Board of Servant Leaders (BoSL): proposed slate of candidates

Four members of Good Shepherd have agreed to be candidates for four openings on the Board of Servant Leaders (BoSL). The candidates are Laura Blackburn, Robert Fekete, Drew Lipman, and Deanine Thrash. Attached below are the bios and statements for the candidates. 

The open nomination period starts Sunday, March 12th. Per our Bylaws (II.c.3), “any member of the congregation may continue to recommend the names of individuals willing to serve on the BoSL along with the individual’s personal profile to the nominating committee. Such candidates will be added to the final slate of prospective new BoSL members without prejudice.” To avoid the necessity for any election activity during Holy Week, the two-week open nomination period will last longer than two weeks. Names of any additional candidates, plus nomination form, short profile in the third person and photo, must be received by the Nominating Committee no later than Saturday, March 25. You’ll find the documents by clicking here or the links below.

The final candidate slate will be published on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

Voting will be held online beginning Wednesday, April 12.  Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks regarding the election.

Laura Blackburn

Laura and her husband, Sam, live in Middleburg with twin 18-year-olds. They are all preparing for the next step of college. Laura is a retired Air Force Lt Col currently working for a federal contractor. The Blackburns joined Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in 2011. Laura’s grandmother routinely held Lutheran services in her living room until the small town got a pastor and building. Laura has been a Lutheran her entire life. Both her and Sam have been blessed by God with countless blessings and are grateful for Him working in their lives. While being members of Good Shepherd, Laura has what grace really means. It is such a gift that God gives everyone who believes in his Son, Jesus Christ.

While Laura does not have any prior leadership/board experience at the church, she has definite leadership experience in the Air Force and out. She is honored with the wonderful opportunity to serve on the BoSL.

Robert Fekete

Rob and his family have been a members of Good Shepherd since 2010 when they moved to Herndon. He is currently working for a federal contractor supporting the DoD and other agencies.  He is married to Linda and they have two adult children: Robert (33) and Alex (30). While he doesn’t have prior leadership/board experience in a church, he did spend several years on the Board of Directors of the American International School of Budapest. During his time on the board the school moved to a new facility.

The most important part of his faith is the knowledge that there is nothing that he can do to earn the love of God as it is a gift, paid through the death and bodily resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. He believes that each must personally ask for this gift, and is done by inviting Jesus Christ to be Lord in one’s life.

Drew Lipman

Drew Lipman started coming to Good Shepherd after he moved to Virginia in 2019 and joined as a member in 2021.  He has also joined the GSLC Property Team and volunteers with kitchen setup, cleanup and as an usher. Drew was brought up in a mixed religion family, following his mother into LCMS membership and his father into his profession working at a non-profit R&D center as a data scientist. Drew earned his doctorate in mathematics which taught him to look for patterns and to have a deep appreciation for the Truth. This appreciation of the Truth he tries to bring to all aspects of his life, in particular by trying to share patterns he sees in scripture with others. Drew believes all good things, in particular good opportunities, are from the Lord, and is honored to be considered for the Board of Servant Leaders.

Deanine Thrash

Deanine has lived in the Reston area for the past twenty-one years and works for the Federal Government.  She joined Good Shepherd in 2018 after attending other churches in the area. Deanine found Good Shepherd to be a warm and welcoming church and wants to continue that tradition for visitors and members alike.  Deanine has volunteered to be a greeter for the early service and during the pandemic when church services began in person.  She was also a member of the vision and staffing committee. Currently she is serving on the board filling in the position vacated by Allen Hodges.