Lay

Craig Nicol (Good Shepherd, Lyndhurst)
I have been a member of the Episcopal Church for over 28 years having first been a member of Trinity Cathedral where I served for six years on Vestry. While on Vestry I served two years as Junior Warden and three years as Senior Warden. During that time I also served on the search committee which brought Dean William Persell to Cleveland. In 1998 I left Trinity to attend and join Church of the Good Shepherd in Lyndhurst where I am still a member. While at Church of the Good Shepherd I have been on the Vestry twice, most recently for four and a half years, serving as Senior Warden for the last three years, coming off Vestry in April 2011.

Having had a little time away from church responsibilities I find myself wanting to re-connect with church leadership at a higher level. I feel the years of service that I have experienced during my 28 plus years of being with the Episcopal Church give me some basic leadership skills and a place to grow to a higher level of service.

Clergy

The Rev. Heather Hill (All Saints, Parma)
I have served parishes in three different dioceses and know the importance of strength and health in diocesan structure. In previous dioceses I have led diocesan youth programs, both locally and to companion dioceses in Latin America, and served on the design team for the youth program at General Convention 2006. I have learned to step out in creating new ways for growing, both in our own spiritual lives and the parishes we serve. At the same time I know that not everything works well and that out of death comes new life. Not every endeavor succeeds in the ways we thought, but God continues to direct our paths toward that new life. I am aware that every parish is different and what works in one may not work in another, but at the same time some of the best ideas come from other parishes.

I believe the diocese enhances all of our parish ministries. Through the diocese we are able to support each other and help the body of Christ to grow in Northern Ohio. I enjoy working with other parishes and clergy as we seek better ways to live for Christ in our lives, our parishes, and our communities. I hope this opportunity would allow me to help strengthen our parishes and provide ways to minister to our communities that we cannot accomplish alone.

The Rev. Kelly Kirby (St. Andrew, Mentor)
Diocesan Council has the responsibility to monitor diocesan programs and budget while ensuring that, as a diocese, we are carrying out our mission. I have almost 10 years of ordained ministry and experience serving in the church. I have served urban, rural and suburban parishes. I am comfortable working with budgets and program oversight. I am committed to including each ministry that I serve in my daily prayers.

The Rev. Canon Will Mebane, Jr. (Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland)
I have served as a convention delegate, on the stewardship committee and the Church Missions Publishing Company in the Diocese of Connecticut. My corporate career includes managing development & public relations for the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Children's Hospital of Buffalo, NY and the 1995 Special Olympics World Games. I am a founding board member and served as vice president of AMISTAD America, Inc. My undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill led to management positions in broadcasting and formation of a management, media and marketing consulting firm. I have volunteered for organizations addressing HIV/AIDS, affordable housing, refugee resettlement and other social concerns. I chaired the Board of Education in Hamden, CT where I resided for 30 years until relocating to Cleveland, Ohio.

I take seriously the vow I made at my ordination to the priesthood to work "together with [my] bishop and fellow presbyters, and to take [my] share in the councils of the Church." The function of Diocesan Council is important work that requires respecting and honoring the trust Convention delegates place in the lay and ordained persons charged to carry-on the work of the diocese. I am humbled by this nomination and pledge if elected to serve to my fullest potential with G_D's help.