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You are here: Home / Archives for election

election

Annual Meeting and Vestry Nominees for 2023

January 12, 2023 by St. George's 7 Comments

vestry***UPDATE*** January 22, 2023

We are pleased to announce the four people elected to serve on our Vestry:

  • Brian Davis
  • Brooke Di Lauro
  • Pete Kelly
  • Peggy Verdine

 

Thank you to all of our nominees for their willingness to serve!

****

 

Thanks be to God for Brian Davis, Brooke DiLauro, Michael Hodgkin, Pete Kelly, Joseph Lyttle, Peggy Matthias, and Peggy Verdine who have graciously offered to serve on our Vestry! Below is the biographical information each nominee shared. At our Annual Meeting on January 22, 2023, we will elect four of these nominees.

Click here for a message from the Rector about the Annual Meeting on January 22, 2023 at 10 am.

Click here for a video introducing our vestry nominees. The passcode is: H?Fv&9K6

 


Brian Davis – attends 9 am worship

Admittedly, I wasn’t inclined to serve on the Vestry.  I’m busy at work, busy at home, and usually feel “spiritually challenged.”  Moreover, my gifts are secular.  I’m a nerd who likes spreadsheets and finance.  What could I offer that someone with more time or deeper faith couldn’t?  Nevertheless, multiple people have encouraged me to consider serving on the Vestry.  Despite some apprehension, I’d be honored to serve on the Vestry and contribute my gifts and experiences.  St. George’s has helped make me a better human being, and I feel a responsibility to give back.  A cliché, I know, but true.

My religious journey began in Pennsylvania in 1997 during marriage preparation with the Catholic priest who married Danielle and me.  In 1998, I received five sacraments in two months: baptism, confirmation, first eucharist, first reconciliation, and marriage.  I was an enthusiastic Catholic, even if I harbored some minor reservations.  We moved to Virginia in 2004, but the Catholic Church here was different, more dogmatic.  By 2012, my misgivings led me to search for a new faith community more aligned with my values.  Enter St. George’s.  Danielle and Sandi soon followed, and we count our blessings that we found St. George’s.

Ministry Experience

  • Children’s faith formation, 2016 – 2020
  • Trustee, A.W. Wallace Trust Fund, Benevolent Society of St. George’s, and Matthew 25 Fund, 2015 – 2020
  • Stewardship commission, 2015 – 2016

Professional or Volunteer Experience

  • Member, Finance Committee, St. Gregory’s Catholic Church, 1999 – 2004
  • Member, Building Committee, St. Gregory’s Catholic Church, 2000 – 2003
  • Member, Coventry Creek Homeowners Association Board of Directors, 2006 – 2008
  • Financial Secretary, Knights of Columbus Council, 2009 – 2011
  • Treasurer, FBI Quantico Recreation Association, 2011 – Present

Brooke Di Lauro – attends 11:15 am worship

Since we joined the church in 2013 and sent our girls to preschool here, St. George’s has become a central part of our community and I see serving on the Vestry as a way to give back and give thanks for all that the church has given us. I am particularly excited about contributing to the “Open to all in love” project. I am a good listener, open-minded, detail-oriented, and organized. I think these qualities will help me contribute positively to the Vestry.

I was raised Episcopalian and baptized (1981) and confirmed (1990) at the Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore, MD where I served as an acolyte for four years. I moved to Fredericksburg in 2006 to take a job as a French professor at UMW and my husband joined me when we got married four years later. We have two daughters, Caroline (9) and Marina (6). In my spare time I love to read and travel—each year we get to spend a month in France as a family while I run my study abroad program in Aix-en-Provence and Paris.

Ministry Experience
I joined the Flower Guild two years ago and began teaching Sunday School last fall. This year my husband and I began serving on the Generosity Team and were co-chairs of the Generosity Campaign.

Professional or Volunteer Experience
Last year and this year I am an assistant coach with the faith-based Upward Basketball program at FUMC.

Mike Hodgkin – attends Celtic worship

In the years I’ve had the pleasure to be a member of the St. George’s community, I have found that my relationship with God continues to evolve. There has not been an ‘aha’ moment but rather a greater appreciation for what God has built and is letting us discover. And that is what I would like to share with this ministry.

My brother and I were raised as Catholics. I was confirmed while in the 7th grade (1964). I enlisted in 1970 and retired from the military in 2005. Cindy and I were married in 1974, Honolulu, HI. We have two sons and a daughter. We moved 14 times during our marriage; but not becoming members of a congregation. St. George’s is the first congregation we’ve been part of. Cindy and I were confirmed Episcopalian in 2010. We attended many of the ‘conventional’ Sunday services, and we found that the Celtic Service resonated with us. Hobbies & interests: fishing, hiking, traveling.

Ministry Experience
Officiant for Celtic services, Reader and Greeter, prayer leader. Spring 2006 to present.

