2019 Vestry Slate

Vestry Slate 2019 Serving on the vestry of any church is an amazing experience, and a unique opportunity to live and grow into a consistent, faithful, demanding, and hopefully, extremely rewarding role in the life of a community of faith. The members of a vestry serve for 3-year terms providing fiduciary oversight and take responsibility for the temporal and financial aspects of our common life. I am so grateful to all who discerned this leadership position and today we present to you a full slate of members who have engaged the process of discernment and are ready to commit to this important responsibility. This year we have a total of 5 candidates; 2 willing to fill unexpired terms and 3 ready to begin full 3-year terms. Each of these members have been interviewed; have reviewed the roles and responsibilities and are ready to work for our greater good together.

Your vestry has affirmed this slate of nominees and commends them to you for affirmation.

Please join me in thanking them in advance for the work they will do on our behalf during their tenure.

Thanks be to God. Lisa

Jeffrey Albright (1-year unexpired term): I have been a parishioner at Trinity Episcopal Church since Advent 2003. I was elected to Vestry in 2005 and serve two full terms. During my tenure on Vestry, I served one year as Junior Warden and 2 years as Senior Warden. Prior to that, I was a parishioner, Associate Rector Search Committee member and Vestry member at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, NYC. I have been on the Outreach Committee and on two Rector Search Committees at Trinity. I am very active in promoting the performing arts at Trinity and am a founding member and current Board President of Trinity's Building Partner, Actors Collaborative Toledo. I serve as the head of the Greeter Guild and am also on the Lector Guild. One of my proudest--and at the same time humbling--moments at Trinity was as a volunteer this past summer for the Music & Tap Dance Camp for Refugee Children. That was CHURCH! This is an exciting time at Trinity with new and focused leadership that is poised to help us discern what is next for us as a parish and a downtown presence. I look forward to being part of the catalyst to create positive change at Trinity and in downtown Toledo.

Roberta Durham (2-year unexpired term): I first joined Trinity Episcopal Church in 2006, a time of deep spiritual exploration for me.

This church welcomed and nurtured and nourished me when I needed it most. For reasons having little to do with the church, I took a hiatus from corporate worship for awhile; returning recently, I find a newly vibrant spirit.

I am eager to be part of a movement to connect us ever more meaningfully to one another, and which in turn then moves us out into the street to serve, as we are commanded. I’m grateful that Trinity has embraced as a ministry the Open Table Toledo initiative, to support youth exiting the fostercare system. I believe this is just one of many ways we can join together to be a known and recognized force for good (read: love) in our community. Apologies for not knowing whom to credit for this, but whoever said it said it best: “Trinity: We’re more than Sundays.” Amen and amen. I would be honored to serve this parish however I can.

Dennis Degnan (3-year term): I have spent this past year serving a 1year unexpired term and am ready to begin a full 3-year term. As Chair of the Property Committee, I am excited to continue the work we have begun on several major projects that will renovate the church and maintain our magnificent structure.

Amy and I have headed up the Degnan Group in Northwest Ohio for 20 years. We aspire with our business to be a secular ministry, exemplifying the true potential of principle-based Christian leadership through efficient business practices, fair pricing structures and compassionate leadership.

I accepted the call to Vestry because Amy and I believe in Trinity as an inclusive, diverse and Christian community. Trinity is full of kind, compassionate and caring people and, simply stated, we love it here. As a consequence, both of us are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to help our beloved community in any way possible. It is a privilege and an opportunity to serve.

Donna Steppe (3-year term): Donna Steppe I work as a Senior Enterprise Server Systems Administrator at The University of Toledo. I have been a part of the Episcopal Church since 1996, and have been at Trinity for 6 years now.

I feel that this is an exciting time in the life of our congregation. We have a lot of work to do as we move through the process of discerning who we want to become as a congregation, and who we want to be to the greater surrounding community.

I am excited we are starting to look at who we are as a congregation, and who we want to become in the future. The music, liturgy, energy and love Lisa shares with each of us every Sunday combined with seeing new faces almost every Sunday is exciting.

I was a vestry member at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for 8 years, and 5 of those years as the Senior Warden. I know the work of vestry can be hard, and takes commitment. As a vestry member I have always tried to make my decisions based on what is the best choice for the congregation, and not what would benefit me personally. We have a great group of people on the vestry, and I would like to join them, and be a part of where we are going as a congregation.

Bob Meeker (3-year term): The busy-ness of church requires a sense of business. With assistance from all of you and joy for all we can do, I expect to bring that skill set to each project and every meeting. What excites me most about Trinity is inarguable capacity.

We are a people and a place of potential! We can, to quote our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry echoing the diocesan bumper sticker, “Change the world!�

I've served on vestries for over 30 years, several times as a warden and on lots of finance and project committees. I've been on the Trinity vestry before and have served in leadership roles on the projects above. I enjoy small group dynamics, since as Eric Clapton sang and Margaret Mead wrote it's the only way change truly happens. Also, there's usually food involved.