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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.

Having been a member of Christ Church Pittsford for 13 years, I’ve had the pleasure of serving on the Vestry, Stewardship Committee, assisting in Sunday School, and most recently on the Rector Search Committee.  Our welcoming community, spirit of inclusivity, and deep faith in God’s love for all constantly inspire me to carry those same principles into all my interactions beyond our church walls.  

As a parish, we have an exciting new chapter ahead, as well as challenges to overcome.  My background in health and wellness, communications, change management, and non-profit development all provide unique skills to apply to the role of warden. I’d be honored to serve as warden to ensure Kevin Gore has the support he needs during his transition and to help us grow in both faith and reach. 

My son, Nathan (16), and I reside in Brighton.  Outside of church, you’ll find me volunteering with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, enjoying nature with my dog, or on the side of a tennis court cheering Nathan on! 

Joyce and I found our “church home” and married at Christ Church in April 1976.  We are blessed with three children and four grandchildren.  I am semi-retired and enjoy golf almost daily in season. Joyce and I have been fortunate enough to include some overseas travel in the last couple of years and hope to continue doing that. In the past I have served on Vestry, been involved with the property committee, ushered, serve as a Chalice Bearer, and occasional dish washer. My hope for serving on Vestry is to help plant a firm foundation for the future of Christ Church.  I am very grateful for this opportunity!
 

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.

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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 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.

Jeff began attending services at Christ Church Pittsford in 2023 and was confirmed in 2024. Jeff is a Senior Vice President 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.  In his free time, Jeff likes to exercise, read and play drums.

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 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.

I began attending Christ Church Pittsford eleven years ago as a result of Laurie Sorge encouraging me to “try it out”. After one visit, I have never stopped attending. My background is in Education. First as a teacher of orthopedically handicapped 1st first and 2nd second graders in the Rochester City School District. Then, I became a student again completing my Masters and Doctorate in Reading Education.
I returned to Rochester in 1975 as a faculty member at Nazareth University and retired in 2010 as the Associate Vice President of Graduate Studies.
 
I have become active in the church as a member of the Finance Committee, Usher, Reader and Counter. As Clerk of the Vestry for the past several years, I have had the opportunity to learn the responsibility of the Vestry and look forward to being an active member.
 
A Huge thank you to Christ Church Pittsford for helping me to grow in so many ways.
 

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.