Officer Nominees: April 2021 - Old Presbyterian Meeting House
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Officer Nominees: April 2021
Elder, Class of 2022
Shannon Lisecki and her husband Cleve joined the Meeting House in 2006 and attend
regularly with their sons Auggie (15) and Quentin (13). Shannon has served previously as
an Elder in the Education ministry. She has volunteered as a Sunday School teacher and
been a co-director of Vacation Bible School. Shannon works at Tauxemont Cooperative
Preschool which has been all outdoors this year even in the pouring rain and snow. Before
becoming a preschool teacher, she worked in account management at EarthLink, Coca-Cola,
and General Electric. She loves to read, travel, and walk.
Elders, Class of 2022 (Youth)
Abby Berner and her family have been members of the Meeting House community since
2010. She is a sophomore at Wakefield High School and has been playing varsity basketball
there for two years. She likes writing plays for the stage and playing AAU basketball. She
also enjoys going to youth group and drawing.
Zack Berner, his twin sister, and parents have been members of the Meeting House
community since 2010. He is a sophomore at Wakefield High School and an avid swimmer.
In his free time, Zack enjoys playing piano, binge-watching TV shows, and, of course,
swimming.
Elder, Class of 2023
Paul Browne and his wife, Anne, have been members of the Meeting House since 2003.
During that time, Paul has served on the Stewardship Committee and the Nominating
Committee, and has been active in the Children’s Education ministry. He has served as a
Deacon and an Elder. Paul and Anne live in Arlington and have two children: Sam (19), who
is a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh and Frances (17), who is a junior at HB
Woodlawn in Arlington. Paul is a real estate developer and consultant, specializing in the
development and financing of affordable housing. For fun, Paul plays squash, rides his bike,
and follows the Tar Heels.
Elders, Class of 2024
Larry Beam officially became a member of the Meeting House last March, just before
everything shut down due to the pandemic. Before moving to Alexandria with his wife
Terri, he was an active member of Living Savior Lutheran Church in Fairfax Station, VA,
where he served in various roles, including head of the Building Committee for a new
sanctuary. After 42 years working as an Architectural Engineer in various firms in the DC
area, he retired and is currently building an executive leadership coaching business. Larry
1& Terri have two grown children. In his free time Larry loves reading, biking, walking along
the river, traveling, and exploring DC and its museums and galleries.
George Bostick has been a member of the Meeting House since 1979. He has served on
Session, as a member of the Administration, Finance and Adult Education committees, on
prior capital campaigns, and as a Trustee, Clerk of Session and Sunday School teacher. He
and his wife Becky have lived in Alexandria since 1974, and their children, Matt and
Katherine, grew up in the Meeting House. He practiced law with a Washington D.C. law firm
for 35 years before spending six years in the Office of Tax Policy at Treasury during the
Obama administration. These days, he enjoys spending time with family and on the
Alexandria Symphony board and other pro bono activities, a little academic writing and
speaking, travel (when possible), and catching up on reading.
Dan Bradfield joined the Meeting House shortly after moving to Alexandria in the summer
of 2018. He is a member of the Facilities Committee and the Open Table ministry. Dan and
his daughter Evelyn, a kindergartener, live in Old Town and enjoy hiking and exploring
local playgrounds. He is an active-duty civil engineer officer in the Air Force.
Laura Campbell became a member of the Meeting House in 2001. She has served as an
Elder, working on the Stewardship and Finance Committee, and has taught 4th and 5th
grade Sunday school. She has co-chaired the Youth Group Chili Cook-Off and the
Massanetta Retreat. Laura lives in Old Town, with husband Eric Johnson and son Sam. She
is a residential architect and when she’s not working, she enjoys cooking, reading, running,
and spending time with family. One of her most treasured memories is of the day Sam was
baptized at the Meeting House in 2003.
