Board of Servant Leaders (BoSL): proposed slate of candidates for 2025
Four members of Good Shepherd have agreed to be candidates for four openings on the Board of Servant Leaders (BoSL). The candidates are Tony Esse, Robert Fekete, John Purtilo, and Bernie Schoch. Attached below are the bios and statements for the candidates.
The open nomination period runs through Sunday, March 30. 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.” If you are interested in running for the BoSL you’ll find the documents on the "Forms & Documents" section of our website by clicking here.
The final candidate slate and election information will be published after the Quiet Period on Sunday, April 6.
Voting will be held online beginning Sunday, April 6 and run until Sunday, April 13. Stay tuned for more information regarding the election.
Tony Esse
Tony has been a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church since 2003 and currently teaches Sunday School for 4th and 5th graders. He currently works for the City of Alexandria as an engineer. He has one adult child, Stephen (23). Tony has previously served on the Board of Servant Leaders, the Property Board, and as an Elder.
Being a member of GSLC has been among the greatest gifts of his life. He thinks one of the church’s most important goals going forward is to help understand and communicate what it means to be a Christian in the 21st Century.
Bernie knows Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior, knowing what He has freely given to us, trying to lead his life as He would.
Robert Fekete
Rob and his family have been members of Good Shepherd since 2010 when we 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 (35) and Alex (33). Rob is currently the Board of Servant Leaders (BoSL) Vice Chair and is running for re-election.
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. Rob believes that each of us must personally ask for His gift, and this is done by inviting Jesus Christ to be Lord in one’s life.
John Purtilo
John is a senior systems development engineer at a large tech company. A “cradle Lutheran” raised in the DMV, John has been active in his prior congregations, most notably Our Savior Lutheran Church, in Laurel, Maryland before moving to Virginia in 2018. Prior to that, John received a B.S. in Computer Science with Honors from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2015 where he participated in multiple campus ministries.
At Good Shepherd, John serves in a wide variety of roles; he most notably is an adult Sunday School teacher, small group leader, and member of the handbell choir. On the side, John has also taught/supported young adult small groups at Our Savior’s Way and Living Savior Lutheran Church. John is very passionate about supporting Christian education at all stages of life. He also feels strongly about promoting Christian community and building relationships with young adults as they graduate high school and enter the working world. When not at church, work, or training in his numerous hobbies, he lives in Leesburg.
Bernie Schoch
Bernie and his wife, Laura, have been going to Good Shepherd since the spring of 2024, followed by joining as members later in that spring. Prior to that the Schochs were members of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda and volunteered as a teacher in children’s Sunday school there. They have 3 grown children, Renee (37), Ian (34), and Mariah (31). Currently Bernie works at Verisign because work is still fun. He has had leadership positions in a tech company he owned from 1981 – 1998 and has been on an ANSI standardization board. He has also volunteered as an Election chief for many elections in Loudoun County being in charge of a precinct.
Bernie knows Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior, knowing what He has freely given to us, trying to lead his life as He would.
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