Our Team

Rick Picariello

Pastor Rick serves as the Senior Pastor and the Campus Pastor of our Burlington Campus. He oversees all ministries and disciples the congregation through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. Pastor Rick is a “homegrown” pastor. He first attended Mount Hope at the age of eight. Through the years he has served the church in a variety of roles from mowing the lawns to being a part of the pastoral staff. Pastor Rick completed his undergraduate work at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri and then went on to receive Masters of Divinity and Masters in Theology degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA and is currently focussing on his Doctoral Studies at Biola University. He resides in Billerica with his wife, Wendy, and their two children Isaac and Isabella.

Brian Krogh

Pastor Brian began serving at Mount Hope during his time at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. A transplant from Omaha, NE, Brian earned a B.A. from Northwestern College (IA) before finishing his Masters of Divinity at Gordon-Conwell. Brian’s wife, Lori, has been a part of Mount Hope since she was a child, and currently she works as a CPA in Boston’s financial district. Brian and Lori have three children, Katelyn, Jackson and Nora. Brian’s desire is for Mount Hope to continue to grow together as a community and to communicate God's Word with clarity.

Elaine Driscoll

Elaine Driscoll is the Principal of Mount Hope School. Chief among Mrs. Driscoll’s many responsibilities with children is ensuring that every child that comes to Mount Hope School has a chance to hear and respond to a clear presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The school, Burlington’s only private elementary and pre-school, is one of the largest ministries of the church. Before taking on her role as Mount Hope’s Principal in 1995, Mrs. Driscoll worked with the Arlington Public School System. Mrs. Driscoll and her husband Bernie live in Burlington and have two children and four grandchildren.

Marvin Thomas

Pastor Marvin took on the role of Associate Pastor in the Fall of 2015. He began serving at Mount Hope in 2013 as a Mentored Ministry Intern from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he earned a Masters of Divinity. Prior to that he attended Central Bible College (Evangel University) in Springfield, MO and Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA. Marvin and his wife Jenafer have lived in Massachusetts since 2012. Jenafer works as a Clinical Pharmacist in Boston. Pastor Marvin oversees Community Groups, and is a member of the Preaching Team. He is passionate about making sure that everyone who attends Mount Hope is connected with the church community. Marvin and Jenafer have two children Judah and Ava.

Andrew Berberian

A New England native, Andrew is passionate about seeing disciples of Jesus take steps of faith and grow in maturity! He and his wife Rosemary first came to Mount Hope in the summer of 2019 and immediately felt at home in the community. They got plugged in right away by starting a community group and later, co-founding The Well, Mt. Hope's ministry for people in their 20s and 30s. Prior to moving to Belmont, Andrew served on the ministry staff at Purpose Church in Pomona, CA, primarily working with students while completing his M.A. in Ministry from Hope International University Graduate School. Rosemary, who grew up in St. Louis and met Jesus in high school, is passionate about seeing people radically transformed by God's grace and discipling others as they live out their new lives all about Him. Her professional niches are in strategic planning and administration. Together, Andrew and Rosemary love to cook and bake new recipes and try local restaurants and coffee shops.

James Girouard

James serves as Mount Hope's Student Ministries Director. Since high school, James has longed to see students come to know, love, and follow Jesus in meaningful ways in their lives. He has faithfully served the youth at Mount Hope over the years in several different capacities, and is now devoted to leading the students and the ministry to new heights in the future! James is a lifelong resident of Burlington and a graduate of Open Bible Academy on Winn Street. After high school, he attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, where he studied Biblical Counseling. Currently, James continues to further his education through ministry-related schooling.

Justin Joseph

Justin and Alin have been a part of Mount Hope since 2008. Together with their two sons, Ethan and Noah, they love being a part of the Mount Hope community and serving at the Belmont campus. Justin, a native of New Jersey, serves as a professor at Boston University, where he also completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He is passionate about communicating the love of Jesus Christ and also received an M.A. In Theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Alin, who grew up in Philadelphia, is a physician at Lahey Medical Center. Despite Justin being an obnoxious Yankees/Giants/Knicks/Rangers fan, his love for New England and its people continue to grow. Together they are so grateful for the joy, freedom, and peace that comes from knowing Jesus, and hope to share that with others.

Donna Favini

Donna Favini serves as the Children’s Ministry Director of both campuses. She oversees children, ages birth through grade five, and provides exciting lessons and environments for children on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Donna was a teacher in both private and public school for seven years before stepping into this role when her daughter was born. She has an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA and received her Masters in English Language Learning from Merrimack College in North Andover, MA. Donna has been part of Mount Hope since she was a child. She and her husband, Eric, met in their teens while attending youth group at Mount Hope. They live in Billerica with their children Mia, Evan, and Leo. Donna’s goal is to partner with parents in helping the children of Mount Hope grow in their walk with Christ.

Melissa D'Agostino

Melissa D’Agostino serves as the director of Mount Hope Kids Adventure at the Belmont Campus. Every week, Melissa and her team teach interactive lessons and create exciting environments for children from birth to 5th grade. Melissa’s goal is to help each child build a growing relationship with Jesus and to partner with families to meet this goal. In addition to her role at Mount Hope, Melissa works as a Fourth-Grade Teacher. Melissa holds a Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Elementary Education. Melissa and her husband Mike are the proud parents of a two-year-old son, Maddox.

Pam Villalta

Pam manages our Business Office at Mount Hope. Starting with Mount Hope Christian School's nursery, Pam has served in a variety of roles. She is originally from Puerto Rico where she earned her BBA at the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras, and her MBA at Universidad Central de Bayamon. Pam and her family became a part of the Mount Hope Family, after they moved to the area from western Massachusetts. Her husband Luis, is a part of Mount Hope's Worship Team. Pam and Luis live in Burlington and have three children and a grandchild. Pam is passionate about bringing glory and honor to God through practical service.

David Libby

Avin Duncan

Olubunmi Faleye

Veera Mogilicherla

Bill Sullivan

Jay Titus