Staff

Staff Image
Laura McConnell, Office Manager
As Office Manager, Laura tends to the responsibilities of the Listening Hearts office and coordinates the work of the ministry. With a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from Hood College, a Masters in Publication Design from the University of Baltimore, years of experience in publishing and graphic design, and a strong sense of organization... [Read more...]

Executive Program Associates

Executive Program Associates have been leading the full spectrum of Listening Hearts programs consistently for decades.

Staff Image
Suzanne Farnham, Executive Program Associate
Suzanne Farnham is the founder of Listening Hearts Ministries, co-author of the Listening Hearts Series of books, the original architect of the Listening Hearts programs, and serves on the Board of Trustees. She has been leading programs from coast to coast for more than thirty years... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Frances Sullinger, Executive Program Associate
Frances Sullinger was trained in Listening Hearts discernment in 1990, then as a trainer in 2001. She is an active Listening Hearts trustee. Frances took a lead in developing the “Community Discernment of Calls to Ministry” program and is active in the church at both the parish and diocesan levels... [Read more...]

Senior Program Associates

Senior Program Associates have been trained to lead the full spectrum of Listening Hearts programs.

Staff Image
Wendy Gayle, Senior Program Associate
Wendy Gayle is active as a lay person in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, where she served as a mentor and then the Coordinator for the Education for Ministry (EfM) program. More recently she signed on as a Diocesan Spiritual Discernment Facilitator... [Read more...]
No Image
Martha Harris, Senior Program Associate
Martha Harris has long been associated with small groups: Stephen Ministry, Disciples of Christ in Community (DOCC), Education for Ministry (EfM), Centering Prayer and Natural Spirituality (dream) groups... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Susan Heath, Senior Program Associate
Susan Heath has been deeply involved in the life of St. Michael’s Church in New York City, as a Lay Eucharistic Minister/Visitor, healing prayer minister and lay pastoral caregiver. She also serves on the Commission on Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of New York and serves as a Diocesan Spiritual Discernment Facilitator... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Lisa Houston, Senior Program Associate
After having spent some years as a Stay-at-Home Mom and professional volunteer, Lisa Houston found her calling in Education for Ministry (EfM), becoming a mentor after her graduation from the four-year course. Lisa enjoys being Worship Leader for an annual medical/dental mission to Jamaica... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Stephanie Hull, Senior Program Associate
Stephanie Hull was trained as a Listening Hearts Trainer in 1990 and is a co-author of Grounded in God: Listening Hearts Discernment for Group Deliberations. She has extensive experience leading programs... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Norma Williamson, Senior Program Associate
Norma Williamson, a retired Foreign Service Officer, has also served as a consultant in organization development and change management. The experiences where she has most keenly felt she was using her God-given gifts have been working with groups: in group facilitation and mediation, team development and training programs... [Read more...]

Program Associates

Program Associates are trained to lead specific programs.

Staff Image
Joseph P. Gill, Program Associate
Joseph P. Gill is co-author of Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community, 20th Anniversary Edition, and a founding member and president of the LHM Board of Trustees. He enjoys introducing church adult forums to spiritual discernment and leading “Day of Discernment” retreats... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Tim Grayson, Program Associate
Tim Grayson is an Episcopal priest and a Listening Hearts trainer. He joined the LHM Board of Trustees in 2008 and enjoys leading “Day of Discernment” retreats and similar programs. He is Rector of the Church of the Messiah in Baltimore, is co-author, with Suzanne Farnham, of the book “Keeping in Tune with God,” and serves as a facilitator... [Read more...]

Trustees

The Listening Hearts Ministries Board of Trustees is responsible for establishing the policies of the organization and overseeing the activities of the program office. The board meets semi-annually to evaluate the overall operations of the organization and seek consensus on issues that may have an impact on the future direction of the ministry. Four members of the board make up the executive committee. This group meets regularly with members of the program office to review the ongoing operations of the organization.

Staff Image
Patricia Brown, Treasurer
Patricia (“Patty”) Brown joined the Board of Trustees as treasurer in 2006. In that capacity, she serves on both the executive committee and the administrative committee. Prior to serving as a trustee, her connection with Listening Hearts Ministries was through her husband, Joseph P. Gill... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Barbara Cates, Secretary
Barbara Cates joined the board as secretary in 2010. She was part of the original team of researchers behind Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community, and trained as a discerner in 1997. Barbara spent seven months at the Taizé Community in France after graduating from Princeton University in 1980... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Mike Croghan, Trustee
Mike Croghan joined the board in 2012 and is helping Listening Hearts Ministries increase its accessible, online materials, as well as reaching out to the “emerging” church and the “spiritual but not religious” community. Mike first encountered Listening Hearts in 2003 through board member Frances Sullinger... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Suzanne Farnham, Founder
Suzanne Farnham is the founding trustee of Listening Hearts Ministries, and served as the executive director for many years. As a member of the Board of Trustees, she serves on both the executive and administrative committees... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Joseph P. Gill, President
Joe is co-author of Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community and a founding member of the Board of Trustees. A native of Buffalo, New York, Joe received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Timothy H. Grayson, Trustee
Tim was first introduced to Listening Hearts through reading Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community, and became involved in the organization after meeting Suzanne Farnham at St. James’ Episcopal Church in West Baltimore, where he served as assistant to the rector... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Patricia McLean, Trustee
Patty McLean became a Trustee in April 2016. Her connection to Listening Hearts Ministries is through her husband, Teto McLean, longtime President of Listening Hearts Ministries and a co-author of Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community... [Read more...]
Staff Image
Frances Sullinger, Trustee
Frances Sullinger became a trustee in 2002. She is a member of the administrative committee and the executive committee, where her area is client development. Frances was trained in discernment in 1990 as part of a field test group at the Church of the Holy Comforter in Vienna, Virginia, where she is still a member... [Read more...]

Trustees Emeritus

We have several people who have been important leaders in Listening Hearts History, and we have chosen to name these individuals as Trustees Emeritus:

  • Joan Diver
  • Alice Dorrance
  • Bruce McPherson
  • Lee Owen
  • Sue Ward