Meet the Team

Kelly Tolman

Kelly Tolman

CO-FOUNDER
A Massachusetts native, Kelly moved to Florida for college where, during her second year, she became pregnant and struggled under the cultural pressure to abort. After three failed abortion appointments Kelly and her now husband, Fred, chose life for their son, Nic.

The struggle Kelly experienced during her unplanned pregnancy was a catalyst for action. Following a call by the Holy Spirit, Kelly embarked on the journey to start a pregnancy resource center directly beside the local abortion facility. This PRC was designed to be the center she needed so many years before. Kelly served as the center’s Founder and Executive Director until the Army moved Kelly, Fred, and their four children, as the Army tends to do!

While her family was stationed in Massachusetts,  Kelly worked at the Archdiocese of Boston within the Secretariat for Evangelization and Discipleship in the Family Life Office.   There, she served as a speaker at monthly marriage retreats and a contributing author to the 2nd edition of the "Transformed in Love," Marriage Preparation Program and  "Love’s Perfect Design: A Guide to Understanding Fertility Awareness" booklet. Now, stationed in South Carolina, Kelly serves as Co-Founder and Director of Content at The Pelican Project. She also serves as a speaker on all things Catholic.

Kelly has been married for 21 years, has 4 children, and holds a B.A. in Homeland Security and a Master of Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Crystal Comiskey

CO-FOUNDER
Crystal was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. After high school, she began working and pursued studies in Business Administration. In 2000, she married her husband, Greg, became an Army wife, and traveled the continent. Over the years and moves, Crystal developed and refined her business management, marketing, and interpersonal communication skills while transitioning from sales, marketing director, and store manager positions.  

In 2008, Crystal and Greg became parents, and Crystal decided to take time away from outside work to spend with their daughter. Greg retired from the Army in 2013, and the family decided to establish roots in Columbus, GA. In 2015, after much time, discernment, and prayer Crystal entered the Holy Catholic Church. 

Crystal began working with Kelly Tolman at a pregnancy resource center where they served families journeying into parenthood together. The Holy Spirit began to nudge both of their hearts to begin The Pelican Project. Since 2019, Crystal has volunteered full-time to get The Pelican Project off the ground, serving as the co-founder and Director of Operations.

Theresa Spenney

Board of Director
Theresa Spenney has been involved in pro-life work since walking in a local March for Life in Columbus, Georgia when her oldest son was just an infant. Someone gave him a model of a 10 week-old fetus. While cradling it in his hands, he said, “Baby.”  She was struck that a child, who was just learning to speak, understood that this was a human being. She felt moved to defend the unborn and immediately signed up to join the organizers of the March, Chattahoochee Valley United for Life, a chapter of Georgia Right to Life. She has been involved in the pro-life movement for over two decades.

At a pro-life gathering, Theresa met a young wife and mother, Kelly Tolman, who had just moved to the area. After several years of praying and offering help outside of the abortion facility together, Kelly and Theresa recognized that the community needed to provide tangible help to women and families experiencing unplanned pregnancies. Together, they opened a pregnancy resource center beside the local abortion facility. 

Theresa has a B.A. in Psychology and an M.Ed. in Community Agency Counseling Psychology, both from Auburn University. She has been married for 29 years to her husband Brad and has 2 children.

Katherine Rudder

Board of Director
Katherine is an Army brat, turned soldier, turned Army wife; though, no matter where the military has sent or will send her, Augusta, GA, will always be home. Katherine is a cradle Catholic with a long history of family reunions held at the Knights of Columbus, and the parish priest a regular at Christmas dinner. 

Growing up, the secular view of feminism and society’s definitions of strength often left Katherine conflicted with Church teachings. Despite 6 years of Catholic schooling and the best of intentions, she fell away from the Church for many years. It was not until Katherine and her husband, Brandon, began having children in 2009 that she began to feel a slow pull back into the faith. She has served in multiple roles for various military Catholic Women of the Chapel groups including study leader and president; and for the past 7 years has served as a faith formation instructor.

Katherine has a Doctorate of Physical Therapy and currently lives in Georgia with her husband and 4 children.

I pledge to joyfully reawaken a culture of life in my domestic church!

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