2019 Elder Class Nominees

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2019 ELDER CLASS NOMINEES Paul Dimmick and his wife, Susan, moved to Atlanta in 2012 and joined First Pres the beginning of the following year. They have three grown children the youngest of which, Kat, now lives with them in Ansley Park. Paul currently serves on the Personnel Committee and is involved in the tax preparation ministry. He has particularly enjoyed working with our youth on summer mission trips and helping with their Sunday School. He has served on the search committees for our new Director of Community Ministry and our two youth directors. Paul is a member of the Monday Morning Men’s group and, together with Susan, the Emmaus Class. Paul is a retired capital markets banker and holds a bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He currently serves on the board of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Georgia native, Susan Farrar has been an Atlanta resident for 30+ years, and joined First Presbyterian in the early 80’s. She has been a member of the International Sunday School class from the beginning, and has been one of the class leaders for the last 15 years. Currently, she is also serving on the Cuba mission committee, and has travelled to Cuba on two mission trips. She is actively involved in a Wednesday Disciple Group. In addition to these current church activities, Susan has served as an elder once before, serving as co-chair of the mission council. She has also served two terms on the Board of Directors of A.M.I.S, and whenever time allows, she enjoys volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and the Women’s Shelter. Susan is a graduate of Duke University with a BA in Design and French. After an extensive career in corporate retail management, she started her own company in 2006, focusing on global product sourcing and sales to the Hospitality and Contract Trade. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, and taking hikes with her dog, Kip! Elizabeth Fogartie is a lifelong Presbyterian, having grown up in the Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C. She joined First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta over thirty years ago and became an active member in the music ministry where she sings in the chancel choir, plays handbells, and plays cello in the Saint Cecilia orchestra. She serves on the Arts Council and is on the ArtSpark and the organ renovation committees. Several years ago, she participated in the FPC mission trip to Cuba. Elizabeth graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has a master’s degree from Georgia State University and a specialist degree in administration and supervision from the University of West Georgia. Elizabeth worked in the Fulton County School System as a teacher, assistant principal, and middle school principal before retiring several years ago.

Jeff Irby joined First Presbyterian Church in 1980. A returning elder, Jeff, has served on the Nominating Committee, the Church Growth and Christian Education Councils. He has been through training as a Stephens Minister and has been involved with the Disciple Bible study classes. He has also served on a search committee for an associate pastor. Jeff currently serves on the Worship Council and is the liaison with Seminary Students under care of our Session. He is the current Treasurer of Childspring International. He and his wife of 31 years, Laurie, are long-time members of the Emmaus Sunday School class. Jeff grew up in Martinsville, Virginia, and graduated from the University of Virginia. He works for a division of SunTrust called GenSpring Family Offices.

Duggan Childers Lansing has been a member of First Pres. since 1983. She and her husband, John, were married here in 1992 and are members of the Covenant Sunday School class. All three of their children (Madeline (21), John (18) and Elizabeth (15)) were baptized here and attended First Pres. Preschool, where Duggan served on the Board for several terms. Recently, Duggan served on the Pastor Nominating Committee that called Ann-Henley Saunders. Duggan is a returning Elder and has served in various capacities including Sunday School teacher, Capital Campaign Steering Committee, Youth Musical Committee and a monthly overnight volunteer at the Women's Transition Shelter since 1985.

Jeff Neikirk joined First Presbyterian Church when he and his wife Anne moved to Atlanta in 1992. He was an original member and occasional teacher of the Emmaus Class and a regular participant in the Annual Giving phone-a–thons.

Jeff and his family moved to Charlotte in 1998 and joined FPC of Charlotte.

While there he served as a Deacon and Church Treasurer. He and Anne led the Confirmation Class for two years, and co-chaired the “Walk Through the Bible” seminar for the church. The Neikirks returned to Atlanta in 2005 and rejoined FPC Atlanta. Since returning, Jeff has been involved in the launch of The Mustard Seed Book Store, has co-chaired the 2008-2009 Annual Giving Campaign, has co-hosted an in-home Renew Group Bible Study for five years and co-chaired the Focus Weekend.

Jeff earned a BA from Davidson College and them served two years in the US Army before earning his MBA from the University of North Carolina. He has spent 35 years working for a number of banks and investment banks. He currently heads corporate banking in the Southeast for SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. He and Anne have a grown son who lives in Dallas and a daughter and son in law who live in Brooklyn.

E. Wycliffe Orr, Jr. and his wife, Amanda, have been FPCA members since 2008. Cliff and Amanda have two children, William (7) and Anne Marie (4).

Since joining FPCA, Cliff has served in various roles, including leading First Foundations Sunday school class and a Lenten study series group, and serving on the elder nominating committee, the staff and program structure task force and personnel council. Professionally, Cliff is with Concourse Capital, an Atlantabased alternative investment fund management company. In addition, Cliff serves as chairman of BACE, a Charlotte, NC-based manufacturing firm and on the board of Rand Capital, a Buffalo, NY-based business development company.

Cliff graduated from the University of Georgia (JD & BBA) and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (MBA).

