The Board of Trustees at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) met for their fall session on November 7-8, 2024. In addition to their formal meetings, board members attended several meet-and-greet receptions to interact with students, faculty, and staff. The female trustees organized a reception for the women on campus, as well. The trustees also attended the annual campus Community Thanksgiving Dinner, enjoying the opportunity to mingle with seminarian families and share a festive time of fellowship.
The Board of Trustees joined the seminary community for Vespers in Three Hierarchs Chapel before the annual Thanksgiving Dinner (not pictured, Board Chairman His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon (OCA), who arrived the following day)
Faculty and board members serve students and their families, in an annual St Vladimir’s tradition
Seven new trustees were added to the board this fall. His Beatitude, The Most Blessed Tikhon appointed three bishops to join the board: Their Graces, Bishops JOHN (Abdalah), IRINEJ (Dobrijevic), and NIKODHIM (Preston). The newly appointed hierarchs joined His Grace, Metropolitan ZACHARIAH Mar Nikolovos (Poothiyottu), Northeast American Diocese, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, who has served on the board since 2012 and was reappointed as a trustee at this meeting. Four others were elected by the board at its business meeting on Friday, under His Beatitude’s chairmanship: Dr Randa Anderson, Ms Shoshanna Clark, the Rev. Dn Gabriel Otte, and the Rev. Dn Dr Philip Wagner. These seven joined three trustees who joined or rejoined the board earlier this year: Mr Frank Barrett, Ms Tatiana Hoff, and Mr David Solheim.
Fall 2024 St Vladimir’s Seminary Board of Trustees meeting in progress
Finally, Dr Frank Cerra stepped off the board after completing twelve years of service—the maximum of four terms allowed in the bylaws—and Dr Nicholas Pandilidis was honored with trustee emeritus status, following his retirement from the board earlier this year. Both of these longtime trustees have earned the hearty thanks and deep respect of their fellow trustees.
At the same meeting, the Rt Rev. Archimandrite Jeremy (Davis) was reelected as executive chair of the board and Dr Ana Iltis and Fr Mihai Faur were reelected as Corporate Secretary and Treasurer, respectively. The board received reports on the work of the seminary and discussed the leadership transition and search process now underway.
Archimandrite Jeremy observed,
Even in the midst of this transition, the seminary continues to fulfill its essential role of preparing Orthodox Christians for service to Christ and His Church. This is largely due to the faithful and tireless work of Academic Dean and Interim President Dr Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie and all the faculty and staff. Alongside their dedication, the strength of our board gives me great confidence in the future of the seminary. Under His Beatitude’s chairmanship, we have a distinguished group of trustees with a breadth of skills and life experiences and a deep, shared commitment to the seminary’s Christ-centered, student-focused, and education-driven mission. Their love for St Vladimir’s was especially clear on the first day of our meetings, as we sat down for a roundtable discussion with the faculty about the seminary’s future and then engaged with students in small-group Q&A. Each trustee was visibly energized by this opportunity to reconnect with the heart of the seminary, the reason we are all serving on the board.
About the Trustees Joining the Board this Year:
His Grace Bishop JOHN (Abdalah)
Auxiliary Bishop of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
His Grace Bishop John (Abdalah) earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Suffolk University in Boston before attending St Vladimir's Seminary. He also studied Arabic and became engaged to Joanne Josephs while in seminary. The couple married in August 1978, and shortly thereafter, Fr John was ordained to the holy diaconate and priesthood. They initially served at St George Church in Little Falls, NJ, before being assigned to St George Church in New Kensington, PA, where Fr John was elevated to Archpriest in 1987. After 16 years in New Kensington, the family moved to St George Cathedral in Pittsburgh, PA, where Fr John served for 17 years and also held the position of Dean of the Western Pennsylvania Deanery from 1987 to 2011.
Fr John pursued advanced studies in pastoral care, earning clinical membership in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree in pastoral care from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He also facilitated a local support group for widows and widowers, THEOS, for 25 years and served on the National Board. After the passing of his wife, Kh. Joanne, in May 2008, Fr John was elevated to Archimandrite in October of the same year. In July 2011, he was elected as bishop for the Diocese of Worcester and New England, and he was consecrated as a bishop in December 2011 by His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV in Lebanon.
