A native Texan, Becki Brinkerhoff earned a B.A. in Spanish literature from Colorado College in Colorado Spring, CO. She subsequently worked in finance in Texas, New York, and Louisiana. In 1998 she retired after serving as CFO and CAO of Ruth’s Chris Steak House of New Orleans, which she helped to build into an international chain. In 2004, she began studying and teaching about the historical Jesus and has recently completed a four-year program of theological study from Sewanee Seminary for lay adult educators. She spends her summers in Rome where she works on the excavation of the oldest known synagogue in Europe with her husband, Jesus Seminar Fellow L. Michael White. Becki became a Westar associate member in 2004. She is particularly interested in Westar’s mission for religious literacy and study of the Bible.