Staff & Leadership
Rev. Dr. Miriam Lawrence Leupold (she/her)
Co-Pastor
Miriam Lawrence Leupold is a Co-Pastor at First Presbyterian Church. She works with and is married to the other Co-Pastor Glenn Leupold. Each has individual gifts which lend themselves to certain areas of ministry and complement one another as well. They work 2/3 time each so make up 1 1/3 pastor! As a married couple, this is the third church in which they have served together. They were Associate Pastors at First Presbyterian Church of Jamestown, New York, and at Westminster Presbyterian Church of Dayton, Ohio. They graduated together from Princeton Theological Seminary. Miriam grew up in Winchester, Virginia, attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and received her Doctor of Ministry degree in Christian Spirituality from Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. Miriam enjoys gardening, biking, walking labyrinths, movies and books. She has two adult daughters who are involved in the arts – metalsmithing/jewelry making and theatre/spot operator.
Rev. Dr. Glenn Leupold (he/him)
Co-Pastor
Glenn Leupold is a Co-Pastor at First Presbyterian Church. He works with and is married to the other Co-Pastor Miriam Lawrence Leupold. Each has individual gifts which lend themselves to certain areas of ministry and complement one another as well. They work 2/3 time each so make up 1 1/3 pastor! As a married couple, this is the third church in which they have served together. They were Associate Pastors at First Presbyterian Church of Jamestown, New York, and at Westminster Presbyterian Church of Dayton, Ohio. They graduated together from Princeton Theological Seminary. Glenn was born in Ohio but grew up in Minnesota where he attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His Doctor of Ministry degree is in Preaching and was awarded by McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. He enjoys biking, hiking and birdwatching. He has two adult daughters who are involved in the arts – metalsmithing/jewelry making and theatre/spot operator.
Dr. Michael Lister (he/him)
Music Director
Having served as Music Director of First Presbyterian Church since 2010, Michael Lister oversees the music and worship of the church, including directing the Chancel Choir and overseeing the music provided by the church soloists, organist, and Chancel Bell Choir, which includes choral music in worship services as well as special music from the soloists and chamber vocal ensemble. Michael also works in partnership with the youth and other musicians of the congregation of First Presbyterian to provide other singing and instrumental in our services. Michael oversees the music scheduling of special musical performances, including the First Friday Concert series, in collaboration with art director David Hinchen. In addition to his duties at First Presbyterian, Michael currently teachers at the University at Albany and previously was Assistant Professor of Music at the College of Saint Rose; where he conducts several choral ensembles and teaches courses in conducting, education, and music theory; Michal also directs the Empire State Youth Orchestra Melodies of Christmas Chorale, preparing them for their annual December concerts. Michael has received a Doctor of Arts degree in Choral Conducting at Ball State University, a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and a Master of Music in Music Theory from Indiana University. Prior to his move to the Capital Region, Dr. Lister was the Director of Choirs at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy in Ohio and served on the faculty of Otterbein College and Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Michael remains an active conductor, clinician, and performer, having sung with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, Carnegie Hall Festival Chorus, and the Cathedral of All Saints in Albany, NY.
Trevor Kahlbaugh (he/him)
Organist
Trevor Kahlbaugh has had the pleasure of serving the congregation of First Presbyterian as organist since September of 2015. In coordination with the music director, Trevor accompanies the chancel choir for all rehearsals, Sunday worship services and additional services and concerts throughout the year as well as providing prelude and postlude music to each service and accompanying soloists and instrumentalists as needed. In addition to his duties at First Presbyterian, Trevor maintains an active studio of piano and organ students of all ages as well as being a Studio Accompanist at the College of St. Rose, Accompanist and Assistant Choral Conductor at The University at Albany and Accompanist for the Octavo Singers. Mr. Kahlbaugh has performed in recitals and concerts throughout the United States and Europe as well as many accompanying engagements in the Capital Region. He did his undergraduate study in Organ Performance at Indiana University.
