Elder Class of 2020

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ATLANTA 2020 ELDER CLASS NOMINEES Jane Lauderdale Armstrong – nominated to serve on Mission Council Jane is a native of Atlanta and a lifelong Presbyterian. She is a graduate of Sweet Briar College (BA) and Georgia State University (MBA). In 1981, she began her career in advertising in Atlanta and later moved to San Francisco. Throughout her professional years Jane always found time to teach Sunday School. When Jane and her husband Mike returned to Atlanta to start their family, she increased her volunteer commitments particularly at her children’s school and her church. In 2001, she joined the faculty at the Westminster Schools teaching in their Biblical Studies department and simultaneously began work on a MATS degree at Columbia Seminary with a concentration in ethics. At Westminster Jane teaches 6th Grade Bible Values, advises two morning Bible Studies, and is a faculty advisor for the Middle School Service Council. Also in 2001, Jane and Mike and their children, David and Kate, found a new church family at FPCA and a warm welcome into the Emmaus Sunday School class and PW Circle 8. Jane has taught children’s Sunday School, served as an usher captain, and continues to serve as Bible Moderator for her circle.

Betty Case – nominated to serve on Arts Council Betty, an Atlanta native and lifelong Presbyterian, and her husband, Ned, joined First Presbyterian in 1990. She is a graduate of The Westminster Schools, the University of Virginia, and Northwestern University and has worked in both the Audiology and travel industries. She helped start and has helped manage The Mustard Seed bookstore of our church since 2006. In addition, she has been a Stephen Minister, an Elementary and Junior High Sunday School teacher, a lay reader, a member of the Communications Council, Nominating Committee, Focus Weekend planning committee, Disciple and Covenant small group studies, and Emmaus Sunday School class. She and Ned have two sons, George and Daniel, daughter-in-law Catherine, and new grandson, Zachary.

Katherine Drake – nominated to serve on Communications Council Katherine is a lifelong member of First Presbyterian, having been baptized in the church. She grew up at the church before returning to attend as an adult following graduation from college. She has been an active member in the music ministry where she started in the children and youth choirs and now sings with the chancel choir and is a member of the Musica Sacra Guild. She is also a regular volunteer at the homeless breakfast on Sunday mornings.

Katherine graduated from Birmingham Southern College in Alabama and has a master's degree from Georgia State University. She has spent most of her career in education and currently works at Georgia Tech in the mechanical engineering department. Her parents, Dave and Anne Drake, are also long time members of First Presbyterian. Katherine has a younger sister who lives in Virginia.

Brant Ferrell – nominated to serve on Personnel Council Brant is a lifelong Presbyterian. He and his wife Carla joined FPC when they moved to Atlanta in 2002 with their 2 children, Maddie (20) and Andrew (17).

Brant is a member of the Ours for Today Sunday School class and active in a Men's Small Group. He currently serves on the Mission Council and as an usher. Previously, he has served the church in various roles including Co-Chair of the 2015 Annual Giving Campaign, serving on the Nominating Committee, and Chair of the Brazil Committee, including 5 mission trips to Brazil. Brant earned undergraduate and Masters degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Lloyd Flood – nominated to serve on Discipleship Council Lloyd has been an active First Presbyterian member for over 25 years. A returning elder from the class of 2000, Lloyd has taught elementary Sunday School, co-chaired the Stewardship Council, served on the Nominating Committee, and currently is a member of the Discipleship Council focusing on Theology Matters. He is a long-time member of the Covenant Sunday school class and last year was an active participant in the Covenant Bible study series.

He and his wife of 27 years, Susan, have two children. Barron is an attorney working in Philadelphia and Ben is a junior in college, playing lacrosse at Washington College in Maryland. Lloyd grew up in Meridian, MS, and graduated from Auburn University. He works for Voya Investment Management, focusing on institutional management of fixed income assets. Volunteer interests have included Lovett LionBackers, Washington College Parents Council, and youth financial education.

Tommy Hills - nominated for a second term as a Trustee-Elder Tommy has been a member of First Presbyterian Church for more than 50 years. He has served two terms as an Elder and one term as a member of the Diaconate. He has chaired the church’s annual Stewardship campaign twice, chaired an FPC long range planning committee and served on two minister search committees. Tommy served from 2003 to 2010 as the Chief Financial Officer for the State of Georgia and from 2010 to 2011 as Georgia State Treasurer. He previously enjoyed a 36-year career as a senior executive in commercial banking with Wachovia Bank in Atlanta, last serving as Atlanta Region President, before entering government service. He has served as board chair of the Atlanta History Center, Northside Hospital, and the Georgia Council on Economic Education. He currently serves on the boards of Skyland Trail, the Georgia Historical Society, the Georgia Humanities Council and the UGA Press. Tommy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory University, a Masters of Arts in southern U. S. history from Georgia State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Emory Law School.

Tommy and his wife, Wally, have two married daughters and five grandchildren.

Hill Jeffries – nominated to serve on Worship Council Hill is a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church, having been baptized in the Church. He attended FPC Preschool and Sunday School and was married to wife Ginger at FPC. They raised their two children, Hartley and Hill, in the Church. Hill and Ginger chaired an Annual Giving Campaign and Hill has served on several other Annual Giving Campaign Committees. He has served on the Worship Council and the Nominating Committee and has led an usher team for over 20 years. Hill earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia and is a corporate and securities partner at Alston & Bird.

