Elders
(* denotes committee chair)
Judy Brown, Class of 2023
Nominating*
Judy was born in Mechanicsburg, PA and confirmed as a member of Wesley United Methodist Church in 5th grade. She married Terry 49 years ago in his Presbyterian Church in Mechanicsburg, a choice made due to his special relationship with the pastor. They moved to Columbia in 1978 and joined Columbia Baptist Fellowship where Judy served as a Deacon. More than 25 years ago the family became members at CMPC. Their two children, Tara and Aaron, attended CMPC nursery school. They are blessed with 5 grandchildren. Judy, a registered nurse, retired 4 years ago from Howard County General Hospital where she spent 34 years in nursing and hospital administration including the positions of Chief Nursing Officer and Sr. Vice President responsible for Quality and Patient Safety. She has master’s degrees in Administration and in Nursing from Johns Hopkins University. Judy has served at CMPC on the nominating committee and currently is a member of the Fellowship Committee. She participates in the Monday Women’s Bible Study Group. She looks forward to serving in a more active role at CMPC.
Philip Davies, Class of 2023
Mission and Local Outreach*
Philip is a lifelong Presbyterian. He and his wife Maha have been members of CMPC since 1994. He previously served as an Elder and has been a faithful member of the Mission Committee for many years. He looks forward to being a sitting Elder again and continuing to build and diversify the mission component of CMPC through encouraging local, national, and global missions in God’s kingdom, demonstrating the love of Christ, and increasing awareness about this vital work. Now retired, Philip has enjoyed a 40-year career in humanitarian relief and development with leading international nonprofit organizations. He held senior management positions in the field and at headquarters with Save the Children and American Near East Refugee Aid, among others. Presently, he serves on several nonprofit boards, including Bridge of Hope Baltimore. Philip has a BA in Sociology from Muskingum University and an MA in Anthropology and Near East Studies from the University of Michigan and speaks Arabic and French.
Rick Mills, Class of 2023
Property * Co-Chair
Rick Mills has been a member of CMPC for over 25 years, where he and his wife had 2 children grow up in the church and the LOGOS program. He served as a volunteer in the LOGOS program for most of those years. Rick has been an Electrical System Engineer at NASA for over 35 years. He enjoys working on cars and renovations in the home, completing the kitchen a few years ago and is getting ready to remodel the master bath. Rick has served as a Deacon and Elder as well as an at-large member of the property committee in the past, and is looking forward to serving as an Elder again during these changing and growing times
Don Mitchell, Class of 2023
Personnel*
Don and his wife, Pam, have been members of CMPC for 35 years. Both of them are lifelong Presbyterians having grown up in the same church in St. Louis, MO and then married in that church within days of their graduations from their colleges. Both their children, Jeff and Liz, were raised in CMPC and married in our sanctuary. Don has served at three Presbyterian congregations either as an elder or deacon, one of which is CMPC. In addition to serving on Session at CMPC, Don played active roles in the two capital campaigns that raised funds for the improvements to our building. He looks forward to the day when the pandemic is contained so that the blessings provided by the building improvements can be put to full use.
Debbie O’Neal, Class of 2023
Christian Education * Co-Chair
Debbie grew up in North Carolina and was raised in the Baptist church. Throughout her life, her family was active in many of the programs in their church. She and her husband moved to Columbia in the 1980s. After meeting neighbors who attended CMPC, they joined the church about 30 years ago. Her two daughters were baptized at CMPC and grew up attending programs like Sunday School, VBS, and Youth Club/LOGOS. As a member of Christ Memorial, Debbie has served as a teacher in the Sunday School, Sunday Experience, and LOGOS programs. She has also enjoyed working with preschoolers during VBS. For several years she served on the Christ Memorial Christian Preschool board. Debbie enjoyed a 42 year career in Baltimore County as a department chair and social studies teacher and especially enjoyed the years she taught AP U.S. History. She retired in 2014 to help take care of her grandchildren. A special joy of retirement was being able to bring her grandchildren to our preschool. Debbie has previously served as a Deacon and Elder at CMPC and looks forward to once again putting her faith in action by serving as an Elder.
