Meet the team

David Smyth is head of the Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland and coordinates the Public Leader: Northern Ireland course. Before joining the Evangelical Alliance in 2011, he worked as a solicitor and now represents the organisation on a range of government, civic and charitable forums. He serves in the space where faith, law, politics and culture intersect. Outside of work, he enjoys getting out in nature or getting stuck into a DIY project.

Dawn McAvoy is the co-founder and leader of Both Lives, a UK-wide initiative advocating for both lives in every pregnancy. Both Lives works toward a people and place that values the life and health of women and children, pre- and post-birth. Dawn has been part of the Evangelical Alliance since 2011. She is a mum to three girls and is finding a new interest in growing plants.

Lisa has a dual role at the Evangelical Alliance as the Northern Ireland administrator and Both Lives research and communications assistant. She has a degree in Law and holds a Masters in Children's Rights. It was there that she discovered a love for justice and advocacy and began to explore what it means to pursue this wholeheartedly. Lisa is married to Jordan and lives in Newtownabbey.

Laura joined the Evangelical Alliance in 2023 as church engagement co-ordinator. She has a background in teaching and has spent time working in the charity sector. Having been very involved in her church growing up, she has a great love for the church in Northern Ireland and desires to equip church leaders with tools and resources to help make Jesus known. Laura lives just outside Moira with her husband, Gary and three children.

As public policy officer, Amy advocates for Christian engagement in public life and represents our members to the NI Assembly and Executive. Her degree in Economics with Finance and three and a half years in economist and policy roles in the Northern Ireland Civil Service have shaped her interest in the role of faith in public life. In her free time, Amy enjoys live music, nature walks and travelling to sunnier places.