Bishop John has contributed to many areas of church life, including serving as a spiritual advisor to various Archdiocese ministries, teaching at the Antiochian House of Studies, and mentoring seminarians. He has been editor of The WORD Magazine since 1997 and currently serves on the Canonical Regional Planning and Theological Committees of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the USA. Bishop John also chairs the Assembly's Committee on Clergy Matters and the Task Force on Mental Health. He is the auxiliary bishop for the Western Rite Vicariate and has been a board member of the Orthodox Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion since 2013. His Grace is the co-author of Building an Orthodox Marriage: A Practical Commentary on the Eastern Orthodox Marriage Rite and has written several introductions to theological books and papers. Bishop John is the father of Subdn Gregory (wife Diana) of Phoenix, AZ, Joseph (wife Eleni) of Pittsburgh, PA, and Maria (husband John Kilfeather) of Westboro, MA. He has two grandchildren, Eleanor and Jonathan.
His Grace Bishop IRINEJ (Dobrijevic) of Washington-New York and Eastern America of the Serbian Orthodox Church
His Grace Bishop Irinej earned a Licentiate in Theology from St Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in 1979, graduating maxima cum laude, and a Master of Divinity degree from St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in 1982, where he received Honorable Mention for his thesis on Bishop Nicholai Velimirovich. He also completed certificates in contemporary Greek language. Bishop Irinej has had a distinguished career in education, lecturing at Loyola University in Chicago and the Theological Faculty of the University of Belgrade. He was ordained a deacon in 1994, tonsured a monk in 1995, and became a hieromonk later that year. He was elevated to Archimandrite in 2006 by Bishop Justin of Timok.
Before his election as Bishop of Australia and New Zealand, Bishop Irinej served as Consultant to the Holy Synod of Bishops on International and Interchurch Affairs and as Coordinator for the Kosovo and Metohija Office at the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate in Belgrade. He was elected Bishop of Australia and New Zealand in May 2006, consecrated on July 15, 2006, and enthroned on October 21, 2006, in Sydney. In May 2016, he was elected by acclamation to the Throne of Bishops of Eastern America, with his duties beginning in 2024.
Bishop Irinej is involved in numerous religious and cultural organizations. He is a member of the Jasenovac Committee, the Permanent Missions Board of the Holy Synod, and several other boards, including the Executive Committee of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA. He holds various honorary positions, including being a Patron of the Milosh Obilich Heraldic Society and a member of the New York Landmarks Conservancy Advisory Board. Previously, he represented the Serbian Orthodox Church in international bodies such as the World Council of Churches and held leadership roles in organizations like the National Council of the Churches of Christ and International Orthodox Christian Charities.
His Grace, Bishop NIKODHIM (Preston)
Bishop of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese of the Orthodox Church in America
Bishop Nikodhim (Preston) earned dual B.A. degrees in music theory and composition, as well as classical languages (Latin and Greek), from the University of Idaho in 2002. He then pursued graduate studies in religion at the University of Chicago, completing his Master's degree in 2004. Seeking a deeper understanding of Eastern Christianity, he enrolled at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary and graduated in 2007 with a Master of Divinity. Afterward, he worked at a homeless shelter for young people in Newark, New Jersey, while serving at St Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church in Queens, New York.
Bishop Nikodhim was ordained a deacon in 2009 and a priest in 2010, at which point he became the rector of Saint Nicholas Church. In 2017, following the direction of Archbishop Nikon, he was tonsured a monk and took the name Nikodhim of Vithkuq. During his pastoral ministry, he was also deeply involved in the national Church’s efforts, particularly from 2015 to 2019, in revitalizing the Department of Pastoral Life. He led retreats, researched, presented papers, secured grants, and developed programs to support clergy and their families. He was also a volunteer at the Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn from 2013 to 2020 and served as a founding board member of the Thriving in Ministry program.
In 2021, Bishop Nikodhim was asked to serve as the interim chancellor of the Albanian Archdiocese. In the fall of 2022, he was nominated by the archdiocesan assembly and elected by the Holy Synod to be the next ruling bishop of the Albanian Archdiocese. He was consecrated as a bishop on September 16, 2023, and installed as the ruling bishop at the historic Saint George Albanian Orthodox Cathedral in South Boston, MA.
Dr Randa Anderson
Dr Randa Karadsheh Anderson is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice, serving primarily Orthodox Christians in the Chicago area as a member of the Orthodox Christian Counseling Institute. She completed her Ph.D. in Psychology at The University of Chicago and her clinical psychology training at The University of Chicago Hospitals and Michael Reese Medical Center. Dr Anderson is committed to offering her professional knowledge and skills to the Orthodox community through volunteer work. She currently serves as the President of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion. She also is a consultant to the Mental Health Ministries of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops and co-chaired the working group that developed the National Directory of Orthodox Mental Health Providers. Through the Thriving in Ministries program of the OCA, Dr Anderson facilitates peer learning groups for clergy wives and serves on the TiM board. She is the host of the upcoming Ancient Faith Radio podcast titled Digital Discernment: A Bright Spot Podcast of the CrossRoad Institute. Dr Anderson grew up in an Antiochian parish, has been a member of a Greek Orthodox parish for over 30 years, and has family who are clergy in the OCA, bringing a pan-Orthodox perspective to her ministry work. She and her husband, Keith, have two young adult sons and a beautiful new daughter-in-law.
