Leadership & Staff
Dave Swanson
Pastor | Servant Board Chair
Pastor Dave came to PMC in the spring of 2014 after graduating from Duke Divinity School in North Carolina. Coming to Pittsburgh with his family - partner Caren, and two children, Clara, and Benny has been a great adventure. It’s wonderful to live in such a fun and interesting city, and doing it as part of the wonderful community of Pittsburgh Mennonite Church is a double blessing. Dave loves to read, hike, garden, sail, play music, and work with wood. He is active in local faith-based peace and justice organizing throught the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network..
Since he came to PMC, the congregation has gone through many phases of life. Through the different seasons, he has sought to serve from a conviction that the heart of church life is grounded, compassionate people cultivating meaningful relationships and building a shared life guided by the Gospel of Jesus.
He sees worship as more than the thing we do together on Sunday morning. Informed by Anabaptist tradition and history, he sees the worship service as being part of the overall intentional commitment to form a life together marked by love in the form of mutual care and aid, gratitude to and worship of God as the source of life, giving and receiving of gifts of all kinds, humility and mutual respect, celebration, and pursuing beauty, peace and justice in the congregation and beyond.
LEADERSHIP AND STAFF
Church Council
The Church Council serves as the guiding and governing body within the PMC congregation. Council and works to maintain community health and direction as the congregation lives out its mission.
Jaime Horst
Congregational Chair
Jaime has been an active member at PMC since 2000, embracing the opportunity to dabble in nearly every area of church life - from worship leading to children's education - as she's explored her own gifts and understanding of Church. In her current role as Congregational Chair, she is interested in connecting big-picture perspectives with on-the-ground action, making space for people of all ages to grow in their faith, and creating a healthy, thriving church community where all are welcome. Outside of church involvement, she is a long-time homeschooler, doula, and childbirth educator, and enjoys hiking and creating art. She lives in Swissvale with her husband, Wes, and their four kids.
Alisha Rinefierd
Secretary
Alisha Rinefierd currently serves as Pittsburgh Mennonite's secretary, recording the minutes of the bi-monthly Church Council and Servant Board meetings. You are welcome to attend meetings or read past minutes - email Alisha for info!
Alisha has been attending PMC since 2008 when she moved to Pittsburgh from central Ohio to participate in Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience (PULSE). She and her family live in Plum and enjoy trips to the library and park.
Jordan Shoenberger
Treasurer
Jordan Shoenberger has been attending PMC since 2009 with is wife, Candace. They have four children, Tapanga, Mae, Maya, and AJ. They reside in the Brookline section of Pittsburgh with their menagerie of pets that Jordan would be happy to complain to you about anytime. Jordan serves as the Executive Director of Abiding Missions and has many years of experience in nonprofit management and operations, including financial management. As treasurer, he works closely with the church's staff and commission chairs to ensure proper recordkeeping is managed. He also plays a lot of board games.
Karen Howard
Engagement Guide
I’m Karen and as Engagement Guide chair I work with commission chairs to help them find people to serve on their commission. I engage with the congregation to ascertain their hopes and dreams of full participation. I organize monthly meetings with the two other guides to fulfill our role.
Scott Holland
Listening Team Chair
Professor, preacher, writer, rare book dealer and urban gardener.
Jennifer Seaman
Pastoral Care Team Chair
I have been attending Pittsburgh Mennonite church since 1992, after moving to Pittsburgh from Massachusetts. I am a nurse by training and spent much of my career working in the ICU setting. I am currently a faculty member in the School of Nursing at Pitt where my research focuses on clinician-family communication in the ICU. I have a deep appreciation for the members of PMC who have walked with me and supported me through challenging moments in my life. Serving on the Pastoral Care Team
provides me the opportunity to extend that care and support to others.
Servant Board
The Servant Board is comprised of the Commission Chairs and is Chaired by the Pastor. It’s purpose is to encourage collaboration, mutual counsel and support across various commission and group leaders and to interpret and live out the church’s vision and goals as discerned with the congregation and Church Council.
Mary Schrag
Adult Education Chair
As a biblical studies major from a Mennonite university and someone who comes from a long line of pastors and teachers, I have been dedicated to studying and grappling with the Bible and in particular, Mennonite theology and history. I am thrilled to lead Adult Education efforts as we engage with scripture and learn how it relates to our lives as individuals and as the church.
