SANDRA BJORK

Senior Warden

Sandra is a nurse attorney who retired to Chestertown with her husband, Bob, in 2007 and has been a member of Emmanuel since coming here. She has been active in parish activities including Choir, Eucharistic Minister, Kitchen Krew, and Worship Committee. She also serves on two Diocesan committees and has been an elected delegate from Emmanuel to Diocesan Convention. Sandra has both been on the Vestry and served as Senior Warden at her previous parish. She volunteers in a number of community organizations. When not volunteering her time and services to the church and the community, Sandra enjoys golf, traveling, cooking, and puttering in the garden.

TOM MACK

Junior Warden

Tom has been a member of Emmanuel since 1989. Over the years he has served as a Sunday School teacher, a member of the Finance Committee, chair of the Stewardship Committee, and a member of the Building Committee that oversaw the renovation of the church, the new roofing, and the re-configuration of the classroom area, in addition to having served as the Senior Warden. When Tom is not performing one of the many duties of the Junior Warden, he can be found serving as the Eucharistic Minister, a lector/intercessor, or an usher, most often at the 8 AM Sunday morning services.

ROGER BROWN

Treasurer

After receiving a BS in Accounting from the University of Maryland College Park in 1961, Roger entered Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI. He was commissioned an Ensign and served 10 years, leaving the service as a Lieutenant Commander. He received his CPA designation while working in Public Accounting. In 1976 he was asked to join a Chestertown petroleum distributor as CFO. Upon the death of the owner, he arranged the sale of the business to two separate companies before returning to Public Accounting with Radcliffe Corporate Services. He has served as President of The Chester River Health Foundation and The Chester River Yacht and Country Club as well as on the Boards of the Maryland Association of CPA’s, Chesapeake Bank and Trust, Chester River Hospital, Historical Society of Kent County and Vestry of Emmanuel Church.

PENNY BLOCK

Registrar

Penny moved to Chestertown with her husband Jim in 2014 after retiring from her position as supervising teacher at the Campus School of Smith College in western Massachusetts. She has been a teacher of various age groups, pre-K through college, all of her adult life, and continues to volunteer with children in schools and art organizations. Penny has also been on the Council of Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning since 2015 and has enjoyed taking classes through that organization. At Emmanuel, she serves on the Kitchen Krew, Pastoral Care Committee, Garth Committee, and is active in the Holiday Bazaar. Penny has been the Registrar since 2015 and is a non-voting Vestry member.

STEPHANIE LAMOTTE

Music Director & Choirmaster

Stephanie LaMotte became part of the Emmanuel team in October 2017 as our Music Director and Choirmaster. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from San Jose State University, a Master’s degree in Music and a certification to teach K-12 music from Lewis & Clark College, and a graduate certificate in Bible from Multnomah University. Stephanie studied conducting in Sarteano, Italy with Simon Carrington from the Boston Conservatory and worked closely as personal assistant and accompanist to renowned choral director Charlene Archibeque. She was the featured guest soloist with the Willamette Falls Symphony, performing the Grieg piano concerto. Stephanie has led five international choir tours, including trips to Germany, Ireland, Hawaii, Austria, and Canada. For the past twelve years, she was the Music Director & Organist at The Church of the Transfiguration, and previously was the Creative Arts Director in charge of vocal and instrumental music, drama, dance, visual and technical arts for a large metropolitan church in Portland, Or. Stephanie is highly sought after as a freelance accompanist and will be returning for her third consecutive summer as a faculty pianist with the Tuscia Opera Festival in Italy.

AVIS WHEATLEY

Organist

Avis Wheatley joined the Emmanuel music program as Organist in September 2016 after having played for many of our services of Choral Evensong for several years. Avis is a graduate of Bridgewater College in Virginia with a BA in music and Spanish. Currently she teaches at the Gunston School in Centreville. Previous organ posts include Centreville United Methodist Church, Bridgewater Presbyterian Church, and St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Kent Parish, in Chestertown.

LAURA KAUFFMAN

Parish Secretary

All Maryland natives, Laura and her family moved to the Eastern Shore in 1989. A stay-at-home mother for 12 years, Laura worked in a variety of public- and private-sector jobs beginning in 1995, and came to Emmanuel as the Parish Secretary in July 2011. Their two daughters grown, Laura and husband Doug live with their collection of dogs, horses, chickens, and one goat in the small town of Starr in Queen Anne’s County. Doug and Laura are active members of St. Paul’s, Centreville.