Coalition Life Leadership
Brian Westbrook
Excutive Director and Founder
Brian Westbrook’s life changed after witnessing the near-death experience and miraculous recovery of his firstborn son in 2008. Brian went on to become the Founder and Executive Director of Coalition Life conducting sidewalk counseling, community engagement, and pregnancy center services. Brian is also an innovative leader, sought-after speaker, and strategic advisor to pro-life leaders around the country.
Brian’s pro-life work has resulted in over 3,100 turnarounds at local abortion facilities and a dramatic reduction of abortions in St. Louis by 99.4%. Brian’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and CNN along with numerous articles and interviews in local publications and radio shows.
Brian is married to his beautiful wife Marisa and currently lives in St. Louis, MO with their 6 children.
Coalition Life Leadership
Rachell Highley
Chief of Staff
Rachell joined the Coalition Life team in 2016 as a Life Choice Intern. Within a short time she began assisting in the development of the rapidly-growing, much-needed Women’s Care Connect program serving area women and children with life-changing support and care. Rachell would eventually lead the program as Director of Client Services resulting in the small pregnancy referral agency becoming what it is today: A full-scale pregnancy-resource medical center offering pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, options coaching, and full-service continued care to women considering abortion.
In 2021 Rachell transitioned into her current role as Chief of Staff. Rachell holds a B.A. in Psychology, an M.A. in Spiritual Care, and is a certified Deaconess in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Rachell resides in Ponca City, Oklahoma where her husband, Joseph, serves as pastor of the local LCMS church. Rachell and Joseph have two beautiful children and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their 3rd child expected in September of 2022.
Coalition Life Leadership
Brian Niehaus
Director of Client Outreach
Brian Niehaus originally joined Coalition Life in 2019 as an intern. Demonstrating a solid work ethic and commitment to the Coalition Life mission, Brian is now the Director of Client Outreach. Pro-life since his early days in Catholic School Kindergarten, Brian’s deepest desire is to grow closer to Christ and reflect Him in every area of his life. In addition to his service at Coalition Life, Brian works multiple jobs while pursuing a Bachelors of Theology degree. In his free time he is the Youth Minster at his local parish and enjoys spending time at church and with his family.
Coalition Life Leadership
Katelin Roberson
Director of Business and Administration
Katelin’s story begins with a troubled mother, indifferent to the life growing inside her, who made it clear she did not have the means care for her baby once she was born. Ending a newborn’s life outside the womb was legal in the state where this beautiful baby girl was born. She lay waiting on the table in the delivery room for a hand of mercy to intervene on her behalf. Just as the Spirit moved upon the face of the waters at the beginning of all life, that same Holy Spirit moved on the delivery doctor. A multitude of miracles, a love of life, and boundless determination would bring that child through life’s difficult storms. Katelin would go on to earn her bachelors degree in Criminal Justice with honors at Strayer University and serve with great success in the corporate world. In 2019 God would bring her knowledge and skill full circle to serve the Coalition Life mission field.
Coalition Life Leadership
Pam Nielsen
Director of Stewardship
Pamela Nielsen joined COALITION LIFE in 2022 after 37 years of service in various capacities within The Lutheran—Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). She holds a MA in Theology from Concordia Theological Seminary. Her training and early service as a parish deaconess, working with children and families and the aged and dying, shaped her convictions around protecting and preserving the sanctity of life from conception to natural death.
Serving the past decade as a Communication Director for the LCMS, she was instrumental in helping build a strong Lutheran presence at life marches around the country. Interacting with other pro-life leaders through that work has been a catalyst for a deep personal commitment to preserving and defending life. These experiences have been the foundation for a conviction that we must work shoulder to shoulder with other like-minded Christians in teaching and reaching a world enamored with death.
Pamela and her husband Jeffrey have been married for 36 years and are blessed with three married children, six grandsons, and one granddaughter.
Coalition Life Leadership
Stephanie Dougherty
Director of Client Services
Born in California and raised in a Catholic home with a Pro-Life world view, Stephanie’s passion for helping others and love for life was instilled from an early age. Her sincere, God-breathed love and compassion for others led Stephanie to pursue a career in occupational therapy to fulfill a dream of working with children with disabilities. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology (the study of human movement) and being accepted into a doctorate-level occupational therapy program, Stephanie sensed a change in direction from God and withdrew from the program. What was He up to? In 2020 Stephanie moved from California to St. Louis, where both her parents were originally from. She had only ever known life in California. Through a series of God-ordained events, Stephanie would join Coalition Life as the Director of Client Services for Women’s Care Connect in 2021 where she leads a team who provides life-saving, world-changing care for preborn children and their mothers.
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CHANGE A LIFE TODAY
Abortion is the leading cause of death in the United States with an approximate 1.2 Million children losing their lives every year. The problem is sometimes overwhelming and incomprehensible, but we know that “With God all things are possible.”