Rev. Molly Dowell (she/her)
Youth Director
The Rev. Molly Dowell (she/her) has traveled the world and is grateful to have found a home in the Capital Region and fellowship of fearless apprentices of Jesus at First Pres Albany. Molly is a Queer activist, musical theatre artist, and ordained Presbyterian minister. Molly grew up in Atchison, Kansas, studied drama at New York University in New York City, and then studied ministry at San Francisco Theological Seminary in California. As a Theomusicologist with the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, Molly has led singing and crafted art and signs for rallies and marches across NY State and in Washington, DC. With the NYS Poor People’s Campaign Arts and Culture Team, Molly is collaborating to record a new album of movement music. When not hanging out with the Youth of First Pres, Molly can be found in the garden, on the dance floor, or spending time with her partner, Jaycee, and their combined 3 kids and 25+ animals on their urban homestead.
Joshua Gurwitz (he/him)
Tenor Soloist
Based in Albany, NY, tenor soloist Joshua Gurwitz is a new addition to the music staff at First Presbyterian. He is also founding member of the Greylock Opera Collective (GOC), a new opera company in North Adams, MA and was most recently featured in GOC’s inaugural performance, The Weeping Woman (a new opera based on the life of Picasso’s muse, Dora Maar) in the role of Jaime Sabartes-Gual. Other notable roles include Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus and Joe Boyd in Damn Yankees. In addition, Mr. Gurwitz has been a featured soloist in an eclectic range of concert repertoire from J. S. Bach’s Christ Lag in Todesbanden to Reena Esmail’s pioneering new work, This Love Between Us. In 2018, Mr. Gurwitz was awarded first prize in the Advanced Division of the Joel Dolven Vocal Awards, a competition run by the Mendelssohn Club of Albany, NY. He has also won honors in 2011, 2012, and 2014 at the Art Song Festival held by the Eastern New York chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). In the 2020/1 season, Mr. Gurwitz will be featured in My Way of Life, a musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession by Michael Dilthey and Brian Leahy Doyle and will make his role debut as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with WOW Opera. Mr. Gurwitz is a graduate of the vocal performance programs at the University at Albany, SUNY and the Aaron Copland School of Music, CUNY.
Jamie Mamone (she/her)
Office Administrator
I am new to First Presbyterian Church, employed since May 2019 as Office Administrator. It has been a privilege working here and meeting new people from all walks of life. I come to FPC with a degree in Psychology and another in Medical Administrative. I have 2 beautiful daughters and fiance who make my life complete.
Rose Hunsberger (she/her)
Soprano Soloist
Rose Hunsberger has performed as a soprano soloist in Rutter’s Mass of the Children with the Berkshire Concert Choir, Handel’s Israel in Egypt with the Broad Street Chorale, Schubert’s Mass in G and Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore with the Hudson Valley Choral Society and Lee’s Mechtilde von Madgeburg…Minnelider an Got with the Cantilena Chamber Choir. She has appeared as a recitalist throughout New York’s Capital region. Chorally, she has worked with groups such as the Westminster Symphonic Choir, Albany Pro Musica, the Saratoga Chamber Singers and the Cantilena Chamber Choir in many large and small-scale works. Her opera and musical theater credits include Puccini’s Madama Butterfly with the Hubbard Hall Opera Theater, Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites with the Glimmerglass Opera and Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot with Park Playhouse, Inc. Ms. Hunsberger is a graduate of Westminster Choir College, and has taught voice in the Albany and Kinderhook, New York regions.
Fiona McKinney (she/her)
Alto Soloist
Fiona earned her B.S. in Musical Studies from the Crane School of Music, along with a second degree in French Literature, at SUNY Potsdam. In searching for a church home after moving to Albany, she found First Pres. She’s been the choir’s alto soloist since 1995.
Daniel Hoke (he/him)
Bass Soloist
Dan is a music educator at Mohonasen Central School District, where he teaches secondary students in the music production and general music programs. He earned his B.S. in Music Education from the College of Saint Rose, and is pursuing his master’s degree in Music Education from SUNY Potsdam. He enjoys singing and playing keyboard and string instruments at concerts and events around the Capital Region. He also maintains a private studio of bass and cello students.