Bios of Staff Members
Debbie Lydon is the Administrator of the church. Debbie's responsibilities include oversight of the daily operations of the church, interaction with members and vendors serving their needs, and supervision of the office and building staff. She also coordinates all building space rentals. Debbie joined the staff in March 2002, after several years as the Marketing/Communications Coordinator with the law firm of Arter & Hadden, LLP. Debbie is a graduate of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
Suehana Kieres is the Finance Manager of the church. Her responsibilities include managing all payroll and financial transactions at West Shore, including pledges and pledge payments, stock transactions, and bequests. She manages our financial data bases, and acts as one of the key staff support persons to the Stewardship Committee, Finance Committee, and Service Auction/Bazaar leadership. Suehana previously worked at Charles Schwab & Co. before becoming a "stay at home mom." She now works part-time to have the perfect balance of professional and family life with her husband and 3 children.
Cathy Ross is the Programs Assistant at the church. Her main responsibilities are to provide assistance to the Administrator and the Director of Lifespan Faith Development. A copywriter by trade, Cathy recently retired as Copy Director of Matrix, a division of L’Oréal USA. A friend’s wedding at West Shore introduced Cathy to Unitarian Universalism. The ceremony so impressed her that she chose West Shore for her own wedding. Her two daughters grew up in the RE program and Cathy has been a member (with a brief hiatus from 2001-2006) since 1979. In that time, she has volunteered as an RE teacher for the toddler room in addition to serving on the Religious Education and Social Action Committees and the former Youth Adult Committee. From 2001 to 2006, Cathy was a member of the Community Church of New York Unitarian Universalist where she was co-chair of the Action for Justice Committee.
Kathleen Heck is the part-time Membership Coordinator. Kathleen's responsibilities include interacting with visitors and new members – introducing them to others and helping to integrate them into the life of the church. She works closely with the Membership Committee. Kathleen is also a Realtor for RE/MAX Pros and has been a member of the congregation at West Shore since 1992.
Rick Achtziger is the Facilities Manager of the church. Rick is responsible for the cleaning and general maintenance of the church building and grounds as well as the overall security of the building. He supervises two staff members who assist him during weekday evenings and on weekends. Rick's expereince has been primarily within the manufacturing industry having worked for nearly thirty years at Osborn International before joining the staff at West Shore. He and his wife, Trish, live in a century home in Avon with their dog, Katie.