JOURNEY STAFF


  • Chad Simpkins

    Lead Pastor

    Chad grew up a pastor's kid in NC where he decided being a pastor wasn't something he wanted to do. After spending four years at Wake Forest University, he tried the world of selling insurance. Three years in the business world and being a pastor sounded pretty good to him. After two years at Milligan College, Chad has spent the last 20+ years leading in churches in NJ, NC, and VA. He and his wife Kara, live in West Springfield with their three kids, Savana, Avery, & Jake.


  • joel pazmino

    Associate pastor

    Joel is originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador and moved to the United States with his family in 2006. He has a Master of Arts in Theology from Fuller Seminary and has been working in church planting and cross cultural ministry in Maryland and DC for the past 14 years. Joel loves reading, watching sports, and listening to podcasts. He lives in Kensington, MD with his wife Meghan and their son Jack.


  • Gary Mitchell

    Worship Pastor

    A multi-instrumentalist with over 20 years experience in music and ministry, Gary was called into ministry at an early age. With a major in Religious Studies and a minor in music performance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gary has worked as a professional musician, performer, song writer, and music teacher, as well as a worship leader and youth minister. He also has a love for pop culture, with a YouTube channel devoted to blending music and ministry with comic books, movies, sci-fi, and all things "nerdy." He and his wife are new to the DMV, hailing from the Triangle area of North Carolina. They live in Dumfries with their daughters Ellie and Sienna. 


  • Kara Simpkins 

    Journey Kids Director

    Kara grew up in Fairfax County and is excited to be living back in the community she calls “home.” She holds a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Psychology from Milligan College. Kara's work career began in the fitness industry but she soon moved into the world of investing in children. She is an experienced preschool teacher and also served as the children’s director at the NC church plant she and Chad planted. She has over 20 years of volunteer experience with children. In her free time, Kara enjoys working out, spending time with her three kids, and date nights with her hubby, Chad.


  • Robyn Ross 

    Executive Director

    Robyn oversees the day-to-day management of our office, provides administration and operations support to the various ministry teams, and leads the Guest Services teams. She served in the Air Force for 11 years, which brought her to the DC area in 2018. Robyn has a BA degree in Political Science and MA degree in Intelligence Studies. Robyn transitioned from Active Duty to the Reserves, which allowed her to join the Journey Staff team after volunteering in Journey Kids for a few years. Robyn loves Harry Potter, her two lab/mix dogs, and hopes to do a triathlon someday. She and her husband live in Kingstowne with their sons, Levi and Hunter.

  • Kathleen Ambroso 

    Outreach Director

    Kathleen coordinates our Outreach ministry. She oversees our local and global partnerships. She is also the director of our non-profit, Love Nova, which is dedicated to facilitating ways for us to provide assistance to our neighbors in need in our local community. Kathleen previously was a social worker in DC and a foster parent through Alexandria. Kathleen and her husband, Mike, live in Alexandria with their children, James and Leah. They also have an adopted daughter, Colleen, who lives with her husband in Maryland.

  • Jessica Beatty

    Journey VOLUNTEER Scheduler

    Jessica originally hails from Colorado. After many moves, courtesy of the Air Force, she found her way to NOVA in 2018. She married Chris in 2006 and they have two daughters, Leah and Kate. She is a full time Director of Beatty Operations/Mom-of-All-Trades. Her hobbies include crafting, drinking coffee, and travel planning to destinations near and far. She is passionate about building authentic relationships and is involved in military-connected organizations in the local area. On Sunday mornings she can usually be found greeting Journey Kids families during second service. 

  • Becky voigt

    journey kids assistant

    Originally from Pittsburgh, Becky attended Penn State University and then completed her Masters at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill to become a certified and licensed Speech Language Pathologist. She has worked as a Speech Therapist serving children with communication support needs and also in ministry. Prior to moving to Virginia, Becky lived in New England where she worked at a multi-site church leading a Disability Ministry. She has worked in urban ministries and has a heart for making the church more accessible for underprivileged and underserved people groups. Becky enjoys the outdoors and attending soccer games with her husband and 3 daughters.

  • jen skaggs

    operations assistant & Teen lead

    Jen is originally from California and has spent the past 18 years moving around the US as a military spouse. This is the third time that she and her family have lived in NoVA and been a part of The Journey. Jen and her husband Ryan enjoy mentoring and pouring into people through the small groups they lead and working with Journey Teens. She has three teens: Katie, Tyler and Maddy and a sweet dog named Penny.

  • casey eggelston

    life group coordinator

    Casey is from Northern Virginia, and is passionate about discipling people and growing community. She has been instrumental in building neighborhood life groups and encouraging leaders at The Journey. Casey and her husband Jonathan have two kids, Abigail and Benjamin.