Staff
The Rev. William M. Anderson was ordained as Minister of Word and Sacrament by the Presbytery of Santa Barbara in 1984. He served churches at both ends of Pennsylvania prior to coming to Florida, where until recently he has pastored in Melbourne since 1993. A graduate of Westmont College (CA) and Princeton Theological Seminary, Pastor Anderson resides near the church while his wife of 27 years, Lane, directs a preschool and teaches childcare at Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne. The Andersons have three grown children, all of whom are students in Massachusetts.
Email: fpcinfo@fpcdaytona.org
Rev. Emese Asztalos
Eme grew up in a small village called Ramocsahaza, in northeastern Hungary. She went to high school in the city of Nyiregyhaza, which is an hour long bus ride from her village. Her mother and father still live in her childhood home, and her sister lives with her family in the city.
After finishing seminary in Debrecen and subsequently being ordained while still in Hungary, she received a scholarship from the Columbia Theological Seminary here in the United States. She has now completed her year at Columbia, and God has called her to First Presbyterian Church of Daytona Beach to serve us and the Hungarian community.
Sharon, originally from Schenectady, New York, is a graduate from the State University of New York at Cobleskill with an AAS Degree in Business Administration. Sharon and her late husband, Richard, moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, to escape the very cold winters, and finally, to Daytona Beach in 1984. She then worked for Seabreeze United Church until 1999. Realizing that church work was the most rewarding and fulfilling for her, Sharon joined our staff in February 2001.
Email: sharon@fpcdaytona.org
Rusty joined the Music Department of First Presbyterian Church in 1998. His home state is South Carolina, where he began music studies with Professor Gore of the Converse School of Music at the age of six, but actually began playing the piano by ear at the age of eight. Rusty moved to Florida in 1993, became organist for Redeemer Lutheran Church in Winter Park and worked as an entertainer for Disney's Magic Kingdom. He also worked as a music therapist for in Orlando, which began his interest in retirement homes and nursing facilities. Thus, the "With a Song in My Heart" ministry evolved with the support of First Presbyterian. This music ministry reaches into area nursing homes. Rusty's greatest support comes from his lovely wife Helen, who shares Rusty's love for music.
Email: Rustyandhelen@aol.com
Choir Director/Artist in Residence
Susan Pitard Acree
Susan Pitard Acree, Violinist, has been Choir Director/Artist in Residence at First
Presbyterian Church since 2007. Ms. Acree has been very actively involved in church music ministry for many years, both in Atlanta and Daytona Beach. Ms. Acree is also founder and Music Director of Daytona Solisti Chamber Orchestra, which is comprised of professional musicians from the Central Florida area, and presents four concerts each season. She is also an active professional violinist and recitalist in the Central Florida area.
Ms. Acree was a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for twenty-two years and taught violin and viola at Georgia Perimeter College for eleven years and at Stetson University Community School of the Arts for two years. From 1994 until 2000 she served as concertmaster of the Atlanta Community Symphony Orchestra. She was founder and Music Director of DaSalo Solisti Chamber Orchestra in Atlanta from 2001 to 2005, until her move to Daytona Beach with her husband Darrell.
Custodian
Henry Hill
Henry has been with First Presbyterian Church for 40 years.
Housekeeper
Linda Holt
Linda has been the church housekeeper since 1998, and she took over as Nursery Leader in 2000. Raised in Daytona Beach and a graduate from the Daytona Beach Community College. Linda then stayed home with her children until her youngest began school. After volunteering so often in her children's school, Linda became employed there. She then obtained her CDA from DBCC, and in 1999, transferred to Atlantic High School to work with special needs students.
Sound Engineer
Jason Hoffman
Youth Volunteer Leader
Muriel Lamb
Children's Church Leader
Whitney Meek
Nursery Leader
Tiffani Cook
Bookkeeper
Debby Cook
Debby Cook joined our church staff in August of 2001. She has over 25 years of bookkeeping experience which includes having her own bookkeeping business, “OutSource Bookkeeping,” previously located in South Florida. She moved to South Florida from Kentucky in May of 1983, and then to Port Orange in September of 2000. Debby’s main hobby is home decorating, but she also enjoys golfing and boating with her husband, Michael. They have two daughters, one son, and one granddaughter, and they very much enjoy time with their Shihtzu dogs, Fred, Charlie and Eddie.
Email: fpcinfo@fpcdaytona.org
Staff