Director of Segue Ministries

Rip’s proudest moments in his life, other than meeting Jesus Christ, is marrying the creative and beautiful woman named Bonnie and being a father to his handsome son from Ethiopia, Jude. Even though he’s in his mid 30’s, most of his friends for the past 15 years have been teenagers. That’s approximately how long he’s been in student ministry, 15 years. His ministry experience has been a combination of church and para-church ministry. He is a Georgia native that grew up on a horse farm about 40 miles north of Atlanta. His hobbies include playing on the river, backpacking, MMA, & traveling anywhere, he also enjoys anything that allows him to spend time with his wife and son. Laughing and conversing with people, and loving on students are also some of his favorite things. He can’t stand things that feel squeaky like rubbing your fingers across styrofoam and he can be a little O.C.D. at times.

Norcross Campus Director & Interim Business Manager

Before coming on staff as the Norcross Campus Director Brian worked with Gwinnett Outreach (a YL partner ministry), and Southern Gwinnett Young Life for 4 years, where he directed the local YL Committee in starting Young Life ministry in the Shiloh Cluster. Brian has developed a great excitement for strategic development and ministry growth planning and is excited about utilizing this past experience to broaden the scope of Segue's impact in the Norcross Community. When not busy with Segue, Brian is probably either camping or backpacking, making something (like furniture, or soap), or working on the house that he and his wife, Starla, are in the process of remodeling. Brian has a great passion for enjoying life and spending time with Starla, a counselor in a teen residential center, and their 2 dogs Elbrus and Bryton. If you asked him about his life he'd tell you he wants to be a person who fully embraces the abundant life we were created to live; to be someone who works to live, not lives to work.

Duluth Campus Director

Emilio is the awesome Campus Director for Segue Ministries in Duluth.  He directs Segue's high school and middle school outreach ministries in the Duluth area, as well as oversees other Segue programs such as Spectrum, Abstinence Programs, Pathways, and our Marginal Student Leadership ministry. Emilio is also a huge fan of just living life with students.  When Emilio isn't dominating ministry, you can find him hanging out with his smoking hot wife Hope, and watching South Carolina football with his beautiful daughter Isabel.

Pathways Director

Ryan Stringfield is the Director of Pathways, our prevention and recovery program. Ryan is happily married to the “most beautiful woman in the world” Pamela. Ryan’s personal experiences as a hurting teen & making risky decisions, led to his struggles with an addiction to drugs and alcohol. Ryan later had a life transforming encounter with Jesus Christ and got into recovery. His experiences have now brought him full circle to helping hurting teens and their families walk through their hurts. Ryan’s story, experience, and skills in addiction counseling fuel him as he seeks to engage, educate and equip families and the challenges they face in today’s drug and alcohol culture.

Abstinence Program Director

Mary-Katherine Blain is excited to join Segue’s Abstinence Health Education Program as an educator.  Mary-Katherine has been teaching Abstinence Health Education in public schools, private schools, college campuses, youth groups, and conducting parent forums since 2001.  She is a firm believer that teens should not get sex education from MTV.  She is passionate about giving teens, young adults and parents medically accurate, as well as sociologically and statistically sound information on sexuality and the dangers of sexual activity outside of marriage. Mary-Katherine holds a BS in Nursing and a Masters in Business but her most valuable credential is trying to raise four sons in today’s sexualized culture.  Her goal for the Abstinence Program is to stamp out teen sexual activity (you have to aim high).  Seriously, it is to have no teen or young adult get some really bad news about their sexual health and wonder, “Why didn’t anybody ever tell me”. 

College Staff

Christian is an intern with Segue at Duluth High School where he loves to just hang out and make bonds with high school friends. From playing guitar and singing at club to acting like a fool in crazy character costumes he jumps around to wherever he's needed to make sure students have fun and feel comfortable. When he's not actin' a fool with students he is serving in the community as a worship leader at a local youth group or spending time in study. He is a full time student at Georgia State University where he loves hanging out in Atlanta and experiencing the college life. In his spare time he can be found catching an episode of Glee with his incredible Colombian girlfriend or rooting on the Braves and Falcons.

College Staff

Zach has been doing outreach ministry through Young Life in Birmingham and Atlanta for the last three and a half years. He loves hanging out with the guys playing sports and just chillin'. He also loves the great outdoors and playing in the woods. In his spare time Zach plays hockey and is finishing up a degree at Georgia State University as a full time student.

College Staff/Public Relations Intern

Julia is a student at Kennesaw State University, studying Public Relations. She became a follower of Christ at a young age and has spent the years since figuring out what all that means! She has was very involved in Perimeter Church as a youth and started a Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Norcross when she attended high school there. Julia is now a freelance photographer for her own business, LeggyBird Photos and through Segue, a Young Life leader at Duluth High School. She transferred from Valdosta to Kennesaw just to be a part of Segue Ministries and is so excited to see what God is going to do in her life through this organization!

Financial Administrator

Toni is the financial extraordinaire in the Segue Office. Toni joins us with a Finance degree from the University of Houston, and has worked in numerous financial roles over the past 25 years. Toni developed a love for students in the community as she served on the YL board for 3 years before joining up with Segue. With her years of experience, love for God’s work in the community, and all things financial, she brings professionalism and order to our staff!  In addition to serving Segue in this role, she and her husband of 18 years, Ken, serve on the Segue board for the Duluth Community. Toni is a wonderfully supportive and loving mom to Kenny and Eric. In her spare time, Toni loves going to her lake house (endearingly known as “God’s Paradise”) and watching the sunset on the lake from her boat!