Meet the Discernment and Nominating Committee

The Rev. Julie Cicora, Chair

julie.cicora@gmail.com

Julie was ordained to the priesthood at St. Luke's Fairport in 2000. She served as an associate at St. John's Canandaigua and then was called to be Rector at St. Peter's Henrietta. She joined the Bishop's staff as Canon for Mission and Ministry in 2009. Her main responsibility was to work with search committees and help congregations in transition. Julie left the Bishop's staff in 2016 to work for St. Mark's and St. John's in mission development. She retired in 2021. Julie enjoys knitting, windsurfing, and riding her motorcycle. She travels the country in an RV with her husband and Afghan Hound visiting their 5 children and 13 grandchildren.

The Rev. Keisha Stokes, Vice-Chair

revkeishastokes@gmail.com
Keisha was born and raised in the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester and sponsored for ordination by Good Shepherd in Webster. She graduated from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in 2020 and was ordained to the priesthood in November 2020. She serves as the Rector of Zion, Palmyra and the Pastoral Associate at St. John’s, Canandaigua. One ofher passions is youth ministry, which she has helped lead in the Diocese for about ten years. She also serves on Diocesan Council, as Secretary to Diocesan Convention, and as a Deputy to General Convention. Keisha enjoys golfing, learning piano, being outside, co- leading a Brownie Girl Scout Troop, and spoiling her cat, Meeko.

The Rev. David Hefling

I’m an early riser because without multiple cups of coffee and the New York Times, my day will be bleak. I came to St. John’s, Canandaigua, in July of 2010 and will retire from there in the not-so- distant future. I hail from the Diocese of Ohio, having completed seminary at Seabury-Western in Evanston, IL. My husband, Michael, who died last June, was also a priest, and our life together spanned 31 brilliant years. Now it’s just me and a nine-year-old hen, Agatha. In my past life I taught kindergarten, served in the Peace Corps in West Africa, was an administrator at two state universities and a nanny to two rambunctious children, now grown. I’m an anglophile and a major gardener, among other things. And I love Jesus.

Julie Gedro

Julie has been an Episcopalian since her Reception in 1998 in Atlanta. After moving to Syracuse, Julie served on the Vestry and then as Warden of St. Paul's Cathedral. In 2016, she joined “our” St. Paul’s, where she serves on the Vestry and on the Finance, Human Resources, and Annual Stewardship committees. She also sings in the choir, participates in Adult Formation, and is a graduate of the Education for Ministry Program and the College for Congregational Development. In her “spare time,” she is a Human Resource Management and Development scholar and practitioner, with experience chairing and serving on searches. She is in her 20th year at SUNY Empire State, where she serves as Dean of the School of Business and as a tenured Professor in Human Resource Management. She holds a B.A. in Economics from the College of William and Mary, an M.B.A. from Kennesaw State University, and a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) from the University of Georgia. She is a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional.

Val Jutsum

I am a lover of God, an artist, and unconventional. I am married; to the same man for fifty years, this year. We have 9 children together. They are interesting and remarkable people. I was confirmed in the Episcopal Church in 1975, and I have been at Christ Church Rochester for 10 years. I am very enthusiastic about it. It is the home I always wanted. I created and manage “The Song”, Christ Church’s online news magazine as well as building and maintaining the primary Christ Church website. I enjoy this work. I enjoy designing florals. I enjoy reading the scriptures aloud, as a lector. I am currently a warden and served for many years on the vestry. I enjoy God’s diverse, beautiful, and exceptional people.

