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LHM PEOPLE OverviewTwo groups of individuals oversee and manage the Listening Hearts Ministries organization. These are our Program Office staff and our Board of Trustees. Program Office Program Office StaffBoard of Trustees The Listening Hearts Ministries Board of Trustees is responsible for establishing the policies of the organization and overseeing the activities of the Program Office. The Board meets semi-annually to evaluate the overall operations of the organization and seek consensus on issues that may impact on the future direction of the ministry. Four members of the Board make up the Executive Committee. This group meets regularly with the Executive Director and other members of the Program Office to review the ongoing operations of the organization. Trustees Suzanne Farnham, Founder R. Taylor McLean, President Susan Ward, Vice President & Secretary Patricia Brown, Treasurer
Patricia Brown joined the Board of Trustees as Treasurer in 2006. In that capacity, she serves on both the Executive Committee and the Administrative Committee. Prior to serving as a Trustee, her connection with Listening Hearts Ministries was through her husband, Joseph P. Gill, who was a founding member of the board, its first Treasurer, and a co-author of Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community. Anne Coyle Clewell joined the Board of Trustees in 2008 and serves on the Executive Committee with responsibilities for communication. She attends Memorial Episcopal Church where Listening Hearts Ministries was begun under Suzanne Farnham. Anne served on the Vestry which used Listening Hearts guidelines to discern significant issues. It was while serving on the vestry that Anne began to experience the value of individual and group spiritual discernment.
Anne holds a B.F.A in Fine Arts from Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia, M.A. in Publications Design from the University of Baltimore, is a volunteer church musician and in the 4th year of Education for Ministry (EfM). She recently completed the indepth and incredible LHM Training Week for Trainers. She is a freelance graphic designer and serves clients in the higher-education and the non-profit sector in the Baltimore area.
Anne and her husband of 27 years, Bill - a recently retired University of Baltimore Math and Computer Science professor - have two grown sons. They have recently committed themselves to helping transform vacant and abandoned houses in Baltimore City into vibrant and exciting homes and to bringing a diverse group of people together to improve the quality of life for their community. Mixed in with demolition, reconstruction and graphic design Anne loves to walk in the city, play guitar, volunteer with the Samaritan Community and make her family's signature Maryland crab cakes.
Alice Dorrance's first involvement with Listening Hearts Ministries was when Suzanne Farnham led a Listening Hearts vestry retreat at Immanuel Episcopal Church in Baltimore. That experience, and the impact it had on the work of the vestry, led her to pursue additional, more intensive Listening Hearts spiritual discernment training. Her association with the group continued and led to her being asked to join the Listening Hearts board in 2003. Alice was born in Summit, New Jersey, but grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut. She received an A.A. degree in Early Childhood Education from Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and then taught at The Friends School in Haverford, Pennsylvania for four years. She has been involved in a variety of church activities over the years including serving as a Church School superintendent, vestry member, Senior Warden and leading book discussions. She and her husband, Chris, are the parents of two children. Chris' career as educator in independent schools has taken them to a number of varied locations over the years including Philidelphia; Portland, Oregon; Columbus and Toledo, Ohio; Baltimore, Maryland; and Spartanburg , South Carolina, where he heads Spartanburg Day School. Along with her church-related activities, Alice's interests include Bible study, gardening, the natural world, hiking in protected lands, tennis and yoga. Her generous financial support of the organization has allowed Listening Hearts Ministries to enhance the professional staff. Suzanne Farnham is the Founding Trustee of Listening Hearts Ministries. She served as Executive Director for many years and continues to lead programs for the ministry. As a member of the Board of Trustees, she serves on both its Executive Committee and Administrative Committee. Suzanne developed the "Listening Hearts", "Grounded in God", and "Opening the Ear of Your Heart" training programs and continues to design training formats, retreats and workshops based on these programs. She is a popular and sought-after inspirational leader, who continues to play an active role in leading programs across the country. Suzanne is co-author of Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community and Grounded in God: Listening Hearts Discernment for Group Deliberations, as well as The Manual for Discussion Leaders. She co-edited the Listening Hearts SONGBOOK and is the author of Listening Hearts Retreat Designs and Meditation Exercises. She is currently co-authoring a book with the Rev. Timothy Grayson, the working title of which is Keeping in Tune with God: Listening Hearts Discernment for Clergy. Suzanne was born in Georgia but grew up in New Yor k State. She is a graduate of Sweet Briar College in Virginia. Suzanne’s husband of 47 years, the Rev. Lyman (Barney) Farnham, died in 2007. It was while Barney was the Rector of Memorial Episcopal Church in Baltimore that Suzanne began a parish-based initiative that led to the creation of the book, Listening Hearts, which ultimately led to the formation of Listening Hearts Ministries. She has four grown children and ten grandchildren. Tim was born and raised in New Zealand. He received his M.A. (Hons) degree in English Language and English Literature from Victoria University in Wellington and worked as a journalist in his home town of Palmerston North before leaving for England in 1975. He began his career in medical publishing in London later that year and in 1982 transferred to his company’s head office in Baltimore. In 2003, Tim answered the call to ordained ministry and simultaneously responded to a strong call to return to New Zealand. He began his theological studies at the College of St. John the Evangelist in Auckland and then in July 2005 returned to Baltimore to marry Kathy, whom he had met just one month before his departure for New Zealand. He completed his M.Div. degree at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA in May 2007 and is currently employed as the assistant to the rector at St. James’ Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, in west Baltimore. He became a trustee of Listening Hearts in 2008. DeAnn was