Jay serves as the marketing and communication lead for Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL). At GIPL, Jay works to build the nonprofit’s brand and tell the story of both environmental injustice and hope in the state of Georgia through creative writing and graphic communication. His passion for the work stems from a deep love for nature and a spiritual call to care for our earth.

Before coming to GIPL, Jay worked in various communication roles with United Methodist churches across North Georgia including Roswell UMC, East Cobb UMC, and Atlanta First UMC. Jay is a certified and commissioned Earthkeeper in the United Methodist Church. He also serves as a board member for the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN), a national faith-based LGBTQ justice organization. 

An alumnus of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, he has a degree in Public Relations and a certificate in New Media Technologies. He also holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, where he completed his thesis on “Digital Activism as Christian Mission.”

Jay is happily married to Robert Jeremy Burns, a Clinical Nurse Specialist for the Wellstar Health System. They are fathers to their two-year-old pup, Magnolia June. When not working, Jay enjoys reading, running, traveling, and hanging out with his nieces.