Church Leadership
Pat Morrow, Warden 2024-2026
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I am honored to continue serving as Warden of the Vestry for another term. Our Church is very special to me, and serving God is one of my personal priorities. I will do my best to be a good servant and support the positive trajectory that we are on. I have been an Episcopalian all my life; being baptized, confirmed and married at Christ Church in Hornell, NY. I joined Christ Church Pittsford as a newlywed in 1988 and have been an active member since that time. I served on the Search Committee that called Winifred Colin and have been a member of the vestry two times. I have had the privilege of teaching Sunday School for many years and have been a member of the Outreach Committee.
I am Vice President of Magna Products Corp, our family business that services automated machinery. My primary responsibilities are in the areas of human resources, customer service and strategic planning. I hope that my business background will be of value in making decisions for our Church.
My husband Ken and I have three grown daughters and live in the Village of Pittsford.
Christ Church has a strong spirit that has brought us through some difficult times, and I believe that this same spirit will guide us to bright days ahead. We are facing severe financial challenges while craving the growth of church programs. We have a fantastic Search Committee who will be working hard to call our next Rector. Interim Rector Julianne Buenting has brought life back to our parish, and for whom I thank God! We have an amazing Warden in Daryl Sharp, who has led us through some dark times and who is the ultimate shepherd. We have a wonderful staff, whose dedication is unmatched. We have an engaged congregation of caring people. May we continue to be a place that offers comfort and connection to God and each other.
Nicole DeBraal Warden 2025-
A cradle Episcopalian, I was raised in a New Jersey suburb of Philadelphia. My family moved to Syracuse in the mid-80’s and I began attending Christ Church, Manlius where I served on the vestry and as a warden. I moved to Rochester in 2005 and joined Christ Church Pittsford in 2015. In addition to being a lector and worship assistant, I have served previously as a member of
the stewardship committee and as a vestry member where I worked as part of the leadership team for our CCP Listening Sessions. A nurse for more than forty years, I am currently Senior Advisor for Accountable Health Partners and the University of Rochester Center for Community Health & Prevention. My husband Bob and I live in Brighton; we are blessed with four wonderful children and two beautiful grandchildren. Now in my second year as a warden, I strive to bring a thoughtful and prayerful presence to our work together, to listen well, to lead responsibly and inclusively, and to support our mission and goals. I am enormously grateful to be a member of our congregation and promise to always give my best to our parish and to the communities we serve.
David Bieler, Vestry 2024-2027
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I was born and raised in Fairport where I was baptized and confirmed at Bethlehem Lutheran, sang on the choir, served as an acolyte, and even taught third grade Sunday School. After high school I attended Oberlin College where I majored in Geology and minored in Music and Physics and then continued my education earning masters and doctoral degrees in geology, A forty-two year college teaching and administrative career followed, the last thirty-four years at Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana, After moving to Louisiana I became a member of the St. Marks Cathedral Parish where I served as cantor and section leader in the choir, coordinator for adult Christian education, and as a member of the vestry during a search for a new dean. To help me be better equipped for these ministries, I attended the three-year bishop’s school in the diocese. In May of 2022, I retired and retuned to upstate New York, and chose Christ Church (which I had visited several times when I was visiting my mother) to be my home church I look forward to bringing my diverse experiences to helping Christ Church serve its mission as we move into a demanding future.
Maria Haar, Vestry 2025-2028
I was raised in a suburb of Syracuse and moved to Penfield in 2001. My husband Patrick and I joined Christ Church Pittsford in 2011, after deciding to leave the Roman Catholic tradition. We have a wonderful adult daughter (Madeleine) and son-in-law (Nishant).
During my time at Christ Church, I have recently been a lector and previously was a member of the choir, which I enjoyed immensely. For the past ten years, I have worked for a local architecture and engineering firm, where I am currently a senior proposal coordinator. I enjoy reading, cooking, practicing yoga, and traveling to Europe. I am honored to be considered as a Candidate for Vestry, and will appreciate gaining insight into the work of the church. I look forward to meeting and working with my fellow vestry members.
