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The Discernment and Search Team
The Nominating Commission selected members of the Discernment and Search Team using the criteria listed in the left sidebar. The team members have agreed to serve and commit to the extensive time requirements. The Vestry approved this team at their March 9 meeting; the team was commissioned at worship services on March 15, 2009.
The team represents a diverse cross-section of Trinity members. The age range includes 40-something, parents with young children to retirees in their seventies. There are cradle Episcopalians and those who have come from Roman Catholic and other Protestant denominations. There are some lifetime Trinity members and some who have joined the parish in the last 1-15 years. There are 8 o’clockers and 10 a.m. worshipers. The team includes three current vestry members, two former vestry members and two past wardens. There are five Mixed Choir singers, three parents of Trebles, and three church musicians on the team. All have contributed significant hours to parish programs and committees.
Meet the D&S Team:
SALLY AKEL is a long-time Trinity member and community volunteer. She has taught Sunday School and served on the Christian Education Commission. She also coordinated the United Thank Offerings. Sally currently serves on the Altar Guild. Her community activities are numerous: Sally was on the Broome County Council of Churches board for a number of years. She attended the interfaith Parliament of World Religions in South Africa during her tenure with BCCC. She currently serves on the foundation boards of Binghamton University, Roberson, Good Shepherd-Fairview, and the Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation. She is also chair of the Floral Park Cemetery board and treasurer of the gift shop at General Hospital. She was co-chair for the recent Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment capital campaign and she has been a member of the board of the United Methodist Homes. Sally enjoys gardening and holds the rank of Master Gardener. She loves traveling to San Francisco and Washington, DC with husband George to visit their six grandchildren.
CAROLYN ALBAUGH is a church musician and music teacher. A former organist and choir director at Trinity, Carolyn has also served as a Reader-Consultant, Hymnal 1982; Liturgy and Music Chair, Diocese of Central New York; Director, American Guild of Organist National Committee on Educational Resources; Dean, Binghamton Chapter AGO; faculty, Organist-Training Program, Syracuse (Roman Catholic) Diocese. She volunteers at Trinity as a weekly helper in the church office. Carolyn enjoys swimming, books, and needlework, and is also a passionate bird feeder and gardener.
PHYLLIS AMENDA came from California to pursue doctoral studies at Binghamton University. She completed her PhD in history in 2008; her dissertation was on “Episcopalians and Social Justice, 1885-1919.” Phyllis teaches at Broome Community College and works part-time at Wegman’s. She volunteers at Trinity as a worship leader, Eucharistic minister, lector and coordinator of acolytes. She is one of our parish delegates to the diocesan convention. She also served on an ad hoc diocesan committee on the Study of Alternative Relationships. Phyllis loves to cook healthy, read, and do Sudoku puzzles. Phyllis rode horses in rodeos as a young person and once won a prize.
MASHA BRITTEN, Associate Professor in the Decker School of Nursing at Binghamton University, is also a gifted musician. A former Vestry member, she sings in the Mixed Choir and serves on the HAVEN Board and the Mission & Ministry Commission. Masha’s passions are nursing and teaching. She enjoys hiking in the mountains in Switzerland every summer. She loves to read—and does so in French and Spanish. Masha enjoys watching tennis—she once was a good player—and she is an avid BU basketball fan. Go BU Bearcats!
JOHN CHAFFEE was born in China to Presbyterian missionary parents. He is Distinguished Service Professor of History and Director of the Asian and Asian American Studies Program at Binghamton University. John has served Trinity as a Vestry member and Warden and was a member of the Diocesan Board for six years. He was a deputy from the Diocese of Central New York to the General Convention of The Episcopal Church this past summer. John’s hobby is music: he sings in the Trinity choir and the Madrigal Choir of Binghamton.
VIRGINIA CHATTERTON has lived in several cities in Pennsylvania and New York, including Lewisburg , PA where she attended Paul Donecker’s parish. She has spent the last 17 years as a reading teacher in Queens. Virginia retired a year ago and moved to Binghamton to be near family. She now enjoys regular contact with Binghamton grandchildren and babysits twice a week. Virginia, a former church organist, sings in the Trinity choir. She is a member of the Mission & Ministry Commission and has assumed responsibility for scheduling volunteers for Canteen. In her free time, Virginia enjoys reading, embroidery and knitting. She is thrilled to be a recently published author. Her book, Surviving the Game of Life, tells the story of a remarkable young man.
TOM HARDING, a native of the south side of Binghamton, is a firefighter with the City of Binghamton. Tom is a new member of Vestry. He is also chair of the Nominating Commission. Tom is an usher and also serves as an acolyte with daughter Emily. He is a skilled pancake chef; we have enjoyed his cooking at parish breakfasts. He and wife Susanne raise chickens (all are named by Emily) and they have 6-7 fresh eggs daily.
GERRY HOUGH serves as a worship leader, lector, acolyte, Eucharistic minister and member of the Vestry. He is on the Worship & Music Commission and schedules worship leaders and Eucharistic ministers. Gerry has also served as a delegate from our parish to the diocesan convention. He is currently employed by TJX Corporation at their Home Goods store in Vestal. Gerry, wife Susan and daughter Eleanor are members of the Society for Creative Anachronisms which recreates the Middle Ages. Gerry is a Herald and is an expert archer with the longbow.
MARCY KEELER is retired from careers as a church organist and as a staff assistant at Binghamton University. She now volunteers many hours a week preparing Trinity's weekly bulletins, editing the Trinity Times, our monthly newsletter, and maintaining our web site. She sings in the Mixed Choir, serves as a lector and Eucharistic minister, and is a member of the Worship & Music Commission. Marcy serves the D&S Team as communications coordinator. She has frogs in her garden and roosters in her kitchen and she loves to play Scrabble with John.
BARBARA MANZO, chair of the D&S Team, serves as an acolyte, a Eucharistic minister, healing minister, and worship leader. She is also in her third year of EFM (Education for Ministry) training. Barbara is head of the Speech Pathology and Audiology Department at Broome Developmental Center. She shares her home with Sabrina, a retired show dog Sheltie. Barbara plays first base in a women’s over-40 softball league and she enjoys fishing. She loves to read and Philip Yancey is one of her favorite authors.
BIILL PALMER, a former Warden and Vestry member, has served Trinity on (almost) every committee and commission in the parish! Editorial director at Harding House Publishing, Bill was communications chair for our capital campaign. He currently serves on the Canteen Board and Christian Education Commission and is the chair of the Mission & Ministry Commission. An anthropology major in college, Bill has had a lifelong interest in archaeology and anthropology and he is very concerned about the natural environment.
DEBRA PARMELEE, chaplain for the D&S Team, has been a teacher in our Christian education programs for young children. She established our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. Debbie is part-time property manager for the River House. She is an avid reader and gardener.
JEAN SHEA was born and raised at Trinity. She has moved back to Binghamton with her husband, John, and young sons. Jean served on Vestry and she was the first executive director of HAVEN. She is chair of church suppers, volunteers at Canteen, and also teaches a Sunday School class. “Spare time? What spare time?” Jean teaches at the Jewish Community Center Preschool and chauffeurs sons Stephen and Jack to their many activities. She feels she is a taxi driver; her license plate says “CAB."
RICK SHUMAKER is a lifelong member of Trinity. Rick is a lead programmer/analyst in Information Technology Services at Binghamton University in charge of a corps of students who help other students with computer problems. He sings in the Mixed Choir and serves on the Trinity Information Technology Team. A concern for stewardship of rivers and the environment led Rick to a master’s degree in geography and a passion for canoeing.