About Us

Pastor Katy has worked in the church for 20 years and previously served as New Covenant Presbyterian Church pastor for 13; she also enjoyed working as Sabbatical Pastor at Emmanuel Baptist at Albany and Community Hospice for St. Peters. Not to be confused with her new and beautiful call at Emmanuel-Friedens Baptist Church UCC. She is also blessed to be Moderator for Albany Presbytery. She has her doctorate in creative writing as a public theologian at Mr. Roger’s alma mater, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She also leads prayer, writing, leadership, and inclusivity workshops. She enjoys tea, sunshine, theater, and reading and writing Science Fiction and Fantasy. She is thankful for her husband Anthony, who is a branch library director at Bach in Albany, and her three teenagers Franklin (NB), 16, Westley, 14, and Ashburn, 13.

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.

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] was ordained by the Albany Presbytery in 2003 and served 13 years as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Ballston Spa.  In 2016, he left that call to serve as the Resource Presbyter for Northern New York Presbytery, which spans from Lake Champlain to Lake Ontario.  In 2021, David was also elected as Stated Clerk of Albany Presbytery, creating a full-time call between the two presbyteries.

David likes to frame his Mid-Council/Presbytery ministry as fulfilling his passion to support pastors and church leaders as they facilitate pathways for revitalization and renewal.  By fostering innovation and connecting leaders to the right resources, David believe churches can pivot and move forward as gospel communities that make a tangible difference in our world today.

When not traveling about the North Country, David loves to spend time in the woods, and recently became an Adirondack 46er!  He also serves as president of the board for LifeWorks Community Action, Inc. [formerly Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council] and is pursuing an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

David is married to Kara and they have two children, Emilie and Ethan.

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.