Karis Cavender became a member of the Meeting House in 2008. She has been active in
the church through volunteering at Open Table and serving as a Bridges to Worship
Doorkeeper and a substitute Sunday School teacher. Karis is a physical therapist at Sibley
Hospital. She is married to Joe Cavender and they have two daughters, Natalie and Katie.
Karis spends her free time taking long walks, spending time with her family, and planning
vacations (that she hopes to someday enjoy). She also is looking forward to more frequent
dinners out!
Debbie Farmer and her husband, Mike, joined the Meeting House in 2003. Over the years,
Debbie has been a member of the Membership and Evangelism committee, the History and
Archives committee, and the Celebration! steering group, as well as serving as a Deacon.
She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Cemetery and
Columbarium where she has been working on documenting and preserving the cemetery’s
records. During her career, Debbie worked at the National Academy of Sciences, AT&T Bell
Laboratories, and the World Resources Institute. In retirement, she worked for an antiques
dealer and a local auction house and then spent several summers doing research on
2antiques and the decorative arts at Winterthur Museum and the Museum of Early Southern
Decorative Arts.
Lenore Marema joined the Meeting House over 15 years ago when she moved here from
her hometown of Chicago for a job. She has been a Deacon, the Moderator of the Deacons,
an Elder, Clerk of Session, and currently is on the Administration Ministry. She has
participated in the bag lunch program. She loves cooking, gardening, and the Chicago Cubs.
Since the Cubbies won the World Series in her lifetime, after a 108-year drought, she was
excited to see her adopted Nationals do the same.
Chris Pommerer joined the Meeting House in 2014. Since then, he has served as a Deacon.
Chris works at the Department of State in the Bureau of African Affairs as the Office of
Regional Peace and Security's Deputy Director for Plans and Programs. He is the proud
husband of Susan and proud father of their two sons, John and Jacob.
Deacon, Class of 2022 (Youth)
Lily Seestedt has been a part of the Meeting House community since she was one year old.
Ever since, she has participated in many youth retreats, projects, and services. Two years
ago, she was confirmed into the Church. Lily is a sophomore at T.C. Williams Highschool in
Alexandria. She enjoys playing soccer and field hockey in her free time. Lily also loves to
explore nature with her parents and dog!
Deacons, Class of 2024
Terri Beam became a Meeting House member the week before the COVID shutdown last
year. Terri and her husband Larry moved to Alexandria two years ago after 30 years in
Annandale where they raised their children, Jenny and Kelly. She was very active in their
previous church and oversaw many social ministry events, including a five-year-running
Mardi Gras Auction to raise money for Hurricane Katrina relief and preparing an apartment
soup-to-nuts for a mother and her small children escaping domestic abuse. Terri is an
interior designer and runs her own one-woman residential design firm, Your Nest. She
loves to read, walk, and explore Old Town, and travel.
Jeremy Carl officially became a member of the Meeting House in 2006 after attending on a
regular basis since 2001. He has served as a Sunday school teacher for different grade
levels at OPMH. He is a full-time tennis coach at Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria.
Before teaching tennis, he held various government positions. Jeremy is the husband of
Melissa Carl and proud father of their daughter Maggie. In his free time, he loves walking
his family’s dog Bella, and playing tennis and other sports with Maggie.
In 2016, Carol Christensen joined the Meeting House, where she loves singing in the choir.
She has lived in Alexandria since 1984, the year she married husband Fred in the Meeting
House, though they weren’t church members at the time! Fred, founder of the Hard Times
Cafe restaurant group, passed away last year. She has two now-adult sons: Jonathan and
Ned. In her spare time, she loves to garden, hike, kayak, and backpack (she completed the
3Appalachian Trail in 2015). For 35 years she worked as a painting conservator at the
National Gallery of Art, retiring in 2015.
Julie Church joined the Meeting House 24 years ago. Throughout her years here, she has
previously served as a Deacon and on the Outreach and Children’s Education Committees,
taught children’s Sunday school classes, and volunteered for Vacation Bible School and the
bag lunch program. She also served as Board President of the Meeting House Cooperative
Preschool. Julie currently is a teacher’s assistant at MHCP. Julie and her husband Craig have
four children. Her interests include running, the Washington Nationals, and spending time
with her family.
