Program Staff
Lisa Hawkins, Coordinator of Congregational Life
Lisa has been a member of First Pres since 1986, and has served the church over the years as a volunteer in many capacities: elder, Stephen Ministry leader, Sunday School teacher, Women of the Church committee member, and even pew straightener. Lisa is married to attorney Scott Hawkins (another elder) and they are proud parents to one daughter, Allison. Lisa’s educational training took place at the University of Florida, where she earned both a Bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a Master’s degree in educational psychology. Areas of emphasis in her graduate study focused on aging and counseling older people.
Lisa’s work experiences have been many and varied, from counseling to retail work to classroom and office work at St. Mark’s Episcopal School. It has been her prayer that God would find a way to combine and use all of these experiences and interests in a way that would minister to those in His kingdom. She feels greatly blessed to work at First Pres in the area of congregational care. Lisa has always had a desire to help others, and believes that true healing ultimately comes through a relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Sara McDonnell, Membership Coordinator
Sara has been a member of First Pres since 1986 when she moved here from West Virginia. She has served the church through the years as a Stephen Minister and Stephen Ministry leader, a deacon, an elder and as an adult Sunday school leader. Sara has two married daughters, Reagan and Ellen, one single daughter, Claire, and one grandson.
Sara retired in 2006 after teaching students in the public schools for 26 years in West Virginia and in Florida at Lake Worth High School and most recently at Suncoast Community High School where she was chairman of the social studies department. Sara’s educational training includes a Bachelor’s in History from West Virginia University, a Master’s in Sociology from Central Missouri State University and a Masters in Education from Marshall University.
Sara looks back to see God’s training and equipping for her present position welcoming new members and visitors through the Bible teaching at First Pres, Sunday School, retreats, and Stephen Ministry, as well as her eight years in Bible Study Fellowship, which included time as a discussion leader and as a children’s assistant leader. Sara’s other interests include traveling, gardening, photography, her extended family and her family home in Lewisburg, West Virginia.
Debbie Tabor, Senior Adult Ministry
Debbie, husband Jim, and daughter Mandy have attended here since 1995. She is retired with 30 years of service from the Social Security Administration, where she was last employed as a Management Support Specialist, supervising the administration of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program for the needy, aged, blind, and disabled population in northeastern and central Palm Beach County. Being involved on a daily basis with seniors during her entire “first” career has given Debbie much insight in serving the seniors of our congregation and the surrounding community.
Debbie has her BA in Political Science from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. She was born and raised in the “Gateway to the West” to a Presbyterian family and attended the same church there, Southampton Presbyterian, for the first twenty-eight years of her life before moving to Florida in 1980. She has been a member of several Presbyterian churches since coming to Florida and has been active in youth activities, women’s circles, and teaching adult Sunday School for 14 years. In her spare time, Debbie enjoys traveling, reading suspense and historial novels, gardening, playing Pinochle and Bridge, bowling, and spoiling her Bichon Frise, Mora.
MUSIC MINISTRY
Jay Arnn, Director of Music Ministries
Jay was born and raised in Danville, Virginia. Prior to coming to West Palm Beach, he was the Director of Music Ministries at Watkins United Methodist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, for five years. His musical resume includes numerous engagements with the Choral Arts Society of Saint Francis in the Fields, the University of Louisville Collegiate Chorale, the Louisville Chamber Choir, the Louisville Orchestra, and the Kentucky Opera. Jay holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Western Kentucky University and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Louisville, where he was a graduate assistant for Dr. Kent Hatteberg in the choral department. During this time, he appeared in numerous tenor roles including Rodolfo in La Boheme and Alfredo in La Traviata for university and community opera theatres. He is a past member of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, and the Ameican Choral Directors Association. While continuing to work as a musician, Jay has also maintained a presence in the business community. Presently Jay is the Assistant General Manager for MV Transportation in West Palm Beach. He lives in Wellington with his wife, Kristina, who is the Director of Children’s Music at First Pres.