Sue Ashman, Class of 2024
Mission and Local Outreach
Sue been a member of CMPC for over 14 years. She grew up in a Christian family and was raised in the Lutheran Church. She has served in numerous leadership roles at both CMPC and other churches, and served for several years on the staff at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in King of Prussia, PA. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the non-profit Bridge of Hope Greater Baltimore Region. Most recently at CMPC, she has been active with LOGOS, Mission and Local Outreach, the Preschool Board, and the Capital Campaign. With her husband Bob, they have three adult children (Steve, Brianna and Courtney) and three precious grandchildren. Sue has also maintained her favorite hobby and part-time direct sales business with Close to My Heart (scrapbooking and stamping) for over 25 years. Sue loves the Lord and thanks God for the opportunity to serve Him.
Delores McBirney, Class of 2024
Stewardship
Delores was born in Rising Sun, Maryland, but at an early age moved to Marion, Virginia. She was a member of the Methodist Church and attended Emory and Henry College, graduating with a B.S. degree in chemistry. She moved to Maryland and worked at NIH. She met her husband on a blind date. She attended a Methodist Church in Bethesda where they were married.
Delores and her husband, Dick, have been attending CMPC for 57 years. Their two children, Patricia and Valerie, were both baptized by Reverend Salango. They have five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
In the past, she has attended Bible study at CMPC, served as a Deacon, worked with the Cold-Weather Shelter, been a nursery coordinator and a teller. She enjoys gardening, playing bridge, bicycling, and traveling. She volunteered in the N.E.S.T. (Network for Endangered Sea Turtles) program on the Outer Banks; her four granddaughters have also volunteered.
She is honored to be asked to serve as an Elder.
Craig Nienhuis, Class of 2024
Property
Craig and his wife, Julie have been part of the CMPC community since 2007 when the oldest of their three sons attended Christ Memorial Christian Preschool. Craig was born and raised in Bethesda, Maryland and attended Fourth Presbyterian Church in Potomac, Maryland until he was a young adult. Craig has 3 sons, Peter, Ryan and Chase and is an active leader in their Boy Scout Troop. After working in the restaurant business for many years as General Manager he decided to change careers and paved his way into the IT field as a Senior Systems Integration Engineer working for an IT company in Timonium. Craig has had the pleasure of serving on the Property and Communications committees recently and looks forward to continuing to serve and grow with the Church.
Jeff Bloom, Class of 2025
Finance*
Jeff Bloom has been attending CMPC for over 30 years, and has been a member since his Confirmation in 1993. He has previously served as a Deacon, on the Nominating Committee, as the chairperson of the most recent Pastor Nominating Committee, and as current chair of the Finance Committee. You may also see him in the choir loft from time to time, trying to carry a tune. Jeff resides in Howard County with his wife Alexis, and sons Scotty (11), PJ (9), and Ty (5). He enjoys playing and watching sports, and getting involved in all of his kids’ activities. Jeff is humbled to be nominated for the position of Elder at CMPC, the only church that he has every really called home.
Gil Burckart, Class of 2025
Worship*
Gilbert Burckart grew up in Western Pennsylvania in the Presbyterian Church. He eventually became a Deacon in the church that he grew up in before going to college in Pittsburgh and to graduate school in Kentucky. Gil eventually moved back to Pittsburgh, where his two children grew up and went to school. Gil’s specialty has always been pediatrics, and he has been the leader of a church youth group along the way. His wife Mae is originally from Beijing, China, and is also a pharmacist. Gil has five grandchildren in Connecticut and North Carolina, ages 8 to 20 years. Gil and Mae moved to Columbia in 2008, and have been coming to CMPC since then. Gil has served as a Deacon at CMPC, and served on the Membership and Hospitality Committee during that time. As an Elder in CMPC, Gil has served on the Missions Committee and the Worship and Music Committee, currently serving as the chair of the latter.
