The Trinity Vestry
John Gillespie
Senior Warden
I been an active member of Trinity since moving to Buffalo in 2000. I have served on vestry including as warden during the transition to Matt's leadership. My wife Catherine and I organized 7 medical mission trips to El Salvador. We have 3 children and 6 grandchildren most of whom can ski better than their grandfather.
John Alduino
Junior Warden
John has been attending Trinity since 2017. Prior to moving to Western New York, he lived in several places in Ohio and was very active in Episcopal church life serving as Senior Warden in Xenia Ohio and on Vestries in Springfield, Worthington and Youngstown. John is currently the Development Director for ConnectLife and has over 30 years of non-profit public health experience. John lives in the Town of Tonawanda with his wife Amy and 14-year old Jamie.
Bing Sherrill
Treasurer
After moving into the city from Orchard Park, I came to Trinity in 1985. Carole Bellanca and I were married by Ward Ewing in 1988. After retiring from Moog, I became involved with rental properties, which lead to work on the Trinity Property Committee. Concern that there was insufficient financial information available to Trinity members lead to the weekly essays in the Trinity e-news. Since there are only so many financial numbers one can write about, other subjects like Loons and Santa Claus have crept into the essays. It seems a natural progression move into the treasurer’s role as Alison retires.
Elaine "Gretchen" Lodick
Clerk
I’ve always loved to sing and my spouse Michael made a deal with me that if I joined the choir, he would come to church. And so I joined and he came and I’ve been a member of the choir for approximately 8 years now. Trinity is so many things to me, a place to sing, to be among loving, kind, respectful, caring people, a place to belong. I have 3 children, all in their 30s now who all live out of town, and I am retired after being a legal secretary at Barclay Damon LLP.
Emily Carlin
I'm a Buffalo native and I have been a member of Trinity since moving back to Western New York in 2017. I majored in Logic at Smith College and have masters degrees in philosophy and information science from Indiana University and the University of Missouri. I'm the medical librarian for Sisters of Charity, Mount St. Mary's, and Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital. I live in Amherst with my husband Fan and our daughter Zoe.
Erickson Contreras
I've been a member of Trinity since 2003 when my wife Jennifer and I were welcomed into this wonderful community. During this time I've assisted in Sunday morning service as Chalice Bearer, Healer, Greeter, and Liturgist. I've also served two terms in the Vestry, as Treasurer during Rev. Karp's interim period and have helped coordinate the annual auction. I'm honored to serve in the Vestry again and put to good use my experience as a financial analyst.
Chris Cuccia
I was raised Roman Catholic and hadn’t been to church in several years. Starting to visit churches in the neighborhood, I went to explore several faiths in the area before finding my way into the Church of the Ascension. My first day there, I said to myself that I found my new home on Sunday. As luck would have it, on that it was announced that Ascension would close in the coming months. After Ascension closed, I spent a brief time at the Church of the Good Shepherd, where I officially joined the Episcopal Church, Soon after, I went to Trinity one Sunday morning and have been here since. We have a great group at Trinity. I look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday, lighting candles for our folks online, and our monthly lunch after service.
Susan Doherty
I have been a member of Trinity Church for over 40 years. I taught Sunday School for many years, volunteered with our major fundraisers; the White Elephant Sale and later our yearly Auction. I traveled to El Salvador on three mission trips with other members of Trinity. Prior to the pandemic I was part of a group from Trinity that volunteered at Hamlin Park school. Currently I sing in our choir. As a docent with Explore Buffalo I have started giving tours of our church-I think it is important to share our beautiful spaces with others! What initially attracted me to Trinity is also what keeps me here as a member: a welcome and inclusive community. No matter where you are in your spiritual journey there is a place for you here. As a vestry member I would like to work to welcome others in the community to experience our hospitality and beautiful campus.
Timothy Lane
I have been a member of Trinity since I was a child. Along with a previous term on vestry I have served Trinity in many different ways over the years including leading the current zoom discussion groups helping with Trinity@7 services, Christmas pageants, and singing in the choir. Though life has taken me several other places on Sunday Mornings and I have always felt drawn to stay involved with Trinity. I am very excited for the opportunity to serve another term on vestry and promise to do everything I can to support Trinity in the ever-evolving life of the church.
Megan McElfresh
In 2011, I moved to Buffalo and began my own professional architectural glass studio, McElf GlassWorks.
In fall of 2017, I became Executive Director of the Stained Glass Association of America (SGAA). Of course, Trinity became one of my favorite places to meet people to talk about stained glass. I actually attended my first Sunday service here early on in the pandemic when services went virtual. In 2020, I moved the SGAA offices to Trinity, and eventually my stained glass studio to the Trinity campus as well. My background in operations management, economics, and glass art is a perfect fit for the SGAA, and I hope it will be just as helpful to the vestry.
Judy Fitzgerald
I find serving on the vestry to be a rewarding experience getting to know how things work around Trinity and also working with the other vestry members. I am happy to be able to have the opportunity to “give back” to Trinity as I have gained new respect for all that it takes to keep Trinity being the unique and valuable place that it is for myself and others. I am impressed with the concern and respect that members of Trinity have developed and the pride in what Trinity has built over the years. I feel a sense of community that is shared and treasured, a sense of the Beloved community. I am pleased to serve.
Joanne Sundell
My husband Dan & I joined Trinity around 2008 when my boys were just tots (they're tall teenagers now). I've been involved in the church as a "visitor host" or greeter for many years, and as a member of the Fresh Voices team--both were ways I contributed to grow our congregation. I work as an adjunct history instructor at SUNY Erie in Buffalo and have a small family business as well. I enjoy gardening, yoga, and visiting with friends and family.
Jeffrey Tooke
I came to Trinity a few years ago while searching for a church after leaving a Catholic parish where I was part of the music ministry for nearly twenty years. Trinity has been a blessing and beacon of the inclusion of the Episcopal Church, and I am grateful that I have found a home at Trinity. Before the pandemic, I served as a reader and chalice bearer. Now I am the Cyber Sacristan (“the live streamer behind the curtain”) for the Trinity morning service, a co-facilitator of the Trinity discussion group, and I have also helped with tech for the Nadia Bolz-Weber Fresh Voices event.