The Trinity Vestry
John Alduino
Senior 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.
Erickson Contreras
Junior Warden
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.
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.
Clint Brown
Trinity spans my entire life, from Rectors Peter Sturtevant to Matt Lincoln and is a central stream of my life. I have been a choir boy, a member of many committees and served on the Vestry. Alma and I were married at Trinity by the Rev. Warren Lane, who baptized me. My day job as an architect is spent collaboratively designing the renewal of historic buildings and heritage places, so they attract new investment, are relevant for the communities they serve, and are kept out of a landfill. Serving as a Vestry member can fulfill my obligation to give back and an opportunity to give forward.
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.
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.
Connie Ervin
I am a native Buffalonian and have been a member of Trinity since 2012. I started as one of the volunteer musicians that performed on Thursdays at 7. Currently, I am a local entrepreneur operating a small catering and educational company called Aunt Connie’s Ed-U-Kitchen LLC. I am using that expertise to maintain Nina’s Kitchen as a commercial space for the Trinity community. I am honored to have been asked to serve on the vestry and look forward to serving on the team as needed.
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.
Missy Stolfi
I joined Trinity on Christmas Eve 2022 after growing up Catholic and wandering faith-wise since my young adult years. Right away, it felt like home! Since then, I've volunteered as a reader, altar server, and at Trinity events. In February 2023, I began a six-year term as Trinity's representative on the Board of Directors for Compass House and am chairing this year's Coldest Night of the Year walk committee. My career background is in higher education and nonprofits, and I currently serve as the area director for the Capital Region NY (Albany) Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I'm excited for the opportunity and challenge to help guide Trinity into its next chapter with love, creativity, and in service to God and to the Buffalo community.
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.