Jim Cardea, Class of 2025
Nominating
Jim Cardea was born and raised in New Jersey where he was a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Cherry Hill. Shortly after graduating from McDaniel College, Jim moved to Columbia, Maryland. He has been attending CMPC since the early 1990s. Jim and his wife, Frances, currently reside in Fulton, Maryland. All three of their children, Jaimie, Katie and Kelly, have participated in CMPC’s Sunday Experience and/or LOGOS programs. Jim graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law and is a partner with the law firm of Baird Mandalas Brockstedt Federico & Cardea, LLC. When not practicing law, Jim is an avid sports fan who has coached various youth sports. He enjoys traveling and spending time with his family in Bethany Beach, Delaware. Jim is very much looking forward to serving as an Elder and taking on a more active role at CMPC.
Josh Gliptis, Class of 2025
Property*
Josh Gliptis has been attending CMPC since 2015. Josh has served on the Property Committee, the Kitchen Committee, and on the Leadership Team for LOGOS since 2019. Josh lives in Howard County with his wife Licia, son Alexander (9) and daughter Victoria (7). Josh is a licensed Professional Engineer and works at the Howard County Department of Public Works in the Utilities Bureau which oversees the County’s water and wastewater infrastructure. Josh originally grew up in Western Pennsylvania north of Pittsburgh and was raised in the Presbyterian Church. He has remained a Presbyterian during and after college at Penn State University and looks forward to contributing to the mission and leadership of CMPC.
Janene Holzberg, Class of 2025
Clerk of Session
Janene Holzberg began attending CMPC in 1961 with her parents, the late John and Mildred Zacharias, and her three siblings, one of whom is Karen Hawker. She and her husband Peter were married by the Rev. James Salango in 1976 and have two adult children, Jessica and Tim. A retired Baltimore Sun journalist, Janene has been Clerk of
Session since 2015 and previously served as a deacon for 5 years and as an elder. Janene is looking forward to a second term as she continues to serve as Clerk.
John Kim, Class of 2025
Finance
John Kim grew up in Salisbury, MD where he met his wife, Lindsey; together they have two children, Zoe and Evan. He has been a member of CMPC since 2012 and has previously served as an Elder. John has been on the Christian Education
Committee, the Membership & Hospitality Committee, volunteers for LOGOS and assists with the Sunday service audio livestream. He is a fan of golf, Terps, Ravens and the O’s hon. He also likes hiking, long walks on the beach, and cozy campfires. John is honored to be asked to serve as Elder and to be part of the CMPC family.
Allison Miller, Class of 2025
Worship
Allison Miller moved to Maryland in 1994 and soon found her new church home at CMPC. She grew up in the 1st Presbyterian Church in Johnstown, PA, where she was an active member of her church youth group, choir, and a camper at Pine Springs Camp. She graduated from Westminster College with a degree in English and got her Master of Arts in Teaching from Towson University and her Administration and Supervision Certificate from Johns Hopkins School of Education. Since joining CMPC, she has participated in LOGOS, the Trinity Choir, VBS, and was a Nursery Attendant for many years. She also served as an Elder. She and her husband, Tim, are the proud parents of two adult daughters, Hannah and Emma, who were baptized at CMPC and participated in LOGOS and VBS. Allison has been an educator with HCPSS for the last 25 years. She is looking forward to seeing where God is leading her as a member of Session.
Jennifer Weinel, Class of 2025
Finance, Stewardship*
Jennifer Weinel joined CMPC in November 2019. She has served on CMPC’s Stewardship Committee for the last two years and is proud to be a member of CMPC’s Trinity Choir. She transferred to CMPC from Havenwood Presbyterian Church in Timonium, MD, where she grew up singing in the Youth and then adult/Chancel Choirs. She was also a Youth Group mission trip leader, Deacon and Elder at Havenwood. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a Minor in Business Administration
from the North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, North Carolina and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore, School of Law in Baltimore, Maryland. Jennifer is a Corporate Director and Assistant General Counsel for a major defense contractor where she leads a team of attorneys who support the company in meeting the national security and foreign policy objectives of the United States. Jennifer is also a Past President and now Advisor to the Society for International Affairs (SIA), a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the international trade community on all aspects of technology transfer by providing a forum for the exchange of information on the export and import process. In her free time, she loves to travel and spend time relaxing at her Deep Creek Lake, MD house.