Karen Thompson is a lifelong Presbyterian, having grown up in College Heights Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, NC where both of her parents are Elders. She is also a former member of First Presbyterian Church in Myrtle Beach, SC. Karen began attending FPC 16 years ago and joined in 2013. She actively volunteers with the Sunday Morning Breakfast and volunteers with the Women's Transition Center and serves as a member of the Women's Transition Steering Committee.

Karen is a District Sales Manager for Hancock Fabrics overseeing retail stores in GA and TN.

Mary-Ellen Vian has been a Presbyterian since early childhood, and joined FPC in 2000. She graduated from Emory College and Emory Law School, and practiced commercial real estate law in Atlanta for 12 years, until her first child was born in 1992. While raising Lee (23) and Mary-Kate (19), she was active in leadership roles in the PTA at Morningside Elementary and Inman Middle Schools. She has been trained to lead Disciple and Precept Bible studies, and had led weekday Bible study groups at FPC continuously since 2001, as well as occasional teaching in adult Sunday School classes. She recently earned the MA(TS) degree from Columbia Theological Seminary, with an emphasis in biblical studies, Old and New Testaments, and has also completed several courses in CTS’s Spirituality Program. She chaired the Search Committee for FPC’s first Stembler Scholar, Dr. Ryan Bonfiglio. She is also a long time overnight volunteer with the Women’s Transition Center, and has participated extensively in FPC’s children’s ministries and Meals on Wheels.

Gayle White has been a member of First Presbyterian Church since 1997. She was married to the late Robert E. (Bob) White, Jr. A returning elder, she is on the Shelter Review Committee, the Hillside Partnership Committee and the Long Range Planning Committee. She is also a Mustard Seed Bookstore volunteer.

Gayle previously has been on the Community Ministries and Missions Councils and on the Nominating Committee. She attends Discovering God’s Word Sunday School Class. Her son Bobby lives in Washington, DC. Her daughter and son-inlaw, Margaret and Matt Evans, are members of First Presbyterian Church and her wonderful grandsons, Candler and Bryson Evans, attend First Presbyterian Church Preschool. A native of Barnesville and a University of Georgia graduate, she is a free-lance writer and former newspaper reporter.

Kelly Williams and her husband, David, joined First Presbyterian in 2001 after attending church with David’s parents, David and Kathy Williams Sr. They have two daughters, Kate (12) and Emma (10) who were both baptized in the church.

Kelly served on the Nursery/Preschool committee for 7 years, chairing the committee in 2006 before teaching the Star’s Sunday school class. During her time as chair of the committee, Kelly organized the production of a church cookbook to raise money for the Nursery/Preschool hall. She also briefly worked for the Parents Morning Out program. Kelly chaired VBS and served on the Board of First Presbyterian Preschool, chairing the Preschool’s Auction in 2010. Kelly served on the Elementary Director Nominating Committee that brought Lauren Patrus to serve our church for four wonderful years. She then served as Elementary Chair for two years, helping Lauren settle into her new job. In 2014 Kelly began teaching 4 th grade Sunday school where she still teaches today. Kelly has been actively involved in Bible study since 2007, taking Disciple 1 and 2, and various other studies including Covenant and Invitation to the Old Testament. Kelly has also volunteered with the Women’s Shelter and Community Ministries mail service. Kelly graduated from The University of Georgia with a degree in Interior Design and worked in the field of commercial design for 6 years before having her first child and choosing to stay at home. In her spare time, Kelly enjoys writing and playing guitar.

Matt Wirth, born in Sewickley, PA, moved to Atlanta in 1990 and has been an active member of the FPC community ever since. He attended the University of Georgia and returned to Atlanta after graduation. He has worked in commercial real estate for the past 14 years and is currently an industrial investment sale broker with Colliers International. Matt is married to Katherine Swope Wirth and they have two children: George (7) and Annie (5). He currently serves as an usher, has previously served on the Annual Giving Campaign committee, and has also served as a co-chair for an Associate Pastor Nominating Committee.

Matt and Katherine are active in the First Foundations adult Sunday school class.

YOUTH ELDERS Lilly Jacobsen is a junior at Decatur High School and has been an active youth member since she was little. Baptized in the church, she has been attending Sunday school classes ever since. Lilly became even more involved when she participated in her first musical and went on her first mission trip in the 8 th grade.

Since then, she has performed in the musicals, gone on the mission trips, lead devotional groups, and was confirmed in the 9th grade. At school she is participates many extracurricular activities including soccer, Key Club, National Honors Society, and Habitat for Humanity Club. Lilly’s parents, Bill and Irene Jacobsen, are both active in the church life and she has and older brother, Billy, and younger sister, Carlie.

Will Trimble has been an active member of First Presbyterian Church his whole life. He grew up participating in the Elementary program at the church, attending Sunday school regularly and participating in numerous musicals and an opera in the elementary and youth programs. In the youth group at First Presbyterian, Will has gone on mission trips every year, served on the Youth Leadership Team, and led multiple devotional groups. Will is currently a junior at Pace Academy and enjoys running Cross Country and Track and Field, as well as his school’s Model UN, Chorus, and Social Entrepreneurship programs. His parents, Melissa and Ed, have both served as an Elder and are active members of the church, and he has two younger brothers, Charlie and Davis.