Dr. Terrence Sherry
Pastor
tsherry@fpcaustin.org

Rev. Dr. Terrence O. Sherry has been Pastor of First Presbyterian Church since January 2005.  He has an MDiv from Yale Divinity School, an MTh from Edinburgh, and a PhD from Claremont.  He is the author of The Christo-Morphic, Hermeneutical Theology of H Richard Niebuhr Shaped by Christ (Edward Mellen, 2003).  A recipient of the Paul Harris Overseas Fellowship, he taught at San Francisco Theological Seminary and served several churches in California before coming to FPC.

Sam Riccobene
Associate Pastor of Congregational Care and Small Group Development
sriccobene@fpcaustin.org

Sam Riccobene, also known as "Sampa" to his grandchildren and other children in the church, is a graduate of Austin College in Sherman and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary here in Austin. Sam's interests include creation stewardship, interfaith dialog, teaching, preaching, and bicycle riding. As Associate for Congregational Care and Small Group Development Sam has begun a one-to-one caring program called Stephen Ministry at FPC, and has also started the First Presbyterian Cyclists "Bikers First" and the Creation Stewardship groups.

Sarah Demarest Allen
Associate Pastor for Children, Youth, and Families
sallen@fpcaustin.org

Sarah Allen is a graduate of Austin College and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She has many years of experience in youth and children’s ministries, has written small group curriculum for Presbyterian youth conferences, and has served as worship leader and keynote speaker at youth and family conferences at Mo-Ranch Conference Center.

Bob Lively
Teacher-In-Residence

The Reverend Dr. Bob Lively is known for his great storytelling style. Lively delights his listeners with the interweaving of his personal faith journey, life-long theological study, and spiritual discipline. He has served the church as an ordained Presbyterian Minister (U.S.A.) for over 30 years. A Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, Lively is the author of several books and is an award- winning short story writer. He writes regularly for the Austin American-Statesman.

Mike Murray
Leadership Development
mmurray@fpcaustin.org

Mike Murray graduated from Austin College and from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. In 2001, Mike was recognized by the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Alumni Association for his outstanding service to the church.

Since 1973 Mike Murray has served as an organizational consultant and trainer for a variety of congregational, denominational, corporate and government clients. As the Director of his own training firm, Creative Interchange Consultants International, Mike has conducted training seminars and organizational planning events for business managers, government officials, and church leaders in all 50 states and in Europe, Southeast Asia and other parts of North America. The focus of his work includes training and organizational facilitation on a range of topics, including: strategic planning, conflict management, community building, change management, spiritual growth, and leadership development.

As an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Mike currently serves as the chair of the Pastoral Care Division of Mission Presbytery. Over the past thirty years Mike’s contract work within our denomination has included numerous congregations, presbyteries, the Synod of the Sun, the General Assembly of the PCUSA, and several seminaries. Mike also serves on the Board of The Clergy Committee, an organization that uses a collegial accountability model to establish support groups for pastors of all denominations across the U.S.

Prior to entering into the training and consulting business, he served as pastor of Presbyterian churches in Kingsville and Mercedes, Texas and as Associate Pastor of Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
 

Don Faulk
Parish Associate for Visitation

Don Faulk received a BA from Texas Christian University and Master's degrees from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and Trinity University. Ordained by Brazos Presbytery in Fort Worth at St. Timothy United Presbyterian Church, he served as a pastor of churches in Fort Worth, Pearsall, and San Antonio. He has served as Director of Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services in San Antonio and Austin for a total of almost forty years.

James Brown
Director of Music and the Arts
jbrown@fpcaustin.org

James A. Brown received his degrees in organ performance and choral conducting from the University of Houston before moving to New York City to pursue studies in viola da gamba and historical musicology. While in New York, Mr. Brown served as musical director for Polyhymnia, a group dedicated to the performance of Medieval and Renaissance sacred repertory. As gambist Mr. Brown is a core member of La Follia Austin Baroque, and has performed with the New York Continuo Collective, Texas Early Music Project, Conspirare, Ars Lyrica and Polyhymnia. Mr. Brown has served as faculty for the Texas Toot, as well as faculty and director for Amherst Early Music. As a conductor his primary efforts have been in the choral/orchestral repertoire of the French Baroque, and in the music of Claudio Monteverdi. Mr. Brown is also the Artistic Director of the Saint Cecilia Music Series.