Francis P. (Frank) Barrett, Jr.
Francis P. Barrett, Jr (Frank) grew up in a large Irish Catholic family, attending 12 years of Catholic school. He then went on to complete his business studies at Temple University, graduating in 1984 and became a CPA. In that same year, he married his wife Marjorie, a cradle Orthodox Christian of Lebanese descent. The wedding took place at St George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Upper Darby, PA.
In 1987, Frank was transferred to the Lancaster, PA office of KPMG to become the audit manager. In 1989, he left KPMG to become Controller of a regional property management company in Lancaster known as Boyd Wilson. In 1995, he became President of that organization. Also In 1995, he and his family started attending St John Chrysostom Orthodox Mission in York, PA. It was here that he converted to the Orthodox Faith, joining his wife and two children who were all baptized Orthodox.
In the ensuing years, he was on the Parish Councils that bought the land for the church, built the church and maintained its physical plant, serving for close to 30 years. He still attends St John Chrysostom in York, PA. He is a member of the Order of St Ignatius, and has served on St Vladimir’s Seminary Board since May of 2023.
Shoshanna Clark
Shoshanna Clark earned a BA in History from Concordia College, Bronxville, in 1999 and a JD from Emory University in 2005. She began her career in legal recruiting and Human Resources and has spent the last ten years in the biotech industry, most recently as the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at Cerevel Therapeutics, recently acquired by AbbVie. Shoshanna was raised in the Orthodox Church and has a long history with St Vladimir’s Seminary. Her father, the Very Rev. Timothy Lowe, completed both the pre-theology and M.Div. programs at St Vladimir’s Seminary in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and she worked at the SVS Press Bookstore while attending college and after graduation. Shoshanna currently resides in Brookline, MA, with her daughter Izzy and her cat Charlotte.
Tatiana L. Hoff
Tatiana L. Hoff has built a career as an HR and communications professional, including with Deloitte Consulting and PepsiCo, and has advised and served organizations across industries to elevate employee experience through human capital, strategic communications, and transformation initiatives. She also has many years of experience in non-profit governance, including prior service as an elected member of St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary's Board of Trustees for ten years.
Raised in the Orthodox Church, her connection with St Vladimir's Seminary goes back generations. Hoff's maternal grandfather was in the second graduating class at St Vladimir's (and later served for decades as a Trustee), and her father also completed his studies at the seminary in the 1970s. Each of them was later ordained, the former serving as a parish priest for over fifty years. She uses their examples of humility and selflessness to guide her own service to the church and to others.
The Rev. Dn Gabriel Otte
Dn Gabriel Otte is a Deacon at St Stephen Orthodox Church in Campbell, CA under the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Dn Gabriel earned his Masters of Theology at the Antiochian House of Studies in conjunction with the University of Balamand in Lebanon. Prior to his ordination, Dn Gabriel served as CEO and Co-founder of Freenome Inc, a multi-billion dollar biotechnology company that develops blood tests for early detection of cancer. He retired as CEO in 2021 and now serves as advisor and board member for various companies and remains an active philanthropist through the Otte Family Foundation. He and his wife Sh. Johanna along with their daughter Sophia live in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.
David Solheim
David Solheim is a Saint Vladimir's Seminary alumnus (M.A. ’22), a corporate executive at PING Golf, and he currently serves as chairman of a private foundation. His home parish is Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Phoenix, AZ. David is married to Alisha; they have three children. David takes up the responsibility of trustee at St Vladimir’s Seminary with joy, saying, “The time students spend at seminary is crucial in their formation and preparation for service in God's vineyard. I am grateful for the opportunity to help them meet the challenges that lie ahead.”
The Rev. Dn Dr. Philip (Carston) Wagner
Dn Dr Philip (Carston) Wagner completed his undergraduate studies in Chemistry at the University of North Carolina in 1981 and received a PhD in Chemistry from Duke University in 1987; he was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Chemistry at Pennsylvania State University from 1987-1991.
Dn Dr Wagner is a Distinguished University Teaching Professor and Endowed Chair in Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota. He is the current Head of the Dept. Medicinal Chemistry and past Director of the Chemical Biology Initiative. He is also co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer for Tychon Biosciences, Inc. In addition, Dn Dr Wagner is Director of Orthodox Prison Ministry-Minnesota and a founding and current Advisory Board Member for FOCUS-MN.
Access the SVOTS Board of Trustees Directory