Deacons
(* denotes committee chair)
Rachael Bis, Class of 2023
Communications*
Rachael Bis grew up in Bowie, MD where she was baptized at and attended Grace Presbyterian Church in Lanham. She and her husband, Rick, were married at Grace Presbyterian shortly before moving to Michigan for graduate school. After completing graduate school, they moved to Ohio (where their daughters, Evie and Marie were born) and then back to Maryland in 2015. Rachael joined the CMPC congregation in 2016 and her parents, Mark and Janice Ramirez are also members. Over the years, Rachael has taught Sunday school, VBS, led youth group and served as an AV operator at the churches that her family has been part of. She looks forward to serving at CMPC and continuing to grow in her faith.
Kris Bloom, Class of 2023
Care and Wellness*
Kris Bloom was born in Stamford, CT and was baptized in Philadelphia in the Presbyterian church where her parents were married. She has lived in several states along the east coast. She was confirmed at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newark DE. She met her husband, Stuart, in Buffalo, NY. They moved to Columbia in 1987 and she joined Christ Memorial shortly after arriving here. They have two children, Jeff and Carin. Jeff and his wife and sons are still active at CMPC. Carin lives in Summerville, SC. Kris was a teacher for 35 years, the last 22 in Howard County. She is now retired and enjoys travel (non-Covid times), reading, crafts, and playing Mah Jongg. Kris has been on Care & Wellness Committee for many years and feels that this is where she can contribute the most to the church, as well as helping with VBS. This will be her second time being a Deacon at CMPC and she also served as a Deacon at Deerhurst Presbyterian Church in Kenmore, NY before moving to Columbia. Kris considers it an honor to once again be nominated to serve as Deacon at CMPC.
Eleanor Orndorff, Class of 2023
Care and Wellness
Eleanor and her husband, Jeff, have been members of CMPC since November 2000. They are long-time residents of Allview Estates and have two children, Michael and Caryn, and three grandchildren. Eleanor has previously served on the Board of Deacons as well as being a member of the Care & Wellness Committee, the Prayer Shawl Ministry and the Monday morning Women’s Bible Study Group. She also helps out with LOGOS as a shopper and table-setter. Eleanor is honored to be serving as a deacon once again and is looking forward to being more actively involved in CMPC.
John Salkeld, Class of 2023
Membership and Hospitality
John, his wife Jean, and their two sons moved to Columbia in 1989. The family joined CMPC within a year of arrival. John held multiple positions in the field of Commercial Logistics and recently retired after spending several years as a private consultant. He joined the Trinity Choir several years ago and hopes to stay active in church activities. John was privileged to serve as a Deacon while the family lived in Erie, PA, and is looking forward to serving God and the CMPC church family.
Linda Shields, Class of 2023
Membership and Hospitality
Linda Shields and her husband Jim joined CMPC in 2017, after being members of another Presbyterian church in the area for 30 years. Both are retired from Federal government service, Linda as a mathematician and Jim as a computer systems manager. They moved to Maryland immediately after graduating from Indiana University and have been here ever since. They have two grown children who live in the area and two grandchildren who live nearby in Elkridge. Linda grew up in Indiana, not far from Bloomington. Her church roots are in a congregation of the United Church of Christ founded by German immigrants to Indiana, of which her great-grandfather was one. She, her mother, and her grandfather were all confirmed in that small church. Linda served her previous church as a leader of a women’s group and through committee membership and volunteer projects. She is currently a member of the Stewardship Committee at CMPC and is looking forward to becoming more involved in the work of the congregation through service as a deacon.
