CHAT Staff

Below are the current employees of Church Hill Activities & Tutoring.

Percy Strickland - CEO

Percy Strickland

Percy grew up in Spivey's Corner, North Carolina where he was surrounded by his family and community. He ended up staying in North Carolina and attending Duke University in Durham, NC. It was here that three life-changing things happened. One, he got involved in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, an inter-denominational Christian community on the college campus. Two, Percy started working with Agape Corner, a Christian Boarding School for inner-city children through tutoring and mentoring. Three, he met his lovely wife Angie. After college, Percy conducted biomedical research relating to Tuberculosis while also part-time teaching science and math at Agape Corner Boarding School. Eventually, he decided to clarify his calling by attending a year of classes at Duke Divinity School. It worked, and in 1999, Percy went on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and married Angie.

Chris Whiting - Executive Director

Chris Whiting
Chris Whiting grew up in Downingtown, PA, a suburb outside of Philadelphia. He moved to Virginia in 1999 to attend James Madison University. Chris graduated with a degree in Business Management and while attending school, met his lovely wife Beth. A year between college graduation and marriage, Chris participated in Mission Year, an urban ministry program, where he lived and worked on Chicago’s west side and developed a heart for inner-city missions.

Murray Withrow - Program Director

Murray Withrow
I grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. I attended the University of Richmond where I studied French and International Studies. While in college, I was a member of a volunteer organization called the Bonner Scholars Program, which got me involved with CHAT. Upon graduating in May 2006, I served as a summer intern for CHAT before enrolling at Union Seminary in Richmond. I am currently working on a Master's of Divinity degree and plan on doing full-time ministry upon graduating this coming May. I became a Christian when I was 13 years old, when my best friends led me to the Lord. As each year passes, I learn more and more what it means to live as a Christian. I've found myself wrapped up in a community of believers who are seeking the peace of our city. These brothers and sisters in Christ draw forth and sharpen my gifts so as to better serve God. After volunteering with CHAT for over 5 years, I have now assumed the role of Program Director. In addition to my calling to urban ministry, some of my passions include basketball, playing music, and learning about sustainable agriculture.

Email Murray Withrow

Ashley Smith - Finance Director

Ashley Smith
Ashley spent the first eighteen years of her life in a tiny town in Northeast Oregon called Umatilla. After high school, she traveled to Spokane, Washington to attend Whitworth College (now Whitworth University). The first year and a half out of college Ashley worked for several Brett Brothers athletic teams in Eastern Washington. In August 2006, the time came to leave the corporate world and follow an eagerness for serving others. Leaving the West Coast was an adventure, and the Lord led her across the country to Richmond, Virginia. Here, a year of service began through AmeriCorps and Habitat for Humanity. Within the first several weeks of arriving in Virginia, Ashley was introduced to CHAT and has been involved ever since. As of May 2008, Ashley is now part of the staff at CHAT as the Finance Director.

Email Ashley Smith