LEAD ORGANIZER, ST. JOE COUNTY

Rev. Andre Stoner brings deep roots in faith, justice, and community organizing to We Make Indiana. He served as a Mennonite pastor in St. Joseph County for 17 years and later worked for Mennonite Church USA, where he led denominational peace and justice work and ecumenical relations.

Andre grew up in a working-class Mennonite family in neighboring Elkhart County and previously organized with the Near Northwest Neighborhood in South Bend, including work to address lead poisoning. At We Make Indiana, Andre has helped grow the St. Joseph County chapter into a powerful network of congregations acting together for change. He has more than eight years of organizing experience and has been trained through the Midwest Organizing Cohort as a lead organizer.

LEAD ORGANIZER

Garrett Blad has more than 10 years of organizing experience with local, state, and national organizations. A 2015 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Garrett has been a leading voice for young people in the fight for climate justice and has helped build grassroots leadership across Indiana.

In his previous role with Faith in Indiana, Garrett helped expand the organization’s civic engagement work and supported one of the largest volunteer-led voter engagement programs in the state. He has trained and developed more than 200 leaders, especially young people and people of color, to take public leadership in their communities. At We Make Indiana, Garrett helps build power across the region and leads work to make housing more abundant and affordable for Hoosier families.

ORGANIZER, SOUTH BEND

Dion Payne-Miller grew up in South Bend and has long believed in the power of relationships, education, and community leadership. As a student at Holy Cross College, Dion served as Student Body President, where he worked to ensure students had a voice in decisions affecting campus life.

After college, Dion continued investing in young people and his community as a high school basketball coach, a student assistant coach for the Holy Cross women’s basketball team, and Head Coach of the South Bend Table Tennis Center. He also serves on the board at Kern Road Mennonite Church. Across each of these roles, Dion has focused on building trust, developing leaders, and helping people see their own power. At We Make Indiana, Dion organizes Black and urban congregations in South Bend.

ORGANIZING FELLOW, PORTER COUNTY

Serena Fugate grew up in Valparaiso and graduated from Boston University in 2025 with a master’s degree in social work, specializing in justice and trauma. She chose macro social work because she wanted to address the policies and systems that shape people’s lives, not only respond to problems after harm has already happened.

Serena has worked as a legal advocate at a domestic violence shelter and as a Housing Services Manager for a nonprofit serving people who had experienced homelessness. These experiences deepened her commitment to changing broken systems and helping people find their voice. Serena has organized with the Porter County Chapter of We Make Indiana for more than a year, helping advance a campaign for more abundant and affordable housing in Valparaiso and across Indiana.

ORGANIZING FELLOW, ELKHART COUNTY

Hasset Shimeles Van Daele is an organizing fellow with We Make Indiana, where she works with congregations across Elkhart County. Originally from Ethiopia, she brings a deep commitment to faith-rooted organizing and a passion for justice shaped by her Mennonite tradition. She holds an M.A. in Theology and Peace Studies from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, where she studied the connections between social justice work and faith, with particular interest in public theology and liberation theology.

Hasset has experience with grassroots organizations in both Ethiopia and the United States, including an internship with Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) in California. She has coordinated programs for marginalized communities, facilitated peacebuilding trainings, and managed social service initiatives. Hasset volunteers in her church as a reader for children with Crossroads United Way and has volunteered as a cashier at Thrift at Woodland for the past three years. She also enjoys teaching and is actively involved in her church as a Sunday school teacher. Through her social media presence, she empowers younger girls and shares her commitment to justice. Hasset believes in organizing that is rooted in faith, community, and the belief that lasting change happens when people come together.