Professional or Volunteer Experience
Have worked with veterans and law enforcement organizations to support veterans and law enforcement officers and their families.

Pete Kelly – attends 11:15 am worship

St. Georges plays in important role in helping those who struggle in Fredericksburg, and that is important to me. I feel it is time for me to become more involved in the life and community of the church.

I was raised a Catholic in Columbia, Missouri, and was received into the Episcopal Church in 2009. I have four children from a previous marriage, and put myself through high school, my bachelor’s, and my master’s working in restaurants. After teaching social studies and special education for 10 years, I took my Ph.D. in special education from the University of Kansas, and engaged in teacher preparation for 16 years at Truman State University. I came to Fredericksburg as the dean of the College of Education at UMW in 2017. Time permitting, I enjoy biking, hiking, kayaking, and being outdoors.
Ministry Experience
I was a member at Trinity Episcopal Church in Kirksville, Missouri from about 2009-2017. I served as a lector, an acolyte, a member of the vestry and junior warden for three years, and I was named the “King of Coffee Hour” for two consecutive years. While on the vestry, I served on the search committee to hire a new priest, and assisted with planning for a building addition to our church.
Professional or Volunteer Experience
  • Professor and dean of the College of Education at University of Mary Washington
  • Convener for the Virginia Education Deans and Leaders
  • Member of Advisory Board of Teacher Education and Licensure
  • Member of Virginia Association of Colleges of Teacher Education
  • Board member for Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area
  • Member NAACP and NAACP Education Committee and NAACP Finance Committee
  • Member Fredericksburg City Public Schools Education Equity Task Force
  • Taught special education in prison, middle school, and adolescent psychiatric unit.

Joseph Lyttle – attends 9 am worship

I’ve had conversations with other St. Georgians encouraging me to consider serving. I would love to be more involved because St. George has become a true church family for me. I have experience in serving in similar capacities and I believe the Vestry could benefit from my work and volunteer experience.

  • Moved to Fredericksburg in 2016.
  • Baptized at St. George’s on 9/12/21.
  • Confirmed at St. George’s on 10/3/21.
Ministry Experience

  • Serve as a LEM
  • Serve as a Greeter
  • Regular Wednesday Night Bible Study Group Member with The House Campus Ministry
  • Served on the Communications Committee
Professional or Volunteer Experience
  • Fredericksburg Area Health and Support Services (FAHASS), Executive Director – Oct 2016 to CURRENT
  • Fredericksburg Regional Continuum of Care, Member of Board of Directors – 2022 to CURRENT
  • Fredericksburg Area Museum – African-American History Committee Member – 2022 to CURRENT

Peggy Mathias – attends 11:15 am worship

Having been a member since 2019, and through my volunteer work at The Table and community dinners, I am ready to become more deeply involved and give of my talents to shape St. George’s mission and help make that mission a reality.

  • Baptized and confirmed and married in ELCA Lutheran church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
  • Member of three different ELCA congregations in Chicago area as we moved to different suburbs.
  • Moved to Fredericksburg with husband Peter Rasmussen and youngest son Kyle in 2017 and completed Pilgrims Path class at St. George’s and received April 2018.
  • Attracted to St. George’s by the history and by the music program but finding outreach and racial reconciliation and the opportunity for fellowship and spiritual growth are pulling me in more deeply.
  • Hobbies and interests include golf, pickleball, knitting, reading, and my Shiba Inu Tessa.

Ministry Experience
Choir of St. George’s, The Table, and community dinner. Recently started getting involved with grant writing for The Table. Previously was financial secretary recording all pledges, offerings, and generating statements of giving (late 1980’s). Assistant director of christian education (early 1990’s).

Professional or Volunteer Experience
I have an MBA and CPA and spent most of my professional career working with IT systems for business and accounting. Completed a certificate program in patient advocacy at University of Wisconsin which involved learning about social services as well as health care systems.


Peggy Verdine – attends 7:45 am worship

I love St. George’s, it is my home and I would love to serve in any capacity. I have a degree in business management with a minor in computer science. I have volunteered with the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation as a member of the Market Committee. In my community, Falls Run, I chaired the Buildings and Grounds Committee which cared for 199 villa homes. I have been a member of St. George’s since 2015 with experience as a docent, greeter, community dinner manager, The Table, lecto,r and LEM.

My faith history includes being raised as a Catholic before coming to St. George’s. I was baptized, received First Holy Communion and Confirmed while living in Albany, New York. I was received in April 2015 into the Episcopal faith. I was married for 39 years before my husband passed away from cancer in November 2014. I have one son, Shawn, who has moved to the Fredericksburg area. I recently remarried in January of 2022 to Joseph Dreyer. As a veteran, I lived in Germany and then I was stationed in Virginia. Reading, travel and family time are my hobbies.

