2016 vestry nomination bios, pohick church

7/21/2019 2016 Vestry Nomination Bios, Pohick Church

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2016 VESTRY NOMINATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

Henry J. “Hank” Foresman, Jr.

Occupation: Department of the Army Civilian, Director of Washington Office, United States

Army Central/Third Army.Current and Previous Church Committees and Related Activities: Education for Ministry,Lay Eucharistic Minister, Usher Guild and Docent Guild

Community Participation: Sons of the American Revolution, VMI Alumni Association – Potomac RiverChapter.

Personal Ministry: To help Pohick Church continue to grow in its mission of bringing the teaching ofChrist to a troubled world.

Brent Ashley Goeller

Occupation: I.T. Recruiter for Vigilant Services / Student at NOVA / Army sergeant

Current and Previous Church Committee and Related Activities: Vestry and YouthCoordinator, St. Andrews, Lawton, OK; Church Choir, St. Christopher, Killeen, TX;Choir, Pohick Church.

Community Participation: Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Pohick Church; Hospitality House, Osan AB,South Korea; The Corner Table.

Personal Ministry: I bring a much needed military family perspective to the table. I know what singlesoldiers, married soldiers, and military families need from their church and how to make it happen. I wantto help members of the military community find their way to Pohick.

Katherine Hayes Kirkland

Occupation: Administrator

Current and Previous Church Committee and Related Activities: I am currently involved inthe Martha Guild, Usher Duty, Acolyte Shepherd, Coffee Hour Host, Agape, theCommunications Commission, the Renovations Committee, Apple butter, Fair volunteer and

the Prayer Shawl Ministry. My most recent previous activities were service on the Vestry 2012-2014 andas Vestry Register 2013-2014. Having been a Pohick parishioner since 1976 I have also been involved ina number of other activities over the years including teaching Sunday School, leading the Senior HighEYC, participating in the adult mission trips and service on various committees..

Community Participation: At the current time, thanks to my job obligations, I focus on my Pohickactivities but since many of those involve community participation, I don’t feel I am shirking mycommunity responsibilities.

Personal Ministry: I learned a great deal more about the life of the parish, its multiple ministries, andparish administration during my first term on the Vestry than I had known about in spite of being anactive parishioner for as many years as I have. My personal ministry is to get as many people as possibleinvolved in at least one activity. One of my fellow ushers commented on a recent Sunday that almost halfthe people at the service were in the choir (Bell, Adult and Children’s), acolytes, ushers, or LEMs. Hesaid it as if this were a negative thing. I think this is a very positive thing. However, I also want to explorehow to both increase our membership and to learn why some of our parishioners have either left entirelyor have cut back on participation.



Susan L. Rose Pehrsson

Occupation: Director, Navy Technology Center for Safety and Survivability at NavalResearch Laboratory

Current and Previous Church Committee and Related Activities: I have been a member ofPohick Church my entire life and have had the opportunity to participate in many activities

over the years. Currently, I am a member of the Martha Guild and I serve at coffee hour. Over the years, Ihave lead Children’s Chapel, taught Sunday School, led EYC, served on the Vestry, and was a member ofthe Guild of the Christ Child.

Community Participation: I am currently the Springfield District representative to the Fairfax CountyPublic School Advanced Academic Program Advisory Committee. In the past year, I served on the LBSSPTSA, mentored a FIRST Robotics Team, led Girl Scout Troop 960, was the publicity chair for the LBSSBaccalaureate Ceremony Committee.

Personal Ministry: Pohick Church has always been an important part of my life. I want to see the churchwell maintained and the Parish strong and active in the community. Over the last 25 years, my activitieshave been focused on the youth, serving in both Sunday school and EYC. Recently, I have becomeinterested in community outreach.

Doug Lee Smith

Occupation: Engineer

Current and Previous Church Committees and Related Activities: Currently a Sundayschool teacher since 1995, EYC advisor since 2012, Greeter since mid-90s, Brotherhood ofSt. Andrew since late 90s and coordinator of the Gunston Partners Program since 2010.

