Vestry Meetings The Vestry or governing council of Old Donation meets on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the library. To view a copy of the most recent minutes, click here. Vestry Members The members of the Old Donation vestry, officers and their commissions are:
| Mary Poteet  | Senior Warden Mary has been a member of ODEC for over 6 year and an Episcopalian for over 30. She is a teacher, a singer, and lover of all things beautiful, particularly the choir and worship at Old Donation. Her husband is a priest in the diocese and Mary has two wonderful sons and two terrific “grands” that she is more than pleased to tell you about.
Mary’s role as Senior Warden means she is chief counsel to our rector and provides leadership for the vestry. We are blessed to have her wisdom and cheery disposition.
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| Marti Jones  | People's Warden, Evangelism I have been a member of ODEC since 1992 and have been involved with several ministries; all of which are my favorite! They include the St. Cecelia choir, a bread taker for the Bake and Take ministry, a member of the Paws, Prayers, and Praise worship team, lector, chalice bearer, and my real favorite, Evangelism – sharing of the Good News! You will find my husband Mike at the Gathering Service where he is frequently a healing minister. He is also a Stephen Minister and Lay Eucharistic Minister, taking Communion to those who are unable to attend church. I have four adult step-children and seven step-grandchildren who like to hang out in our pool in the summer! | | Ned Kuhns  | Treasurer Ned Kuhns joined Old Donation in May, 2007. Soon after, he was elected treasurer, responsible for the accounting and safe-keeping of parish finances. In addition, he enjoys singing as a member of the St. Cecilia Choir’s bass section. Ned is a retired U.S. Navy Supply Corps officer and completed a second career in a private industry. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1961 and received an MBA from Stanford University. An active outdoor enthusiast, he enjoys long distance hiking, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, and golf. Ned and his wife, Judy, have three daughters and five grandsons.
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| Ray Foberg  | Outreach Ray is serving his the third year as the Vestry-liaison for the Outreach commission. He and his wife Dee Dee are heavily involved in Outreach ministries, particularly as advocates for the Edmarc Hospice for Children. Ray also serves as the chairman of the Old Donation Audit Committee. A native of Connecticut and a retired naval officer, Ray has been a member of Old Donation Church since October 2004. Ray and Dee Dee have lived in the Lake Smith Terrace West and Haygood Point sections of Virginia Beach since 1975.
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| Tom Heron  | Day School Tom and his family moved to San Antonio in July 2010, where he took a new job. While it is a great blessing for Tom and Riva and their three great kids, it is a huge loss to Old Donation. Tom has served faithfully as a member of our vestry the past 2-1/2 years and been a blessing to the Gathering Band as well as to all who have come to know him. We wish Tom, Riva, Christopher, Ryan, and Kelli, as well as Tom's father-in-law, Bill, our very best wishes and prayers. |
| Jo-Ann Bach  | Parish Community
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| Michael Belka  | Finance Hi, I am Michael Belka. Our family joined Old Donation 3-1/2 years ago upon moving to Virginia Beach. My wife Judie is Parish Administrator and we have three children you'll see around church - Lauren 21, Sam 17 and Jon 17. Our oldest daughter, Meghann, lives in Alexandria, VA. I am in my second year on the Vestry and am the liaison to and chair of the Finance Commission. The Finance Commission is primarily responsible for (i) providing clear, accurate financial information on church revenues and expenses to the Clergy, Vestry, other Commissions and staff, (ii) coordinating the budget process, and (iii) supporting the Legacy giving and Endowment committees. I also serve as a Lector and Usher. We attend different worship services depending on the week, but you will most often find me at 9:15 and 10:45 service. I look forward to getting to know you! |
| Meredith Guzman  | Worship Meredith has lived in Hampton Roads and attended Old Donation all her life. After attending James Madison University to study Music Education, she realized that she had a different calling. Now, she is enrolled at Tidewater Community College and plans to transfer to Old Dominion University to finish her Bachelors in Communications.
Meredith hopes to join the Navy to do public affairs after completing her degree. At Old Donation, she is an active member of the choir and finds that music is where she feels most connected to God. |
| Keith Houtwed | Christian Formation |
| Brian Coyle  | Stewardship Born and raised in a MD suburb of Washington DC, Brian was brought up in the Southern Baptist church and discovered the Episcopal Church while an undergrad at Duke. Confirmed as an Episcopalian during early years of Naval service, Brian spent most of his Navy career as an officer/pilot in Florida. While there he was active in parish life, working with young children in formation classes as well as participating in and running an Alpha program. Moving to Virginia Beach in 2008, Brian's "day job" is working as a Director with the USO. At ODEC his service includes Hospital Visitation, work as a Stephen Minister, a mentor with J2A and he is in year three of EFM (Education for Ministry). |
| Guy Watkins  | Communications and Historic Tradition
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| Harold VanderWilt  | Buildings and Grounds
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| Carolyn Gerace  | Congregational Care I was born in Virginia Beach and have been an active member at Old Donation for more than 30 years. My degrees in education led me into teaching, including working with mentally challenged children and in various positions in the VB School system. Now I have the blessing of be able to homeschool my beautiful daughter, Joanna, while also raising all kinds of animals and fruits and vegetables with my husband, Tom, on our farm in Pungo. If you want eggs, jams, or pickles, find me! Tom is also a diver for the Navy and civilian work and all three of us are very active in worship, Sunday School and service to God through our life at ODEC. |
| Jean Hudson  | Register, Asst. Treasurer I was born in Norfolk, and moved to Princess Anne county now Va Beach in 1959 and have been living in the same house for 51 years. I have been member of ODEC for four years, associate treasurer & recorder, various ministries are, bake & take, altar guild, building & grounds, and from time to time, I can be found in the kitchen. If not there, you can find me out in the flower beds, weeding or raking after I come from work and occasionally I have given tours of the church! |
About the Vestry The canons of the Episcopal Church establish the vestry as the legal governing and decision-making body of a parish church, consisting of the rector and elected lay representatives. The canons provide that the rector is responsible for the conduct of services and for teaching the faith to children and adults, and the vestry is responsible for approving budgets, making policy, approving expenditures and property management. There are some parallels with the responsibilities of corporate directors. Just as a key duty of a board of directors is the selection of a chief executive officer, a key responsibility of the vestry is selecting, or calling, the rector with input from a parish search committee and the bishop in the process and ultimately the bishop's approval of the candidate selected. The Old Donation vestry consists of 12 members serving staggered three-year terms. Each year, the term expires for four vestry members, and four new vestry members are elected at the annual parish meeting held at the beginning of the calendar year. The vestry elects a senior and a junior warden. At Old Donation there are committees called Commissions, appointed to oversee and conduct the various aspects of parish life and work. Vestry members serve as Commission Liaisons to coordinate and help further the responsibilities of the individual Commissions. We are working in year one of a new 5 year plan that was developed and agreed upon last year. This plan establishes direction, based on a year long discernment process done by the Long Range Planning Committee and the vestry. Their question was: what is God calling for us to be and do in the next 5 to 10 years. The reports of the Long Range Process are linked here: Summary Report The Final Report: Core Values / Mission / Vision / Goals and Tasks
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