Leadership

PALMS CHURCH

Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Weenink

Interim Pastor

Jeffrey Weenink is a third-generation church professional. Over the course of 39 years of ordained ministry, Jeffrey has served three long-term pastorates which have included service to Presbyteries, the General Assembly and time in the mission field. Most recently, he served as the Interim Pastor for the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsford, NY. Growing up on and around the Great Lakes, the entire Weenink family loves all aspects of the shoreline, and that means anything that takes them in, on, under or by the water. Jeffrey's wife, Jeanne is a retired early elementary school educator, and, a potter. Together, Jeffrey & Jeanne have three daughters. Jenneke (Dutch for Jennifer – Jenn-eh-kah), Justyne, and Jaime. And their "diva" golden retriever dog – Jaelah. Walking with God is a magnificent adventure, one which is full of serendipities, surprises and good gifts. I am looking forward to all of those things in covenant with you as your Interim Pastor. By definition, that means our time together will be limited to this time of transition. During this time we will be busy with all aspects of our Lord’s work, witness, mission and ministry. In addition, we will be intentionally looking into our heritage, our current context, ways we do ministry, our connections to the larger church, imagining the future and committing to new directions in ministry. I look forward to living the adventure together in a dedicated effort, playful times, prayerful moments punctuated by healthy doses of good humor.

Rev. Dr. Laurie Furr-Vancini

Associate Pastor of Serve Ministry

Rev. Dr. Laurie Furr-Vancini is a native of North Florida. She grew up in Gainesville and then Macclenny, Florida, and is a graduate of Baker County High School. Following high school, Laurie attended Wake Forest University earning a B.A. with double majors in Religion and Sociology. She earned an M.A.Ed. from Virginia Tech. Upon leaving Virginia Tech, Laurie worked in the Housing and Student Activities offices at Georgia Tech, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Georgia Baptist College of Nursing. Laurie attended Candler School of Theology at Emory and Columbia Theological Seminary, earned an M.Div. and was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament, PC(USA) in October 1999. Laurie is married to Jeff, and they have three children: Charlie, Sam, and Abbie. Laurie enjoys her book club, working out and traveling.

Dana Riley

Coordinator of Connection Ministries

Dana was born and grew up in Jacksonville (Florida). She graduated from Robert E. Lee High School, attended Converse College for two years, then transferred to the University of Georgia where she graduated with a BS in Psychology. Following college, Dana came back to Jacksonville and began working for Barnett Bank, two years later she married Jim and together they parented four, now adult, children. Dana received her call to go to seminary when her youngest was in high school. Last May, she graduated with an MDiv degree from Columbia Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a Masters of Theology, online. Dana is glad to be back at Palms where she completed her Supervised Ministry during the summer of 2019. Dana’s present passions include being in nature, practicing yoga, reading books authored by women of color, and creating ways to come together to talk about historically avoided topics.

Bill Wildey

Adult Ministry Coordinator

William (Bill) Wildey, took early retirement from Church World Service following 31 years of service. During his tenure at Church World Service, Bill traveled to many countries around the world. He has taught workshops on effective public speaking, storytelling, major gift fundraising, and more. Bill has hosted and been a guest on many radio and television programs through the years. Early in his career, he worked with singer/songwriter Harry Chapin in his efforts to address global hunger. Throughout his career he has worked with various performers, including Pete Seeger, Lou Rawls, Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul and Mary), Tim Janis, and others. Following his retirement, Bill served as Interim Pastor at Zion United Church of Christ in South Bend, Indiana before he and his wife, Maureen, moved to Ponte Vedra.

Dr. Ronn Cummings

Director of Music and Fine Arts

Born and raised in Minnesota, Dr. Ronn Cummings holds degrees in piano performance and conducting from The University of Wisconsin, Southern Methodist University and The University of North Texas College of Music. He studied conducting with Joseph Hawthorne, Elizabeth Green, Murry Sidlin (Aspen School of Music), Herbert Blomstedt and Anshel Brusilow. In 1997 he earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The University of North Texas and subsequently joined the faculty of UNT where he served as Assistant Director of Orchestras, conducting the UNT Chamber Orchestra and teaching conducting. In 2000, he accepted a position as Director of Orchestral Studies at The University of Akron where he led the University Symphony Orchestra and taught music history, conducting and orchestration. While in Ohio he also served as Director of Music at The First Congregational Church of Hudson. In 2004, Dr. Cummings was appointed as Director of Music and Fine Arts at Palms.

Lori Vaughn

Church Business Director

Lori Vaughn moved to Jacksonville in the fall of 2016 from central Nebraska where she grew up on a cattle ranch. Using her degree in Nonprofit Management with an Accounting Emphasis, Lori worked for a large church in Nebraska as their business manager for 22 years. Family and fantastic weather motivated Lori and her husband Steve to relocate to the Jacksonville area. She has two grown children; Amy, a Coast Guard officer, and Andy, a computer engineer, who resides in Toronto with his wife Josie. Lori enjoys spending time with family, reading, and watching college football and volleyball (especially the Huskers).

Jimmy Steele

Youth Coordinator

Although not a “native Floridian,” Jimmy Steele considers himself “close enough.” He grew up in Winter Haven where he would later teach middle school for seven years. Prior to coming to Palms, he served churches in Orlando, Fort Myers Beach, Lakeland, and Winter Haven. He is an ordained ruling elder in the PCUSA, has served on leadership teams for the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators, and Presbyterian Youth Worker’s Association, and has been active in presbytery ministries wherever he has served. As a former Camp Board of Directors member, Jimmy felt his call to full time ministry while serving as a summer camp worship leader. Triennium, Montreat, Cedarkirk, and the mountains of Vermont are just a few of his favorite places to experience God’s presence. In addition to his love of the ministry, he loves sports, going on retreats with students, “playing golf”, visiting his family, and traveling. Jimmy is married to Katie and they have a daughter Hadley, and a cat Ginger.

Kadesha Baker

Preschool Director

Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Eastern Michigan University and an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Development. I have devoted more than twenty-four years of my life working with young children and their families with twenty of those years at The University of Michigan Health System Children’s Center. I have a 23-year-old son who attends college in Michigan.

I have a strong passion and enthusiasm for working with children, educators, and families. I believe that what happens early in life will last a lifetime. Therefore, the work that we do as Early Childhood Educators will influence the next generation of world leaders. I love music and dancing. I am a licensed Zumba instructor.