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Tina Shaw
Director of Children’s Ministries
Tina graduated from high school in Ohio in 1979. It took many years before she attended college, graduating with an associates degree in elementary education in August, 2010. She plans to continue her education taking classes that will help in her current position as Director of Children’s Ministry at Westminster.
Tina spent those years between high school and college as a stay-at-home mother, volunteering at her children’s schools and various churches. She has worked as a paraprofessional in elementary school, as a part-time substitute librarian and school secretary. She has been a Sunday school teacher for 15 years.
For the past seven years, Tina has been wedding coordinator at Westminster, and, for five years, the funeral and memorial reception coordinator.
Tina was not raised in a church, but knew she’d found a church family as soon as she came to Westminster. Tina and her family became members in 2001. She considers the congregation of Westminster a blessing that has helped her grow as a Christian, has supported her through a divorce, encouraged her to go back to school and rallied behind her in her new position.
Tina has two sons: Ben, 23, who lives in Mt. Pleasant, and Nate, 20, who lives in Chelsea.
Tina enjoys long walks, listening to music, reading and cheering for the Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds. She also
likes to scrapbook and organize “stuff.”
Shawn McDonald
Minister of Music
A native of Lansing, Shawn showed a keen interest in music at an early age, beginning his musical studies at the age of 8. At Eastern Michigan University, Shawn was a vocal major with a secondary concentration on organ when former Westminster musical director Carroll Hart brought him on staff in 1995 as choral accompanist. His responsibilities have continued to evolve and expand at the church. He is arranger-in-residence at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, and keeps busy as artistic director of Arbor Opera Theater, Ann Arbor’s professional opera company.
April Wright
Bookkeeper and Assistant
Financial Secretary
April has been the bookkeeper and assistant financial secretary at Westminster since June, 1996. She joined the staff after 12 years as a stay-at-home mother while raising two sons and a daughter. Her professional experience includes pension and trust administration work with a variety of financial institutions. She and her husband, Dave, have been members of Westminster since 1991. She sings with the Westminster Choir and has taught children’s Sunday school. Her hobbies are travel, golf and spending time with the kids.
Marti Burbeck
Director of Media and Communications
Marti grew up in western New York state. She spent a year in Flemish-speaking Belgium as an exchange student as a teenager, and another two years in Brussels working with teens in an ecumenical Christian outreach. After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1977, she taught middle school math in Ann Arbor for three years. Two sons live and work in Ann Arbor. Marti became editor of The Link in 1997; since then, the web site, the media center, Sunday worship guides and Westminster Weekly, and Westminster advertising have been added to her responsibilities. She likes to swim, run, bicycle, snowboard, kayak, read, and cook and eat good food.
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Leslie Picken
Director of Youth Ministries
Leslie, who has served as youth director at Westminster since September, 2006, previouslyworked as Christian education director at the First Congregational Church of St. Joseph, Michigan, for six years, and as youth director at St. Timothy Presbyterian Church in Livonia for another four and one-half years. She’s been married to Bob for 35 years and has four children, one daughter-in-law and a basset hound.
Linda Lang
Director of Sacred Dance
It’s not a surprise to learn that Linda began college by majoring in dance. What might be more surprising to learn is that she finished college with a major in civil engineering, studying electrical schematics and circuit board layout. She designed printed circuit boards from 1977 through 1995, eventually forming her own company.
Linda now works as Business Manager for Ann Arbor Academy, a private school for students with learning difficulties who have not been successful in a public school setting. Linda feels it is a blessing to watch students come to the Academy feeling like a failure and gain confidence when they realize they can be successful.
Linda became a member of Westminster in 2008 after searching the Internet for Presbyterian churches. She was attracted to WPC by the sacred dance program. She has been a Deacon for more than two years and is Director of Sacred Dance. Both of these activities are a source of joy to her.
Linda has two married sons, a married daughter, and three grandchildren, who live out of state. Her son, Erik, lives with her. Erik has Asperger Syndrome, a type of autism. Linda feels her life is centered around three things; her church and faith, her job, and guiding Erik.
Judy Slater
Office and Facilities Administrator
Judy Slater grew up in the San Francisco Bay area where she earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley.
She has worked in administration in several professional and educational institutions, including Stanford and Harvard Universities, the American Psychological Association, and the Congregational Church in Asheville, North Carolina.
Judy has also kept busy as a volunteer for hospice, small claims court mediator, guide at Rentschler Farm Museum, Saline Library volunteer, and by sewing costumes for various theater productions.
During her time at Berkeley, she experienced the free-speech movement. She also worked as a civilian for the Red Cross providing USO-type recreational activities for American soldiers. In 2001, Judy visited the Holy Land. The impact of walking in Jesus’ footsteps is with her still.
Judy now lives in Saline. Her son, his wife, and their three children are also Saline residents. Her daughter and son-in-law and their three children currently reside in North Carolina.
Isaias Celestino
Custodian
It’s a long journey from the Philippines to Westminster Presbyterian Church. That’s the journey taken by Isaias Celestino, our custodian for 20 years.
Isaias worked for a psychiatric hospital in Ypsilanti. He now works at the University of Michigan in addition to working at Westminster.
Isaias enjoys working at Westminster because the people are friendly and have come to feel like family to him. Isaias was honored by the members of Westminster in 2011 for his many years of service.
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