Ministry Experience
Docent, greeter, lector, LEM, community dinners, The Table, Micah Sandwich Team, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Racial Reconciliation Book Group and the Tuesday night book group. I am also a third year student of EfM.

Professional or Volunteer Experience

Chair of Buildings and Grounds at Falls Run. Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Property and Grounds at Falls Run, and Mary Washington Auxiliary.

Filed Under: Adult Formation, Fellowship, Home Page, Ministries, News Blog, Parish Life, We Serve, Welcome, Worship Tagged With: annual meeting, election, nominee, Vestry

December 8, 2019: Annual Parish Meeting and Vestry Election

November 22, 2019 by St. George's Leave a Comment

Save the date! Come celebrate our blessings of the past year and look ahead to 2020. On December 8, we will have a combined 10 am service during which the Annual Meeting and voting will occur. See the vestry candidate profiles below and please join us in prayerful discernment as we consider who we elect to serve on our Vestry.

Jason Kunkler

I am a lifelong Episcopalian, and have always been active in the church. After moving to Fredericksburg 5 years ago I began attending St. George’s, and after 5 years it is time to get more involved! I currently serve as an usher, reader, and on the stewardship committee. Past roles at other churches have also included serving on vestries and as a warden—as well as chairing a capital campaign. I have served on the board of my childhood church camp in the Diocese of Atlanta, and remain active in the life of the camp.

I have been in small business my entire career and understand that a church functions very much like a small business. I also bring the understanding that a church is unlike a business, in that we must act with our hearts as much as our heads.

Quick Facts about Jason

Worship Service(s) Regularly Attend at St. George’s: I bounce back and forth between 9, 11:15, and 5:30

Year of Confirmation / Reception in Episcopal Church: 1982

Hobbies: Yard work and old house repair

Parishes / Congregations Have Been Member of:

  • St. George’s 2014 to present
  • Emanuel Episcopal Baltimore 2013 to 2014
  • Memorial Episcopal Baltimore 2003 to 2013
  • St Bartholomews Atlanta 1993 to 2003

Recent Places of Work:

  • Knifecenter 2006 to present
  • Chesapeake Knife & Tool 2003 to 2006
  • Matthews Cutlery 1994 to 2003

Recent Community Involvement:

  • Every local history tour that is offered.
  • Every Biography series lecture that I can make.
  • Taking advantage of the hiking and biking trails around Fredericksburg

Where Jason calls home: Wherever I can meet up with my parents and my sister, usually Atlanta or north central Ohio. Also Colorado.

 

Caroline_PritchardCaroline Pritchard

St. George’s has become my home over the past few years, and its people have become my family. I feel called to give back to St. George’s. I feel as though I have good experiences and skills to help me fill this position and give back to the church. I enjoy singing at the 11:15 am, Celtic, and Compline services, as well as volunteering at The Table at St. George’s, serving on the Children’s Formation committee, and playing the violin in the St. George’s Chamber Ensemble.

I am very organized and detail oriented. I have worked in finance both at a bank and I used to do a great deal of budgets when I was an Interior Designer. I am also creative and have leadership skills. I have served on the diaconate at my previous church.

Quick Facts about Caroline

Worship Service(s) Regularly Attend at St. George’s: 11:15 am, Compline

Year of Confirmation / Reception in Episcopal Church: 2015

Hobbies: Sewing/embroidery, cooking, music

Parishes / Congregations Have Been Member of:

  • First Baptist Church, Savannah, GA (1980 to 2015)
  • St. George’s Episcopal (attended since Feb 2014, confirmed in 2015)

Recent Places of Work:

  • Usborn Books and More, Independent Consultant
  • Fairchild Tropical Garden (Miami, FL)
  • Wrightington Rheumatology (Savannag, GA)

Recent Community Involvement:

  • St. George’s Chamber Ensemble
  • Volunteering at The Table (Also doing work behind the scenes)
  • Member of an Early French Renaissance Choir (singing at UMW on December 7)

Where Caroline calls home: St. George’s, Salem College, Savannah, GA

 

 

Josue Rivera-Orellano

The opportunity of serving on St. George’s Vestry can provide me a way to contribute and give continuity to the services that St. George’s provides to our community. I feel blessed to be part of the St. George’s Parish. I have received and witness all the love, support, and spiritual nourishment that St. George’s offers to everyone. I have served with the Youth Formation ministry at St. George’s, leading Rite 13 and Confirmation Classes. Also, I am volunteering with the 2020 Commission as we plan our 300th Anniversary celebrations.

My contributions will be based on my professional experience (Human Resources, Organizational Development, and Administration), sensitiveness on diversity issues, and commitment with St. George’s values. In addition to my experience, my contributions will be centered on integrity, hard work, and my ability to build trust and rapport with others.

