Delegate introduction: Paul Roby

This will be my first trip to Israel, and an important opportunity for me, not only to explore the roots of the great Abrahamic faiths, but also to spend time with leading members of the greater Houston interfaith community.

After graduating from the University of Michigan Medical School, in 1981, I pursued residency training in anesthesiology at Dartmouth College, and later in Los Angeles. After I left medical practice for a career in medical device research and development, my interest in telemedicine led me to work as a telecommunications software development engineer at Lucent Technologies. Meanwhile, my participation with Seattle First Baptist Church was growing, and my religious faith deepening. When hurricane Katrina struck in the Fall of 2005, Companis, an agency founded and supported by First Baptist, asked me to go on a two-month emergency mission to Houston, assisting Interfaith Ministries with its hurricane relief work. I ended up directing the Neighbors to Neighbors program, a City of Houston/Harris County initiative, managed by Interfaith Ministries, and powered by Houston's many faith communities. In November, I accepted a staff appointment at Interfaith Ministries. As Director of Interfaith Relations, I oversee the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Response, educational programs for interfaith understanding, along with various interfaith dialogue and service projects.