Past activities included: one Vestry term (Outreach and Pastoral Care), Usher (1982-1995), StewardshipCommittee (in the 1990s), and limited participation on Finance, Building and Grounds, and RenovationsCommittees.

Community Participation: Cub Scouts Committee Member and Treasurer, Boy Scout AssistantScoutmaster and Summer Camp Coordinator, Neighbor Swim Team Meet Official.

Personal Ministry: I love this church and our parishioners, and I want to help to make it an even betterplace for us all to worship, spread God’s love, and support or community.

Rita Stankwitz

Occupation: Volunteer Chaplain, Homemaker, Evangelist

Current and Previous Church Committee and Related Activities: Docent Guild (asst.director), Sunday School Teacher (Jr./Sr. High), Community of Hope, Early MusicEnsemble, Flower Guild, Bell Choir substitute, Altar Guild, Christmas Mart Decorator and

Waitress, Gunston Hall Elementary Tutor Substitute.

Community Participation: Volunteer chaplain – Mt. Vernon Hospital

Personal Ministry: My first priority is always to bring the joy of being a child of God, a sister in ChristJesus, to every interaction that the Lord blesses me with each day. As concerns this call to run for theVestry of Pohick Church, there are two stewardship concerns I would like the vestry to consider first; asregards revenue, all guilds and facilities of Pohick Church should be encouraged to give the first 190% ofproceeds from any event for which a fee is collected, unrestricted to the general fund. Second, as a vestryand a parish we should give serious consideration to moving to an 8am and 10am Sunday Serviceschedule year round. This would greatly ease the scheduling difficulties for many of the groups whoserve.



Eric Mines Thorson

Occupation: Inspector General of the U.S. Department of the Treasury

Current and Previous Church Committees and Related Activities: Lay Eucharistic Minister(LEM) at Pohick and in several churches in CA, DC, and VA for over 35 years; Vestrymember of St. Peters in the Woods, Fairfax Station, VA.

Community Participation: I have served in numerous positions within a wide variety of communities, toinclude: President and Chairman of the Board of the Association of Graduates, U.S. Air Force Academy;Chairman of the Council of Inspectors General for Financial Oversight; Member, Council of IntelligenceCommunity Inspectors General; Board member, Recovery, Accountability and Transparency Board(oversight of $700B Economic Stimulus Package)

Personal Ministry: To continue as a Lay Eucharistic Minister. I hope to provide support to the Rector andthe Vestry as a Vestry member, offering whatever my experiences and background can provide to thegrowth of Pohick Church.

YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATE

Isabel Hogg

Current and Previous Church Committee and Related Activities:

• Choir: I have been a part of the choirs here at Pohick for the past 11 years.First with St. Francis and the past seven years with St. Cecelia’s and St. Alban’s choirs.

• Acolyte: I have served as an Acolyte for the past eight years. As a high schoolstudent I serve as a Large Cross at all three services.

• Sunday School: I have been an active student for all my time at Pohick. I also help out with theyounger grade students as a substitute Door Person, and I have helped out with the ChristmasPageant.

• EYC: I am a active participant in all aspects of EYC, from individual retreats, to weekly meetings,and all the fund raising and support. I have been on two youth mission trips

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Vacation Bible School: I have attended and have been a teacher’s aid in several Vacation BibleSchool classes.

• Baby Sitting and Lock-up: I provide babysitting services for various adult encounters here a Pohick,plus I have been the alternate weekend lock-up youth sexton.

Community Participation:

• Venture Scouts and Girl Scouts: I was a Girl Scout and have progressed to Venture Scouts. Weparticipate in some community outreach and service projects. I support several Eagle Scout projects.

• Gunston Tutoring: Last year I was a Tuesday Night tutor for a first grader.

• LCAC Christmas Party: I have helped support this outreach effort.

• South Run Park Clean-up: As part of my school’s cross country team we do annual trail clean-up atSouth Run Park.

Personal Ministry and why you would make an excellent Vestry Youth Representative: I think I am a goodvoice for the Youth of Pohick in presenting our concerns and opinions. I believe I can help the Vestrymove forward with the various issues that concern the Parish.

2016 vestry nomination bios, pohick church

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