North Raleigh Staff
Phil Kiecker - Pastor light+facebook light+email
Pastor Phil was born in Louisiana, lived in Wisconsin, and worked in Seattle before he and his wife, Julianna, made their home here in North Raleigh. Together, they are raising their sweetheart of a daughter, Daniela, and loving on their senior citizen black lab, Clay. Pastor Phil’s life is filled with Disney dolls, watching pro wrestling, picking up the never-ending gumballs from the sidewalk, catching Pokémon, and trying to grow grass in the clay dirt of his backyard.
With the diversity of people and all the activities available in Raleigh, he loves raising a family here. If you ever see him at Sola Cafe or Bottle Rev, be sure to say hi (or hola if you speak Spanish like his bilingual daughter)! He’d love to meet you.
Pastor Phil graduated from the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 2011 and has been sharing Jesus in the Triangle ever since.
Ariel McIlnay - Communications Director
Ariel was born and raised just outside of Raleigh and returned to the area with her husband after graduating from Appalachian State University with a degree in Communications and Advertising. With over a decade of experience in comms and marketing, her career has grown into roles that focus on serving by connecting communities and families. For that reason, joining the Refuge ministry was an easy decision.
Ariel has always felt closest to Christ through music. Her musical journey began in her church children’s choir at three years old, and she has since sung and played professionally in both religious and secular settings.
Ariel loves cooking, reading, making music, and spending time with her friends and family, many of whom attend Refuge’s sister church, Tree of Life. She and her husband enjoy exploring hiking trails and disc golf courses around the Triangle, where they enjoy the beauty of God’s creation close to home.
Ariel has been in this role since the end of 2025.
Ashley Fritz - Worship Coordinator
Ashley moved to the Raleigh area with her pet chameleon Matcha in the summer of 2023 and works as a designer in landscape architecture. Prior to moving to the Triangle, she obtained her degree from the University of Wisconsin.
When she’s not working, Ashley can be found exploring her new environment and meeting new people. She’s an avid gardener and enjoys expanding her houseplant collection. If that weren’t enough, she’s also mastering the art of sourdough (If you’ve ever tried your hand at sourdough, you know what kind of challenge that can be!).
Ashley is passionate about using worship music to praise, communicate, and connect with our Savior. She loves how all abilities, genres, and music styles can be raised up in a joyful noise to glorify our God.
Maryuri Demesa - Social Media Manager
Maryuri was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, a place she holds close to her heart for its culture, food, and beautiful places. In November 2022, she moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Chris, and their dog, Cookie.
Maryuri has a Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts with a theater and acting focus, and has experience managing social media for companies in different countries. She currently collaborates at Refuge, a community she deeply loves and considers a gift from God in her life- a place to grow in faith and serve with joy. Maryuri is studying English through ESL classes at Refuge as she continues to grow personally and professionally.
Maryuri is passionate about Broadway musicals, works as a face painter, and enjoys doing crafts. In her free time, she enjoys staying home to watch movies, traveling, and spending time at the beach.
Maryuri has been in this role since the end of 2025.
Akeyla Ruffin - North Raleigh Coordinator
While originally from a small town in Virginia, the diverse culture of Raleigh drew Akeyla in. She loves the connections you can make with such a wide variety of individuals, each with their own story and background.
Akeyla is a highly motivated individual, who isn’t just our Coordinator. With a passion for teaching the next generation and sharing Jesus with them, she’s also the lead teacher for toddlers at our Early Learning Center. And if that weren’t enough, she’s also a student at East Carolina University getting her bachelor’s degree in B-Kindergarten and a minor in disability studies.
She’s happily engaged and loves making new memories with her fiancé. When she isn’t working, studying, or watching her fiancé play football, she enjoys baking and doing some traveling.
Akeyla became our North Raleigh campus coordinator in 2023.