Glen Arfsten, Organist
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Megan Walters, Music Assistant
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Dr. Arfsten, a Minnesota native, earned a Bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College, a Master’s degree from Florida Atlantic University, and his Doctorate from the University of Alabama. A man of many talents, in addition to being an accomplished tenor, he can also be found playing piano, flute, harp, and organ. Dr. Arfsten has published study materials for high school choirs and 6 volumes of music for the harp. He is currently a teacher at Atlantic High School in Delray Beach.
Megan Alexandra Walters is a senior attending Palm Beach Atlantic University majoring in Marketing with a minor in Music. Although only a music minor, she participates in two of three choirs at PBA and is actively involved with their Opera Workshop program. She will be competing in NATS this fall and will be having a 1/2 hour senior recital at the end of May 2009. Megan’s duties at First Pres include directing the Children’s Handbell Choir and singing with the Sanctuary Choir and the Praise Team. She currently lives in Jupiter.CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
Diana Wise, Director of Preschool and Childcare
Diana was born in Bermuda in 1958. She married Blaine Wise in 1979. Together they have four children. Diana graduated from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1979 with a Bachelor of Physical Educaiton with minors in Health Education, Biology, and Elementary Education, and a Nova Scotia Teaching Certificate. She began working for First Pres in 1995, and continues today, as Childcare Coordinator in charge of Sunday Infant Nursery, Toddler Nursery, and Extended Care programs, and providing childcare for all church events.
In 1997, she was called to start the First Pres Preschool and has been the Preschool Director ever since. During the building and licensing of the preschool, Diana received her Florida Childhood Development Associate (CDA) and her National CDA. She is trained in CPR and First Aid. Diana completed her Director’s Credential in 2002. Diana is very active in the life of the church, serving on the Children’s Education Committee and Preschool Advisory Board Committee, and helping with children’s activities.
All four of Diana ’s children have grown up in the church and participated in the children’s programming and youth groups. Diana enjoys the family’s large get-togethers and reading, but most of all, being involved with her children, supporting them, their friends, and sports teams.
Cary Koepke, Director of Children’s Ministries
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Cary started at Frist Pres as a preschool teacher in 1998, expanding her ministry to become the Children’s Ministry Assistant in May, 2007. In March, 2008, she became the Director of Children’s Ministries. She has a teenaged son, Kevin, and married Rick Koepke in 2006. She moved here from Daytona Beach in 1993. Cary enjoys the beach and football – she’s a dedicated Steelers fan.YOUTH MINISTRY
Chris (“Suds”) Southard, Youth Director
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Maura Taggart, High School Director
She was named the Middle School Program Director in the spring of 2006, and High School Program Director in June, 2008. She is beyond blessed to be involved in ministry at First Pres and desires to lead her students into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Outside of her ministry, she enjoys living in Florida and, like her head pastor, has more than a slight interest in the outdoors, with fishing, boating, and snorkeling on the top of the list of things she enjoys. Her favorite verses are 1 Timothy 4:12 and 2 Corin 12:9-10. |
Chris Southard, better known as Suds, serves as Youth Director at First Pres. He has been married to his better half, Brenda, since 1995, and are the parents of three sons, Joshua, Caleb, and Keegan, and a daughter, Jaden. Suds is a graduate of Guilford College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. His post as teh head of the youth staff began in 2004. His areas of interest in ministry include adolescent spiritual formation specifically through dialogue with 12th century monasticism and in the area of adolescent psychological well being.
Maura was born and raised in Audubon, PA. In the summer of 1999 her family moved to Palm Beach Gardens, where she attended Palm Beach Gardens High School, class of 2003. It was during her time at Gardens that she was introduced to First Pres through Young Life Club. She regularly attended club and Team throughout her high school days. Following graduation, Maura began volunteering with the middle school program at First Pres while attending Palm Beach Atlantic University. At PBAU, Maura is working her way towards a degree in History with a minor in Biblical Studies.