As my first blog as congregational president, I thought I’d introduce myself.  I’m originally from Melbourne Beach, FL, but moved to Maryland in my early teens.  I was confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Glen Burnie, MD, married at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lexington Park, MD, and joined SJLC in 2014.  Since joining SJLC, I have served on hospitality teams, welcoming/greeting teams and, most recently, the Minister of Worship (before the reorganization to our current structure).

As for my career, I attended West Virginia University (computer science) and U of MD (software engineering) and have worked in the DoD arena as a defense consultant (aka beltway bandit) as an airborne software engineer on military aircraft (F/A-18 and F-35).  I moved into management 18 years ago thus abandoning my technical skills and have been leading teams ever since. 

I live in Alexandria with my husband, Dave, two dogs and two cats.

Now that COVID has abated, St. John’s is settling into our new (old?) normal.  While there are still many folks wearing masks, it’s nice to see and TOUCH people again.  I’ve been delighted watching folks greet each other as we gradually return to church, services, and events.  The excitement is palpable.  With the removal of the pew dividers and mask requirements, we are edging closer to pre-COVID worship.  Most recently, music and the connection cards are back!  Coming up: coffee and in-person education hour and Sunday School.  And… National Night Out 2021 on August 3!

While we are treading slowly toward a full and open church, the SJLC council is fully aware of risks as well as federal and state governing bodies that drive most decisions to start events.  Your safety is our goal.

As I settle into the role of congregational president, I’d like to thank Elisabeth Auld, my predecessor, for her hard work, coordination, communication, and ideas.  She’s a tough act to follow, but I commit to you all that I will do my best with the help of the council, the congregation, and God.  If you’d like to chat about something on your mind or have ideas that might benefit St. John’s, please reach out to me at council.president@sjlc.com.

May the Lord bless us all.