Elizabeth Jones – nominated to serve on Connections Council Elizabeth and her husband, Gared, joined First Presbyterian Church in 2008.

She and Gared have two children, Beatrice (7) and Victoria (6). Since joining the church Elizabeth has served in various capacities including chairing Vacation Bible School, participating on the Annual Giving Campaign committee, and volunteering in the preschool hall. She and Gared are active members of The Gathering Place Sunday school class, which she has also coled. Professionally, Elizabeth worked in technology management, most recently as an executive with Automatic Data Processing. She is currently on an extended ‘sabbatical’ that is allowing her to spend more time with her girls.

Elizabeth graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Industrial Engineering.

Tad Little – nominated to serve as a Trustee-Elder Tad has been in Atlanta since 1996 after graduating from Business School at the University of North Carolina. He is a graduate of Davidson College. He has been a career banker during his professional life with Wachovia Bank, GE Capital and currently SunTrust. Tad has been married to Stewart for over 24 years. They have three children, all of whom have been baptized and raised in the church. They joined First Presbyterian in 1997.

Tad is a returning elder. He has served on Worship Council for 14 years, and notably has led the Communion Ministry. In addition to chairing Worship Council, he has served on Coordinating Council, multiple years on the Annual Giving Campaign including co-leading the Annual Giving Campaign, Capital Campaign, Stewardship Committee, chairing Men’s Ministry, ANPC for Church Growth, Long Range Planning Committee, Nominating Committee, teaching 3rd grade Sunday School, homeless breakfast, Contemporary Worship Committee, Ours For Today Sunday School, Communion Ministry, FPC Music School and Ushering.

Granvette Matthews – nominated to serve on Community Ministries Council Granvette is retired from Fulton County Superior Court after having served as an administrator in several capacities over a span of 22 years. At the time of her retirement she was the Director of the Family Division and a Deputy Superior Court Administrator. Granvette volunteers weekly in Community Ministries and at the church reception desk. She is a graduate of Emory University School of Law, earned her Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University and her undergraduate degree in Sociology from Winthrop University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She also earned her undergraduate certificate in Social Work while at Winthrop. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she served as a Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) in Atlanta, and, upon graduation from Emory, she received a Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship and served as a staff attorney with Georgia Legal Services. Prior to her employment with Fulton County, she was employed by the City of Atlanta, first as Director of Pretrial Services and then as Clerk of Court/Court Administrator for the City of Atlanta Municipal Court. Granvette has two adult children, Matthew Willis and Kelly Willis.

Gail Price – nominated to serve on Emerging Generations Council Gail is a native of Indiana and a graduate of Indiana University. She and her husband Dave joined First Presbyterian Church in 1998. Both of their children, Sylvia (15) and Zoe (13), were baptized in the church and attended First Presbyterian Preschool. Gail currently serves as a 5th grade Sunday school teacher and is a long-time overnight volunteer in the Women’s Transition Center. In past years, Gail volunteered in the weekday preschool (including serving as Board Chair), preschool and elementary committees, and chaired the Christmas Pageant. Gail also feels deeply blessed to be a member of her regular Wednesday morning Bible study group at First Presbyterian (14 years and still going strong!). Gail works with her husband in their family’s business, Price Residential Design.

Julie Webster – nominated to serve on Care Council Julie and her husband John joined First Presbyterian in 1992 and are actively engaged in the church. She previously served on the session as an elder and chaired the Care Ministry Council. She has participated as an elementary and middle school Sunday school teacher, member of the search committee for Associate Pastor of Pastoral Care, member of the Nominating Committee, Youth Parent Advisory Committee and travelled with FPC on youth family mission trips to Honduras as well as to Israel and Jordan. She is an active member of the Covenant Sunday school class.

Julie and John have raised three children in the church: Jack (23), Luke (21) and Faye (19). She received her Bachelor of Nursing from Texas Christian University and Masters Degree from Emory University. She is a Nurse Practitioner and serves as the Director of Cardiovascular Services at Piedmont Hospital.

YOUTH ELDERS Holt Cochran has been an active member of First Presbyterian since birth.

He was baptized in this church and has been a participant in Sunday School, the Logos ministry on Wednesday nights, the youth musicals and multiple youth mission trips. Holt has also served as a D group leader and a member of the Youth Leadership Team. Holt is currently a junior at Wesleyan School and is working to finish his Eagle Scout project. He enjoys running with the Cross Country team, playing basketball and working as a summer camp counselor. Holt’s parents are Webb and Allison Cochran and he has one brother, Smith, an 8th grader also at Wesleyan School.

Elizabeth ("Ebet") Lansing is a junior at Grady High School and has been active at First Presbyterian Church her entire life. She was baptized here and attended preschool at FPC. Ebet grew up participating in Vacation Bible School, Christmas Pageants, youth choir, elementary programs, confirmation and musicals. Now she enjoys playing the guitar at the 9:00 service and other church programs as well as volunteering at the Homeless Breakfast and staying at the Women's Transition Center. At school, Ebet is a member of the Grady Mock Trial and Varsity Ultimate Frisbee teams. She recently choreographed Grady's musical, Grease! Ebet has an older brother, John, and an older sister, Madeline. Her parents, Duggan and John, have both served as Elders.