Flora Hammond
Children & Youth Education Chair
I grew up in Northwestern PA and was raised in the Mennonite tradition. My family attended a small rural Mennonite congregation in Spartansburg, PA. I obtained a degree in psychology from Clarion University and then a masters in counseling from Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia. After graduate school I returned to PA and began working in community mental health with children and youth. In 2003, I moved to southern CA where I continued to work in the mental health field, married and had two beautiful children. My family and I moved back to PA in 2014 and have lived in Cranberry Twp since. Though I am still a licensed professional counselor, for the last five years I have been a full-time stay at home mom. My family and I wandered into PMC a few years ago and found a lovely community that we knew immediately we wanted to get to know better! Finding a faith community that was a safe and nurturing place for my children was really important to me, and is why I'm happy to serve in my current role as CYE commission lead.
Delo Blough
Hospitality Team Co-Chair
I am a mother of two adult children and an immigration attorney by trade. I currently work at Pitt as the Director of the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, with the responsibility to ensure that Pitt's international faculty, scholars, and students are in compliance with all immigration rules and regulations. I enjoy the Hospitality Committee work as it is completely different than what I do in my day-to-day work and life. I've always enjoyed entertaining and I believe it is important for a church to offer avenues of connections that are enjoyable and relaxing.
Rachel Dean
Hospitality Co-Chair
I've been attending PMC since 2009 and have been on the hospitality committee for the majority of that time. I became co-chair in 2020. I also began the annual PMC Cook-Off, which is a traditional winter event where we find out who has the best soup, bread, and cookie recipes.
Clair Cannon
Facilities Chair
I’ve been coming to PMC about 9-10 years regularly and have been a landlord for maybe 17 years in Washington Pa where we lived before. I enjoyed balancing the improvements on my rentals, with being creative with keeping costs low. I also enjoyed getting to know my tenants and providing them nice housing. I figured I could merge some of those skills of calling contractors, being creative with fixes, and meeting the needs of PMC. Even though we’re tight on money, and Covid has made getting repairmen a nightmare these days, it’s been a positive experience.
Paola Scommegna
Peace & Justice Coordinator
Like all the members of PMC"s Peace and Justice Commission, Paola Scommegna has had her heart broken by the racism and environmental destruction in the news today. She has memories of protesting apartheid in South Africa, nuclear weapons, and the US-backed wars in Central America. Right after college, Paola served as an MCC volunteer in Washington, DC working for Bread for the World, a Christian citizens' lobby on hunger. She helped organize Parenting for Peace Pittsburgh in 2004 that galvanized parents to action to protest the U.S. war in Iraq and seed peace in their families. She tries to connect members of the congregation to local initiatives for peace and justice.
Phillip De Luna
Worship Chair
My name is Phillip De Luna and I live in Highland Park with my husband Hugo. I manage the food service program at the Environmental Charter School and also work as a piano accompanist. Besides piano, my interests include cooking, gardening, and anything physical. Biking, running, racket sports, etc.
Staff
Sarah Kremer
Office & Communications Coordinator
Sarah has a degree in Business Administration and brings extensive experience in marketing and communications as well as event planning and coordination to her work in the PMC office. She lives in Millvale and has served in leadership of the Millvale Community Development Corporation, plans and coordinates the Millvale Music Festival, belongs to a local church in Millvale, and works at Mr. Small's Theater.
Joyce Wasser
Custodian
I grew up on a farm in western Pennsylvania with two sisters and a brother. I live in a Highland Park apartment with Brian and our cat, Tasha. I have many interests including art, horses, cats, cycling, photography and The Outer Banks. I'm easy going and good listener.
Victoria Foley
Bookkeeper
Originally from Texas where Victoria worked in Technical Support starting with Windows 3.11 through Windows 98, Microsoft Office, and MSN. Victoria’s Technical career included Microsoft, GTE, WorldCom, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco and PowerChurch. In addition to technical support, writing, and training Victoria has been a Property Manager and Metal Worker where she made art bronze and replicas of Victorian Toy Soldiers.
Lauren Wolcott
Event Rentals Coordinator
Lauren has spent a decade specializing in religious marketing, supporting the work of Christian and Jewish faith communities. While her primary focus has been on communications—she is also the Synod Communicator at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA—event coordination has always been a part of her professional portfolio and a personal hobby.
Lauren is a Swissvalian and can be frequently spotted in the neighborhood walking her dog, Claudia Jean "CJ." She is a Ruling Elder at Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community and has volunteered for organizations such as Fair Districts PA, Boys & Girls Clubs, and the Swissvale litter pick-up.