John Fieldsend, Class of 2024
Communications
Colleen Hughes, Class of 2024
Membership and Hospitality*
Colleen grew up in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, and attended The Church of God. Her paternal grandmother was a founder of the church. Setting a firm foundation, Grandma Rooney instilled in Colleen the importance of God in her life. Colleen and her husband Tim moved to Columbia in 1974. They have been married for 49 years and have two adult children, Ryan and Erin. They have been blessed with five beautiful grandchildren, 4 granddaughters and one grandson. Colleen enjoys quilting, reading and spending time with her family and playing with their dog, Lucy. Colleen has been an active member of CMPC for eighteen years and served two terms as a Deacon. She has faithfully served on the Fellowship Committee, Care and Wellness, Membership and Hospitality Committee, participates in the CARE Group Ministry, volunteers at the Cold Weather Shelter, attends the Women’s Bible study and helps to shop and set up for LOGOS. Colleen looks forward to serving the church community as a Deacon.
Natalie Dowgiewicz, Class of 2025
Membership and Hospitality
Natalie Dowgiewicz was born and raised in Columbia, MD. She attended OLPH (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) Catholic church and school. In high school she became involved in FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools). Natalie
and Kevin have 4 children, Tyler (21), Lucy (10), Veronica (7) and Alexandra (4). The girls attended/attend Christ Memorial Christian Preschool and that is how they were introduced to the church. In 2019, the family became members. Natalie has enjoyed volunteering with the homeless shelter, at VBS, LOGOS and during Sunday experience. Natalie is a physical therapist and is looking forward to returning to work. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, reading, and coaching her daughter’s
soccer team. She looks forward to serving the church.
Tom Engle, Class of 2025
Care and Wellness
A lifelong Presbyterian, Tom Engle has resided in Howard County with wife Meg since the mid 1970s. Tom retired in 2006 from a 34 year Federal career, the last 20 years of which were spent as a budget analyst with the USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service in Riverdale, MD. Parents of three grown children (Meaghan, Bruce, and Ben), Tom and Meg now enjoy the blessings of grandchildren (Lindsay, Bennett, Miles, Kadri, and Erika) and endeavor to spoil them at every opportunity. In recent years, Tom has operated a small used vinyl record shop in Historic Ellicott City. A former member of CMPC, Tom rejoined the church in 2016 with the encouragement of longtime friend Joy Exner who welcomed him back “home” to the Trinity Choir, continuing a tradition of both his father and grandfather who also sang in their church choirs. Since reaffirming membership in this congregation, Tom continues to sing in the Choir, serves on the Care &Wellness Committee, is part of the
Visioning Group, and enjoys volunteering in LOGOS and VBS. Tom looks forward to continuing these activities and actively working to further the mission of our congregation and grow in faith.
Laura Frantz, Class of 2025
Care and Wellness
Laura Frantz Laura is a lifelong Presbyterian, originally from suburban Atlanta, GA. She married her high school sweetheart, Bob, in 1985. They are blessed to have an adult daughter, Liz, son-in-law Adam and grandson Eli, who live in Germantown. While the family was living in NJ in the 1990s, Laura finished her masters degree and became a certified special education teacher (taught at Pointers Run Elementary School in Clarksville from 2002 until retirement in 2018). She was ordained as an elder shortly after Liz was born and served as clerk of session at Hope Presbyterian Church in Lakewood, NJ. When the family moved to Clarksville, Maryland in 2001, Laura transferred her membership to CMPC. Over the years, Laura has been active in the Prayer Shawl Ministry, Fellowship Committee, Care & Wellness Committee, LOGOS, and the Women For Women group. She served as a Deacon at CMPC 2017-2019. Laura has been singing in the Trinity Choir for over 20 years and considers music, especially singing, an integral part of worship. She is looking forward to serving again as a Deacon, trusting that God will equip her with the spiritual gifts needed for this new role.
Peter Gallagher, Class of 2025
Fellowship
Peter Gallagher grew up in Bethesda, Maryland where he was a member of 4th Presbyterian Church. During his time there he served as a counselor for both middle school and high school age youth. After graduating from The University of Georgia, Peter and Heather lived in Cincinnati, Ohio where Peter began his career as a corporate insurance broker. After the birth of their first child, Ben, Peter and Heather moved back to Maryland and settled in Columbia. Peter became a member of Christ Memorial Presbyterian Church in 2005. He has enjoyed watching his three children Ben (18), Emma (14) and Ally (7) grow up within this amazing church community. Peter serves on the LOGOS kitchen committee and there sees first hand the good work the church does with the youth at CMPC. Peter looks forward to serving the church and community in the role of Deacon at Christ
Memorial Presbyterian Church.
