Our Staff

Rev. Stephen Avino serves as the Executive Director of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the world’s premier interfaith convening non-profit organization. Rev. Avino became a member of the Staff at the Parliament in 2012 and has remained deeply committed to the success of the global interfaith movement, serving as a key organizer for the 2015 Parliament Convening in Salt Lake City, the 2018 Parliament Convening in Toronto, the 2021 Virtual Parliament Convening, and the 2023 Parliament Convening in Chicago.

An avid seeker of knowledge and a dedicated person of faith, Rev. Avino earned a Master of Arts in Religious Studies at the Chicago Theological Seminary in 2015 and became ordained in 2019. He lives in Chicago, USA where he remains deeply committed to advocating for the legacy of the Parliament and a more inclusive interreligious movement.

Emily Echevarria serves as the Director of Climate Action at the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

She is a Florida native and an alumna of the University of North Florida. She is currently working towards a Master’s degree in Environmental Diplomacy at DePaul University and has completed field work in Arusha, Tanzania and Mossel Bay, South Africa. With a passion for conservation, Emily is dedicated to helping the planet recover from the effects of pollution and global warming. Her academic focus is on ocean and marine life conservation. 

Emily represents the Parliament as a member of the Faith for Food Coalition, Faiths for Biodiversity, and the Steering Committee of UNEP’s Accredited Faith-Based Organizations. She joined the Parliament as Director of Climate Action in July 2022.