About Us

An artist and entrepreneur professionally, Elder Mary Anne Davis returned to church through the choir at age 40. Mary Anne joined the choir at 1st Presbyterian church of Brooklyn Heights and enrolled son Gabriel in Sunday school. One year later (2000) she moved with her family to Spencertown and joined St. Peter’s Presbyterian church there. In addition to a choral calling, Mary Anne soon found her way onto council and has spent many years as a deacon. For the past 2 years she has served the church as the clerk of council and the Presbytery as the co-chair of the Anti-Racism Task Force. Gathering, community building, hospitality and enthusiasm are characteristics that define Mary Anne’s calling to church service. In addition to church affiliation and active participation, Mary Anne works as a full time artist and potter at Davistudio Fine Porcelain and loves to create dinnerware to elevate food preparation and bring people to the table. She has a BFA in ceramics, an MFA in sculpture and a PhD in critical theory from the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts.

The Rev. Dr. Timothy (Tim) Coombs has been co-pastor with Kathleen (Kathy) Gorman-Coombs at Trinity Presbyterian Church for over 36 years. Over his tenure in Albany Presbytery he has served on numerous committees, Council, and for eleven years served as a presbytery staff for health and transformation. In that capacity, Tim introduced many congregations to the use of a projector and screen in worship. He is known for biblical storytelling and has served on the Board Directors of the Network of Biblical Storytellers, International. He also served as the Campus Protestant Chaplain at Union College and currently is its President of the Campus Protestant Ministry. Tim and Kathy have two sons, Keith (Jes) and Kyle (Liz), and one granddaughter, Hellon, who is the only one who can tell her Pop Pop what to do. 😀

Donna Elia serves as executive director of Troy Area United Ministries (TAUM), an interfaith organization that collaborates to meet immediate needs of those experiencing poverty, build community and work for social justice, primarily in Rensselaer County. She is also pastor of St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church in Spencertown and chaplain of the New York State Assembly.

Donna has served in various capacities throughout her 35 years in Albany Presbytery, including as moderator and currently as Co-Chair of the Anti-Racism Task Force and as a member of the Guatemala Partnership Task Force. She lives in Niskayuna with her family and is a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo.

Robert Trawick is a Ruling Elder from New City, NY in the lower Hudson Valley.  He has served the PC(USA) in a number of roles at all levels of the denomination. He brings to his work a knowledge of people in the pews and the anxieties and the hopes connected with moments of change. Rob has served several Presbyteries and the Synod of the Northeast in a variety of roles, including moderator of the Presbytery of Hudson River, membership on the Synod Advisory Review Committee for Albany Presbytery, and co-chair of the Administration Commission for Susquehanna Valley Presbytery.

Alongside his work with the Presbyterian Church, Rob has served for over twenty years as a professor of philosophy and religious studies at St. Thomas Aquinas College, teaching ethics and the history of Christian thought. He lives with his wife, Amanda Trigg, two cats, and (occasionally) his son Owen, who is currently a musical theatre major at the University of Miami.  Rob’s passions, in addition to ministry and education, include music and theatre.

Rev. David Bennett [He/Him] has been an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA for 23 years, serving as pastor for the First Presbyterian Church of Ballston Spa, as Resource Presbyter for Northern NY Presbytery, and now 2021 as Stated Clerk & Administrator for Albany Presbytery.

David finds fulfillment in supporting pastors and church leaders to facilitate pathways for revitalization and renewal. By fostering innovation and connecting leaders to the right resources, he believes churches can pivot and move forward as gospel communities that make a tangible difference in our world today.

David loves to spend time in the woods, especially in and around the Adirondacks mountains. He spent the last 12 years on the Board LifeWorks Community Action, Inc. and is pursuing Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at SUNY Albany.

David is married to Kara, they have two adult children [Emilie and Ethan], and live in Ballston Lake.

Chaplain Laura Mitchell was ordained by the Albany Presbytery to her Clinical Pastoral Residency program at Albany Medical Hospital in 2010. While chaplaincy was her original intent, she was drawn, and then called, to pastoral ministry at the Hebron United Presbyterian Church where she served joyfully for ten years. During Covid, she worked as a Pastoral Care Coordinator at Saratoga Hospital before being called as stated supply to The First Presbyterian Church, Glens Falls. It wasn’t long after Laura’s “retirement” in November 2023 that she felt a longing to return to ministry. She saw the opportunity to serve as Presbytery Chaplain as a perfect fit. Her many years as a registered nurse and years as a full-time pastor provided countless, rich opportunities for her to provide pastoral care to people in crisis and to those suffering from the everyday stresses of life. In addition to her MDiv and BSN, Laura holds certificates in Spiritual Direction and Palliative Care Chaplaincy.

In addition, Laura taught ballet at the Adirondack Repertory Dance Theatre in Glens Falls for many years. She has two grown daughters, Andrea (wife Megan), and Heather (husband Bryan). Laura and her husband Phill are “snowbirds,” enjoying their cabin on Lake George in the summer and going “south” to their hometown, Niskayuna, for the cold seasons. Laura and Phill’s very favorite pastime is spending time with their daughters and families, including adorable grandchildren, Josef, Alexander, Orsa, and Henrietta. Laura’s other interests include sewing, classical music, and ballet.

Rev. Andrea Holroyd received her Master of Divinity from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in 2010, and a Bachelor of Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2007. Coming from a musical family, Andrea enjoys incorporating music with preaching to enhance understanding and awareness. Andrea is currently serving as the Assistant Stated Clerk, as well as serving as a commissioner from Albany to the Synod of the Northeast, and also participates in folk music and dance in New York State and Western Massachusetts. In seminary, Andrea was exposed to the writings of Walter Rauschenbusch. His interpretation of the social gospel at the previous turn of the century was both familiar theology as well as influential to Andrea’s preaching and teaching.

Growing up, Reverend Andrea’s faith was shaped as much through the folk music community as it was hewn in church as she saw the teachings of Jesus lived through the bonds of fellowship in these wildly different environments. Additionally, Andrea spent summers camping and canoeing in the Adirondacks and other state parks in the northeast with her family, exploring the beauty of creation in its natural state.