Jan Keister, Class of 2025
Care and Wellness*
Jan Keister has been a member of CMPC for about 25 years. After enrolling her young children in LOGOS, she and Dave both fell in love with CMPC and decided to join. She has served two previous terms on the Board of Deacons but took several years
off to provide daycare for her granddaughters, Riley and Joey. Jan, Dave and their son John live in the Maple Lawn community in Fulton. Her daughter, Sarah Trodden lives right down the street with her husband Tom and their two daughters, Riley and
Joey. Jan is a graduate of the University of Maryland and has spent most of her adult life as a volunteer, housewife, stay-at-home mother and grandmother, as well as caregiver to her mother, father and father-in-law. She is so grateful to be part of such a warm and welcoming church community and feels it is an honor and privilege to serve on the Board of Deacons.
Laura Jean Michels-Graybeal, Class of 2025
Fellowship
Laura Jean Michels-Graybeal grew up in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia, PA where she attended and was confirmed at Media Presbyterian Church. Laura Jean earned her masters degree in Occupational Therapy at Elizabethtown College and it was
there that she met her now husband, Drew Graybeal. Following completion of her graduate internships, Laura Jean relocated to Howard County in 2009 where she began her professional career at Children’s National Medical Center before eventually transitioning to school-based practice at the Katherine Thomas School in Rockville. She has two children, Molly and Jacob and together they began attending CMPC in 2018 after trying out the Vacation Bible School program earlier that summer. She was part of the new members class that joined in November of 2019. Laura Jean and her kids have enjoyed being a part of LOGOS since 2019 and she is currently serving on the LOGOS leadership board. Laura Jean is grateful to the CMPC community for the warm and family centered welcome the church has provided and she looks forward to supporting this community and growing within her own faith journey while taking on the new role of Deacon.
Mary Ray, Class of 2025
Fellowship
My name is Mary Lyman Ray and I have been a member of CMPC since I moved to Columbia over forty years ago. I grew up in Garden City, NY, and attended a Baptist church until we moved to Stony Brook where I was a member of a nondenominational Christian church. My mother and both of my grandmothers were very instrumental in my faith journey. I was blessed with wonderful role models. I am a retired Howard County middle school science teacher. My adult children, Meredith, David, and Kevin, all live in the area. They all attended CMPC preschool and church. I am blessed to have two grandsons, Will and Henry French; and three granddaughters, Emma, Kirsten, and Mia Ray. I spend my free time traveling, playing with my grandkids, getting together with friends, and exercising. I have taken up pottery at HCC which I love. I have spent my years at CMPC being active in the choir, working at VBS and LOGOS, attending Circle groups and Bible Basics, and being both a Deacon and an Elder. I am honored to be serving as a Deacon once again and look forward to being more actively involved in CMPC.
Bill Ryder, Class of 2025
Membership and Hospitality
Bill Ryder and his wife Sally have been members of CMPC since 1978. Their children attended preschool here and grew up in this church. Bill has sung in the Choir, served on the Nominating Committee twice, the Care and Wellness Committee, and as a Deacon. He is currently on the Stewardship Committee. Having retired from government service as an engineer, Bill enjoys cycling, making things from wood, and cooking. He looks forward to serving the Church as a Deacon for the second time.
Tom Trodden, Class of 2025
Fellowship*
Tom Trodden was born and raised in Lanham, Maryland. He was brought up in the Catholic Church and attended DeMatha Catholic High School. Upon graduation from the University of Maryland in 2004, Tom joined the Howard County Police Department.
Tom began attending services at CMPC in 2008 with his now wife Sarah. He instantly felt at home and connected to the Church. Tom and Sarah were married at CMPC in 2010 and both of their children, Riley and Josephine, were baptized here. Tom
has volunteered with LOGOS for the past several years and serves on the LOGOS leadership team. In his free time, Tom plays ice hockey and manages Howard County’s police and fire hockey team. Tom is honored to have the opportunity to further serve God and all His children here at CMPC.