Quick Facts about Josue

Worship Service(s) Regularly Attend at St. George’s: 9 am

Year of Confirmation / Reception in Episcopal Church: 2019

Hobbies: Playing Bomba Music and Cross-fit (weight lifting)

Parishes / Congregations Have Been Member of:

  • St Georges 11/2015 to present

Recent Places of Work:

  • Pathways Health and Community Services – Benefits Manager
  • PR Aqueduct and Sewer Authority – Senior HR Deputy Director
  • Municipality of Caguas – HR Deputy Director

Recent Community Involvement:

  • Board of Director – FAHASS (Fredericksburg Area HIV/AIDS Support Services)
  • Member of Semilla Cultural – Non-profit organization with the purpose of developing and cultivating a community that embraces Puerto Rican culture and arts in the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia region.

Where Josue calls home: Fredericksburg, Virginia and Caguas, Puerto Rico

Stuart Whitford

I feel blessed to be a member of such a wonderful, loving, and giving congregation and would like to help with the work and challenges that our church faces in the coming years. I have hosted Songwriters Showcases at St. George’s to help raise money for Youth in Global Community and for St. George’s Haiti Mission. I have also volunteered at St. George’s Community Dinners. Previously, I was a member of the choir and Youth Fellowship at First United Methodist Church in Bristol, Tennessee.

I am a careful listener and participant in church outreach and worship discussions. I also have a lot of knowledge and experience with software and with music.

Quick Facts about Stuart

Worship Service(s) Regularly Attend at St. George’s: I attend the 9:00 service mostly, but also the 5:30 and 11:15 services.

Year of Confirmation / Reception in Episcopal Church: 2017

Hobbies: Music – playing, singing, and songwriting

Parishes / Congregations Have Been Member of:

  • 1966-67 First Methodist Church, Bristol, TN
  • 1967-68, Haygood Methodist Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia
  • 1979-1983, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Johnson City, TN

Recent Places of Work:

  • Booz Allen Hamilton 2014 to present
  • Naval Ordnance Safety and Security Activity (NOSSA) 2010 to 2014
  • Naval Surface Warfare Center/Dahlgren 2006 to 2010

Recent Community Involvement:

  • Performed at Fredericksburg Porchfest in 2019
  • Performed benefit concerts for Friends of the Rappahannock in 2018 and 2019

Where Stuart calls home: City of Fredericksburg, St. George’s Church, Down Home Pickin’ Parlor in Johnson City, TN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Adult Formation, Fellowship, Ministries, News Blog, Parish Life, Welcome, Worship Tagged With: annual meeting, election, parish, Vestry, worship

Annual Meeting 2018 Details

November 29, 2018 by St. George's Leave a Comment

St. George’s will gather for its annual meeting to elect the next class of vestry members on Dec 9 at 10:00 a.m. in the church nave at a combined meeting and worship service. There will be no 9 or 11:15 services. We will still hold the 7:45 and 5:30 services but voting will only occur at 10. The meeting and service are open to everyone.

Why are we shifting to a different format this year?

The main business of the annual meeting is electing four vestry members for 3-year terms. Our Episcopal church canons (laws) require us to “elect” vestry members. Many of us have struggled with this process as it means some people are chosen while others may feel rejected. Selecting church leaders is rightfully a spiritual discernment of whom God is calling, not a popularity contest. Conducting the election in the context of a worship service will set a more prayerful mood. Last year we offered voting opportunities at all the services. This was really stretching the limits of how the Diocese expects us to conduct the election. We will only vote during the 10:00 a.m. service and meeting this year. And again, I hope that it will bring an enhanced sense of discerning God’s will together.

The canons stipulate that only registered members of the parish, in good standing (actively attending and financially contributing) are eligible to vote. If you are not sure if you are registered, please contact the church office asap. We operate the election on the honor system. If you are not eligible to vote, we ask that you participate by praying during the election portion of the service while others fill out their ballots.

By combining the meeting with our principal worship service, I hope that we have a greater sense of participation as a whole congregation than we have had at separate meetings in Sydnor Hall. I encourage as many people to attend as possible from all the services so that we can see and pray with one another. Some have expressed concern that the children in the service may get restless. We will provide a special activity for kids to do during the announcements which will be somewhat extended but not too much. We are spreading out elements of the meeting throughout the service, so that it will flow along. There will also be fewer reports as we have had at other annual meetings. My hope is to have a meeting in February 2019 to give a true “annual report” of 2018.

As always I welcome your feedback and ideas. As we try a new thing, I pray God blesses our meeting and gives us wisdom and grace as we worship and give thanks for St. George’s and the opportunities we have to serve, care, learn, pray, give, and grow together.

Your rector and brother in Christ,
Joe+

Filed Under: Fellowship, News Blog, Parish Life, Pastoral Care, Rector's Blog, We Grow Tagged With: annual meeting, election, parish, Vestry, worship

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