GREETINGS FROM OUR TEAM!

DAVID JOHNSON

Founder & Director

Thanks for stopping here to get to know our staff a little bit. They are truly what has made Silent Images successful for the past 12 years! I learned a lot and made some mistakes in the early years of building SI, but the one thing I did right was surround myself with a talented team!

I graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 1998 with a passion to educate, and I spent my first chapter of life teaching English and coaching tennis in Charlotte. During this season, I spent my summers overseas, which then led me to uncover my passion for people, photography, and stories.

In 2006, I left teaching to be a professional “storyteller” with my first major assignment to Darfur, Sudan. I was commissioned to photograph those impacted by the genocide, and out of that first project, Proverbs 31:8 was laid on my heart: to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” It was out of this conviction that I founded Silent Images and wrote and published Voices of Sudan in 2007 and Voice of Beauty in 2009.

Although SI has sent me all over the world, my most fulfilling journey takes place in Matthews where I live life with my beautiful wife, Andrea, and our two daughters.

TIM KROLL

DIRECTOR OF Operations

I’ve always loved good storytelling. Since joining Silent Images in late 2016, I have had the privilege to work with a talented SI team that partners with great charities to share the good that is happening around the world. Even though I graduated college with a Studio Art degree, I enjoy talking through strategy and vision for each project we work on. My goal is always to bring a sense of clarity and unity between the SI team and the charities we have the privilege to partner with to make great visual content that connects with people. A lover of Japanese maples, cooking with my wife, and playing with my three children, there is always something to learn each day.

JOSH GOMEZ

Creative Director

My journey with Silent Images started with an internship in 2013 and I quickly fell in love with using visual storytelling to tell untold stories. I graduated from Columbia International University in 2014 with a double major in Communications and Bible Exposition with a minor in Digital Media Production. I married my wife shortly after and together we started a wedding photography/videography company, We Are One Photography, and we had always dreamed of using visual communications to share gospel stories around the world. I had worked in the Church since I was 17, in various roles as a Worship and Creative Arts Director, and I thought that my ministry career would eventually allow me to partner with a church to pursue this dream. In 2020, an unfortunate circumstance allowed the Lord to push me in another direction and reconnect with David, which led to me being brought on staff at Silent Images at the start of 2021. I am excited for the future of SI and stoked to be a part of the team.

KATIA FAROUN

Communications Coordinator

It was my mom’s dedication to Creative Memories scrapbooking that first exposed me to photography. I gradually upgraded from my first camera — a bedazzled, hot pink gift from my mom — to a Canon Rebel I bought when I was 15 years old. Around that time, I subscribed to National Geographic and decided that I wanted to be a photojournalist when I grew up. My passion for photography was nurtured by a curiosity about other cultures, and after a trip serving in Costa Rica, I could clearly see how God wanted me to use photojournalism to tell stories of how he’s working around the world. Since studying multiplatform journalism and Spanish at Duquesne University, my desire to learn and tell stories has taken me from Pittsburgh to the U.S.-Mexico border, from Spain to Morocco, and now to Charlotte. Working with Silent Images is a gift, and I can’t wait to grow and serve with this wonderful team.

ADAH ANDERSON

PROJECT MANAGER

My story with Silent Images began my sophomore year of high school when I took a class that David Johnson taught about visual storytelling. I learned what it looks like to capture and share stories that have the power to impact. I recently graduated from NC State, found my way back to Charlotte, and now have the opportunity to be a part of what Silent Images is doing! I look forward to being a part of sharing more stories and watching this team continue to grow and serve!

KATY ADERHOLD

FILMMAKER

I have been with Silent Images since 2014, and I love my job. I have traveled to Europe, Africa, and Asia for Silent Images projects, and I look forward to the next adventure! To meet people all over the world is a gift. To see all of the amazing nonprofits in Charlotte is an honor. To be able to tell stories through a camera is a blessing. My favorite way to learn storytelling has always been through cinema. Watching movies is a key part of my filmmaking journey. If I'm not watching a movie, I’m probably reading a book on my porch with my dog!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

From left to right:
Drew Harris
Angela Schlottman
Cor Hoekstra
Bob Gourlay
Theresa Custis
Paul Joyce