Margy Ashley

I have spent most of my life in Canandaigua. I have been a member of St. John’s, Canandaigua, for nearly my whole adult life. My late husband, Skeet, and I were high school sweethearts, and it was because of him that I discovered and fell in love with the Episcopal Church. After our Air Force years, we returned to Canandaigua to raise our family. Through the years at St. John’s, I have done the typical things that I believe most parishioners do: sang in the choir, and worked on many committees, including several terms on vestry. These days, I am a greeter and member of our Outreach Committee. Most of my teaching career was spent as an instructor in the English Department at Finger Lakes Community College; I retired from there after 18 years. I worked (for fun) several summers as an historical interpreter at Genesee Country Museum, where I became a cheese maker in an 1820 farmhouse. I am the proud mom of Michael and Jessica, and Grandma to 11 grandkids (and two granddogs)

Rochelle Coley

I am a mother of 2 adult children, have 2 grandsons, and my partner, Joseph, and I have been together for 18 years. I have been a member of St. Luke and St. Simon Cyrene since 1994. I began working for the Unified Court System in 1987 and retired December 2022. I have been a Girl Scout leader since 1999 and currently the Product Sales Manager for the Williams Park Service Unit. I am currently the Treasurer of the church, volunteer on Wednesday, assist with our live stream, co-chair of fundraising and repast committee. I have served the church in the following: Nursery School Teacher, Hospitality Coordinator, Counter, Lay Reader, Family Promise (RAIHN), and a former member of Choir. I have been on Vestry and a Warden. While I was Warden, our Rector left and I was on the Transition Team and went to visit our current Rector’s church.

Carolyn Mok

I am Carolyn Mok from St. Thomas’, Rochester. I came to Rochester over 40 years ago to work as a family doctor at a federally qualified health center; and I have stayed here because of my deep friendships, love, and regard for this area. I have served in my parish home as a chorister, lector, eucharistic minister, outreach commissioner, and a member of a rector search committee. I have worked with 5 bishops: as a member of the diocesan Peace and Justice Committee under Bp Spears, a member of the Commission on Ministry under Bp McKelvey and then-Canon to the Ordinary Steve Lane, and as a member of Diocesan Council and Standing Committee under Bp. Singh. I am a re-elected lay deputy to General Convention 81. I am also a member of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship and the Consultation, a consortium of progressive groups in the national Episcopal Church. I offer to the bishop search committee a passion for peace and justice issues, friendship among many people in the diocese and national church, and time and energy as a newly retired person.

The Rev. Elizabeth Brooks Harden

I came to Rochester from the Episcopal Diocese of Utah in 2019 straight out of seminary to serve as rector of St. Luke's in Brockport. In the four years I've been here, I've come to love this part of the country, and especially this diocese. I'm currently finishing a second term on Diocesan Council, and it's that work that has allowed me to grow closer to my colleagues here and realize how uniquely poised we are for growth, both spiritually and numerically. I see this in my parish in Brockport, as well as across the larger diocese. I bring hope and excitement with me to this search process. Aside from my ordained ministry, I am also an active member of the Brockport community where I live with my husband, two children, and four cats. I garden, raisechickens and honeybees, knit, sew, paint, and homeschool my children. It's a full and wonderful life!

The Rev. Lance Robbins

Lance is the long-time Rector of Good Shepherd, Webster. He has served on various Diocesan committees through the years and as Dean of the Monroe District. He has mentored many ordinands and serves as a mentor for the Education for Ministry program. Lance is married to Dr. Karyn Robbins, Music Director at Good Shepherd, and his daughter, Annie, is a practicing attorney in Rochester. He is an avid golfer and enjoys boating.

The Rev. Columba Salamony

Columba Salamony is Rector of Saint Mark’s, Penn Yan (Southeast District). He is one of the newest priests in the Diocese of Rochester, arriving in July 2022. A native of Baltimore, Columba has also lived in Vermont, Scotland, and, most recently, California. (No, he hasn’t adjusted to the cold temperature, but he did give up wearing sandals before November...) Columba centers an indefatigable passion for peace and justice and a diverse background in community organizing at the heart of his ministry as a life-giving fulfillment of our baptismal covenant. He is strongly devoted to justice and advocacy issues relating to the areas of human sexuality, gender, race, and class, as well as the broad scope of intersectionality in identity politics. In his free time, he enjoys knitting, hiking, reading until 2 a.m., and harassing his cats (Royce and Harriet). Columba excitedly anticipates collaborating with the Search Committee and exploring together what the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester can look like in its next chapter.