing their stories, and then pointing them toward Christ. Her goal is to achieve the same at STEP by establishing one mentoring relationship at a time.

Contact Natalie: natalieb@stepministries.org | 501.291.0194

Brandon Copeland | Mentoring Coordinator

Brandon has been married to his wife, Cheryl Ann, for over 10 years, and they are the proud parents of 4 adult children and 2 granddaughters. He grew up in Little Rock, Oklahoma, Texas, and Indiana. Brandon graduated from Little Rock Central High School and Agape College for Ministry. He became a Disciple of Jesus in May 2005, when God led him to serve in prison ministry. While serving, Brandon was greatly affected by the transformative impact Jesus Christ has had in the lives of men and women affected by addiction, abandonment, and hopelessness. In his spare time, he “dates his wife”, plays with his granddaughters, and serves God proudly, alongside the men of his family and church.

Contact Brandon: brandon@stepministries.org | 501.940.7997 

Lisa Glidewell | Administrative Assistant

Lisa joined STEP in March 2024. She grew up in Little Rock, went to the University of Arkansas, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communication. Afterwards, she pursued a Master’s degree in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication from UALR. She has 3 adult sons. Her background in organizational communication and experience allow her to give key support to STEP staff, so that they may focus on serving the needs of the community. Lisa has a servant’s heart and is grateful to be serving the Lord as a member of the STEP team.

Contact Lisa: lisa@stepministries.org | 501.681.2060

Nathalie Hunt | Encourager Program Coordinator

Contact Nathalie: nathalie@stepministries.org | 501.259.6213

Nikita Jackson | NLR Mentoring Coordinator

Nikita has served as STEP’s NLR Women’s Mentor Coordinator since 2018. Her connection to STEP began when her daughters started coming to the mentoring clubs, and she eventually attended STEP’s bible study for single moms. This experience led her to authentic Christian community and her deep relationship with Christ. Nikita is thankful to be working at STEP because it gives her a great opportunity to serve her community. She has four children, and lives in North Little Rock with her youngest son.

Contact Nikita: nikita@stepministries.org | 501.837.8833

Eva McKinney | LR Mentoring Coordinator

Eva believes God had a plan for her life, with her calling to work as a Mentor Program Coordinator at STEP Ministries. It is a full circle moment for her, as she was a mentor at STEP over 20 years ago. Her passion has always been working with children in her church and community, where she has served in many capacities as a youth volunteer. Eva truly believes in the mission of STEP and is ready to be the hands and feet of Jesus. She is excited to serve with the STEP team and mentors in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with youth. Eva and her family live in Little Rock.

Contact Eva: eva@stepministries.org | 501.404.8667

Jason Miller | Director of Development

Jason joined the STEP team in January 2025, bringing with him more than 25 years of ministry experience across churches in Texas, Tennessee, and Arkansas. He is deeply passionate about helping others discover their unique role in God’s kingdom. Jason and his wife have four children and live in Benton.

Contact Jason: jason@stepministries.org | 901.451.1704

Jenna Palacios | Office Administrator

Contact Jenna: jenna@stepministries.org | 501.266.9331

Rob Smith | Mentor Program Director

Rob is a long-time, well-respected member of the STEP team. He has served STEP in various leadership roles since 1998, and currently serves as the Mentor Program Director. In the past, he has lived as a missionary overseas, and is active here on the mission field to mentors, children and families of STEP. He and his wife, Melissa, have 3 adult children.

Contact Rob: rob@stepministries.org | 501.425.7837

Robby Taylor | LR Mentoring Coordinator

Robby Taylor joined STEP in June 2024 and grew up in the greater Little Rock area, graduating from UALR in 2003. He joined the Army National Guard in 2006 and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is passionate about sharing the story God has given him to others, as he overcame near catastrophic injuries from a car accident shortly after he returned. Robby and his wife, Lesha, live in Greenbrier and have two adult children who are their pride and joy. Robby serves on the Men’s Ministry Team along with other roles at Crosspoint Baptist Church in Greenbrier. He enjoys writing poetry inspired by God’s word through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Contact Robby: robby@stepministries.org | 501.690.7729

Keith Williams | NLR Mentoring Coordinator

Keith was born and raised in Memphis, TN. He has over 20 years of urban youth ministry experience and is passionate about the future of children from the inner city. Keith is unwavering in his belief that “at-risk” children can and will achieve at the highest levels of success when they are mentored by a caring and committed Christian. Keith has a Master of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary. He is the Senior Pastor of the Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church. Keith is married to his wife, LaShonna, and they have three children: Nick, Marcus, and Anaya, as well as one amazing granddaughter, Harmoni.

Contact Keith: keith@stepministries.org | 901.779.0227