Thom Fogg, Vestry 2024-2027
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My wife Jean and I have been members of Christ Church Pittsford since 1991, and it feels like home to us. I have served the parish in many ways over the years - on the Welcoming Committee, the Nominating Committee, as an usher, a lay reader, and a member of the choir. I have also served on the vestry in the past, as well as two terms as Warden. Jean and I have three children and two grandchildren. I work at the University of Rochester as a research administrator. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve again on the vestry, and I hope my experience will be useful as we work through our transition to a new rector.
Nahoko Kawakyo O'Connor, Vestry 2023-2026
Nahoko Kawakyu-O’Connor, her husband Don, and their children Aodhan (18), Rai (16), and Sora (13), have been members of Christ Church since 2016. Nahoko loves the familial and welcoming atmosphere at Christ Church, which reminds her
of her Lutheran upbringng at the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Haus in Schmiden, Germany, where she attended
youth group, Sunday School, and loved being part of the community outreach team. Nahoko is grateful for Christ Church’s inclusive and inter-generational community and programming, the world-class and soul-healing music, and the thought-provoking,
humorous, and reflective sermons.
Nahoko believes in equitable access to quality education and learning opportunities that lead to flourishing lives and empowered communities. She is a faculty member in the Ed Leadership
Department at the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester, where she also serves
as the Faculty Diversity Officer, the Director of Program Evaluation at the Center for Professional
Development and Education Reform, and is an affiliate faculty of the Center for Urban Education
Success. As a Board of Manager member of the Memorial Art Gallery, Nahoko serves on the Board
Policy and Nominations Committee and Academic Programming Committee, and is currently serving as a
member of the Inclusivity Advisory Committee at the Pittsford Central School District.
Jeffrey LaBarge, Vestry 2025-2028
Jeff began attending services at Christ Church Pittsford in 2023 and was confirmed in 2024. Jeff is a Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Constellation Brands, Inc. Prior to joining CBI, Jeff was a partner at the law firm of Nixon Peabody LLP.
Jeff grew up in Blue Point, NY (Suffolk County, Long Island), received a BS from SUNY Stony Brook and a JD from Rutgers Law School. Jeff and his wife Kristen live in Pittsford, NY with Kristen’s two children Ella (20) and Brendan (17). Jeff has two children from a prior marriage: Madison (24) and Sasha (21). In his free time, Jeff likes to exercise, read and play drums.
Laura Norris, Vestry 2025-2028
One fine Sunday in 1999, my family started and ended our “church search” with one visit to Christ Church. This is where I found my first true church home. My life has been deeply enriched by the worship, music, wonderful parish community, and fellowship here. I’ve also learned a tremendous amount and made great friends serving in a variety of ways over the years: Outreach Committee, Sunday School, Altar Guild, Lay Reader, Greeter, Bell Choir, Usher, Diocesan Delegate, and Counter. This church is very important to me and our community, so I’m looking forward to serving Christ Church on the Vestry.
My husband, Ron, and I live in Pittsford; we have one daughter. Outside of church, by day, I work as a Sr. Project Director in Xerox Financial Services managing Capital Market Operations and I serve on the Finance Committee of Young Women’s College Prep Charter School. By night (or very early morning), I like to exercise, read, knit, sing, and play the ukulele.
Mike Kramer, Vestry 2023-2026
Mike and his wife, Lori have lived in Rochester for 34 years. They have a son Matthew. Mike and
Lori have attended Christ Church for 10 years. Mike has been an usher for the last three years.
Mike retired from the Unitversity of Rochester. He enjoys playing golf and working in his garden.
Richard Smith, Vestry 2023-2026
I grew up in the United Kingdom and was confirmed in the Church of England while studying at university, having fallen in love with its balance of tradition and intellectual openness, as well as the simple beauty of its liturgical and musical traditions. My wife Laura and I have been attending Christ Church since 2010. This wonderful parish community is where our twins, Colin and Dorothy, were baptized in 2013,
and where we continue to grow in faith as a family. I know we face many challenges over the coming years and I look forward to working with my fellow vestry members and the wider parish family as we emerge from the pandemic and focus on growing and reaching out to our community with the love of Jesus Christ!
Laurie Sorge, Vestry 2024-2027
I am honored to be asked to serve on the vestry at Christ Church. I have been an active member of this church for the better part of 45 years. I have served as a Sunday School teacher, lay reader, chalice bearer, Altar Guild and the co leader of Caregivers. I believe my experience and involvement will serve me well on Vestry and look forward to contributing to the mission of Christ Church.