Tim Elmore has been a Member of the Meeting House since 2002. He and Judi were
married here in 1983 and their daughters Beth & Cate were active in the Youth Group. Tim
has been a member of the Mission Committee and co-leader of the Celebration social group,
has previously served as a Deacon and for several years has organized the Deacons’ Annual
Leslie Sherman Memorial Blood Drive.
Mike Farmer is a 19-year member of the Meeting House. He has served two terms as an
Elder, being actively involved in the Stewardship, Social Justice and Membership and
Evangelism Ministries as well as the Adult Education Committee and Open Table. He is a
retired corporate executive who also worked in university, non-profit and state/federal
government positions. Mike has been married to Deborah for 51 years and is the father of
three daughters and the doting grandfather of six. In retirement, Mike is an avid reader,
takes extended daily walks, is a devoted meditator and, with Debbie, looks forward to
getting back to a regular routine of international travel.
James Lovo has been a member of the Meeting House since the mid-1980s. He has served
as usher captain, as well as multiple tours as head of Buildings and Grounds, member of
Board of Deacon, and led the selection committee for Youth Minister that brought Charlotte
Nance to the Meeting House. He is a retired civilian member of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and was commissioned in the U.S. Army in January 1971. He and his wife Pat
have two adult children, Andrew and Kirsten. He and Pat enjoy spending time with them
and their grandchildren.
Debra McKeown joined the Meeting House with her husband Mick in 1995. She has twice
served as an Elder, moderated the Education and Worship Ministries, taught Sunday School
and Bridges to Worship, directed and taught Vacation Bible School and aspires to judge
desserts at the church picnic. Debra worked on Capitol Hill before Nell and Sarah were
born, when she became a full-time mom-at-home then community volunteer. Most
recently, she has been volunteering at Inova Fairfax Hospital's COVID vaccination clinic.
She is trying out tap dancing and golf and enjoys running, hiking, travel, and is obsessed
with The New York Times cooking community.
Along with his wife Carol (currently on Session and previous Deacon), Jerry Stalun became
members of the Meeting House shortly after moving to Alexandria in 2012. Jerry has
previously served as an Elder and on various committees, including Stewardship & Finance,
4Personnel and Worship, as well as various ministries. Prior to the pandemic, Jerry was the
Church's coordinator of the Meeting House's communion services, as well lay readers and
looks to continue this once back in normal services. After retiring from a 35+ year career in
finance, he has turned his recent caregiving for his brother into a passion for assisting
others going through difficult times, being ordained recently as a Stephen Minister. Jerry
and Carol have two married children and along with their three grandchildren, their lives
are full with Carol's photography interest, golf, fly fishing, Meeting House ministries, family,
and friendships.
Dara Surratt has been a member of the Meeting House for almost 20 years along with her
husband Derrick. She is originally from Illinois and has lived in Alexandria since 2000.
Derrick and Derrick have twin 18-year old daughters, Caroline and Emily, who will be
going off to college in the fall. Over the years at the Meeting House, she has served as both a
Sunday School and Bridges to Worship teacher and supported the youth group by
volunteering in a variety of ways. This will be Dara's second time serving as a Deacon.
Trustee, Class of 2024
Cary Pugh began worshipping at the Meeting House when she moved to the area in 1995.
Since then, she has served as an Elder, Clerk of Session and Trustee, and has been involved
in various ministries, including New Members, Mission, Stewardship, and Administration.
She also served on a pastor nominating committee and has enjoyed the education offerings,
even teaching senior highs on occasion. She is a lawyer by training and a federal judge on
the United States Tax Court by current calling. She keeps out of mischief (kind of) by fly
fishing and pursuing other outdoor adventures and keeping up with family and friends
throughout the country.
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