Keith Womer
Organist
kwomer@fpcaustin.org

Keith Womer, organist, was raised in Ohio.  He graduated with degrees in computer engineering from Case Western Reserve University and the University of Oklahoma.  Outside of FPC, he works as a technology consultant in the oil and gas industry.  Musically, he studied organ at Westminster College and harpsichord with Will Volcker in Houston.  He has twice won the National Federation of Music Clubs Award and the Sigma Alpha Iota Award. His many recitals include performances on such historic instruments as the Walcker Organ in Methuen, Massachusetts, and the organ in Atlantic City Convention Hall.  He is currently the director of La Follia Austin Baroque, a chamber group performing music from the time of Vivaldi and Bach.  He also performs solo recitals throughout Texas on both organ and harpsichord.

Rich Harney, Pianist; Alex Coke, saxophone, flute, woodwinds

Rich Harney has been illuminating the Austin jazz scene as one of its brightest stars for more than twenty-five years. His remarkable talents as pianist, composer, and vocalist have gained him acclaim from the Austin American-Statesman as “one of Austin’s most valuable musical resources.” The Austin Jazz Players and Critics Poll honored him in 1993 as Composer of the Year, Best Songwriter, and Best Male Jazz Vocalist. He also received second place honors in the Austin Music Umbrella’s 1992 Composer Competition.  He has appeared on dozens of CDs and has recorded two of his own: Where Love Begins and Soul Prayers (with Alex Coke).  He has just finished the manuscript for his third book of compositions for jazz piano.

Harney has performed extensively as band leader and ensemble pianist with Gene Ramey, Tony Campise, Carmen Bradford (Count Basie Orchestra), Martin Banks (Duke Ellington Orchestra), Clifford Scott and Ted Piltzecker (Director, Aspen Music Festival’s Jazz Program). In addition to playing jazz festivals and local venues, he and singer Beth Ullman co-produced the popular concert series “Jazz at St. David’s” and the highly acclaimed theatrical concert “Dyin’ to Swing.”

Composer, multi-instrumentalist, improviser, and lifelong eclectic Alex Coke is one of the most prominent and well-respected members of the Austin jazz and experimental-music communities. Born in Dallas, Coke received his BA from the University of Colorado with an emphasis on flute performance before moving to Austin and becoming one of the original members of avant-garde collective the Creative Opportunity Orchestra, led by vocalist Tina Marsh. With his deep, rich, tenor saxophone tone and a predisposition toward willful, emotional experimentation, Coke fits firmly in the performance tradition pioneered by fellow Texas tenors David “Fathead” Newman and James Clay and the free explorations of John Coltrane and Albert Ayler in the Sixties. His large-band compositions highlight an affinity for the deconstructive explorations of Charles Mingus. In the early 1990s, after more than 10 years as both a band leader and collaborator in Central Texas, Coke moved to Amsterdam, where he spent eight years as a touring and recording member of the Dutch group Willem Breuker Kollektief. Since returning to Austin, Coke has released several albums that reflect his wide-ranging tastes, including 2004’s Iraqnophobia/Wake Up Dead Man and Soul Prayers (with Rich Harney). During his nearly 30 years as a professional musician, Coke has performed with groups as diverse as the Live Action Brass Band, the Leadbelly Legacy Band, New Texas Swing, and his own post-bop quintet, the Worthy Constituents.

Jennifer Harvill
Music Assistant; Children's Choir Director
jharvill@fpcaustin.org

Jennifer Harvill was musically active from kindergarten through high school both in the community and in her home church, Community Presbyterian Church in Postville, Iowa. She majored in music education with an emphasis in voice and piano at the University of Northern Iowa and earned a BA and MPA from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, while being employed by Dow Jones & Company, Inc., publishers of The Wall Street Journal.

Sue Adams
Childcare Coordinator

Diane Lindner
Financial Administrator
dlindner@fpcaustin.org

Diane Lindner graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington and received her CPA license shortly thereafter.  She has worked for both public accounting firms and private businesses.  Most recently she has spent 15 years in the non-profit arena.  She joined the staff of FPC in 2006 as the Financial Administrator.  Besides counting money she enjoys women’s ministry and Bible studies. 

Jane Bassett
Director of Church Operations
jbassett@fpcaustin.org

Jane Bassett graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Business Administration majoring in Management and Organizational Design and a graduate degree in Engineering Information Systems. After 10 years in the high-tech industry a systems engineer and consultant, and then a sabbatical as a parent and community/church volunteer, she joined FPC as the office manager for the Day School and now serves as the FPC business manager addressing administration, facility, scheduling, and communication needs.

Nona Gold
Pastor’s Assistant
ngold@fpcaustin.org

Nona Gold attended the University of Texas, worked at Crestview Methodist Church, and retired from the Texas Department of Transportation/Aviation. Since then she has worked at Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church, Covenant Presbyterian Church, and now FPC.