introduced to Listening Hearts by another Trustee, her aunt, Frances Sullinger. After hearing about and observing the many gifts that Listening Hearts has brought to Frances’ life, she was delighted to be asked to join the Board of Trustees in 2008. DeAnn has a PhD (Tulane University) and Master’s degree (Southern University at New Orleans) in Social Work. She is currently an Assistant Professor at LSU Health Sciences Center School of Public Health and she is contracted by the Louisiana Office of Public Health, HIV/AIDS Program to conduct program evaluation and grants management. DeAnn has worked in the field of HIV/AIDS for the past 20 years, focusing on program planning and evaluation, resource development, and policy analysis. DeAnn earned a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from St. Norbert College in DePere, Wisconsin in 1983 before working for the Catholic Church for several years. Although DeAnn is not currently an active member of a formal congregation, she recognizes God in all aspects of her life, particularly in her relationships with others. For the past twenty years, she has shared her life with her partner, Laura Beth Decker. They enjoy living next door to Laura Beth’s brother and his family, as well as being within a mile of her mother and another sibling; following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, their appreciation of family and friends grew even more. Meg Kimble - Executive Director Meg Kimble joined the staff of Listening Hearts Ministries in 2006 and now serves in the position of program support. She brings to Listening Hearts knowledge and experience working within the church on the diocesan and national levels, as well as firm grounding in theology and Christian tradition. She read the Great Books at St. John’s College and received her B.A. in the Liberal Arts. She has been active in the area of Christian Formation for many years, coordinating regional and national Godly Play trainings, and is presently the Coordinator of the Education for Ministry program for the Diocese of Maryland. Meg was elected to the vestry of St. Anne’s Parish in 2007. In her free time, Meg loves to cook and watch baseball, especially the Red Sox. She enjoys singing with the Annapolis Chorale and her church choir. She lives in Annapolis with her husband and her son and daughter when they are home from college. Taylor McLean, President of Listening Hearts since its founding, serves on both the Executive Committee and the Administrative Committee, with responsibility for major donor cultivation. He was actively engaged from the beginning, doing the research on Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He is co-author of Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community, The Listening Hearts Manual for Discussion Leaders, and Grounded in God: Listening Hearts Discernment for Group Deliberations. Taylor attended Johns Hopkins University, received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Virginia, and holds a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law where he was a member of the Law Review. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney prior to becoming a partner of the law firm Royston, Mueller, McLean and Reid in Towson, Maryland. Formerly a widower with three children, seven grandchildren and a great granddaughter, Taylor married Patricia Lyman McLean in April 2008. He has been an active member of The Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore for most of his adult life. An enthusiatic bird watcher and a committed environmentalist, he enjoys camping and playing tennis.
Lee Owen came onto the board in 1999 and served as Treasurer through 2006. He was part of the very first test-group trained in Listening Hearts discernment in 1989, was then part of the Memorial Church Discernment Ministry Team, and has served in numerous discernment groups over the years. Listening Hearts Ministries first came to Maryellen’s attention when a friend at Epiphany Episcopal Church in Odenton was going through the discernment process almost 10 years ago. Several years later, when Barney Farnham spent 3 months at Epiphany she learned more about the purpose and meaning behind the ministry. Maryellen serves as a pastoral care associate at Epiphany where she and her husband John regularly worship. They are the parents of two “twenty-something” daughters who also attended Epiphany Church.
Frances Sullinger became a Trustee in 2002. As a member of the Executive Committee, she is in charge of marketing and client development. She was trained in discernment as part of a field-test group at the Church of the Holy Comforter, Vienna, Virginia, in 1990 and now serves as a Senior Program Associate. Frances also serves on the Administrative Committee. She collaborated with Suzanne Farnham in developing the Title III Training Program for Episcopal Commissions on Ministry.Frances earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in theatre, speech and English at Texas A & M, and completed a year of doctoral work in structural linguistics at Denver University. She taught in the overseas Division of the University of Maryland and then worked for the U. S. Department of State as a Foreign Service officer. F ollowing her retirement, she continued facilitating professional development seminars for the Foreign Service. Doris Walker is the Office Manager and started with the organization in 2002. She is responsible for all financial operations and analyzes financial data to assist the ministry in its planning process. Doris is also responsible for maintaining corporate records and for the organization’s mailing list database. She inventories, purchases, and organizes office and program supplies. Doris provides office support for the work of the trustees and works closely with the volunteers. Doris is a native of Baltimore and graduated with a bachelor's degree from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and an MS in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a member of The Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore, where she is a chalice-bearer and is a graduate of Education for Ministry, a four year course preparing individuals for lay ministry. She enjoys attending musicals, travel, and spending time with her two children and one grandson.
Susan Ward is a founding Trustee and has served as Vice President and Secretary since Listening Hearts was incorporated. She worked tirelessly on the initial research and is a co-author of Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community. Her minutes provide a spiritual history of the board and her thank you notes for every contribution build warm relationships with financial supporters. She shepherds the Listening Hearts Ministry Team at St. Paul’s Cathedral in San Diego. |
| Listening Hearts Ministries | 3000 Chestnut Avenue, Suite 100B | Baltimore, Maryland 21211-2759 P: 410-366-1851 | F: 410-243-7062 | E: listening@verizon.net | W: www.listeninghearts.org |
