Pastors, Program Staff, and Support Staff
The Pastor
Rev. Lex Liberatore (Senior Pastor) I am delighted to join the staff at Lake Edge UCC, I am thrilled to be in Madison, and I'm especially excited to work with the Lake Edge community.
Email Pastor Lex here. Office hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Program Staff
Peggy Bezruki (Parish Nurse) Peggy has served our faith community for 16 hours/week since November of 2003. She also serves as Parish Nurse for Midvale Community Lutheran Church (both churches contract for her services through Oakwood Village). She completed the Parish Nurse Preparation Course at Marquette in 2001 and has been an RN, with ANCC certification in gerontology, since 1977. Before practicing the ministry of Parish Nursing, she worked in hospitals and long term care facilities as a floor nurse and in administrative positions. She also attended our United Church of Christ Lay Academy for two years. Peggy is the mother of two daughters and has four grandchildren. She currently lives in Verona with her husband, Don, their youngest daughter, Anna, and the family pets. Email Peggy or visit her web page. Office hours: Wednesday & Friday
Kerstin Smith (Director of Children's and Youth Ministries) I am delighted to be expanding my role at Lake Edge after working in music ministry here for almost four years. I have a background in Music Education, Theology/Pastoral Ministry and a Masters degree in Theology/Liturgical Studies from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. I have worked in ministry since High School as a Sunday School teacher and I have held a variety positions working with college students to kindergartners in the capacity of faith and education. I have a young daughter and son who delight in coming to "mommy's work" and that is when you know it is not work, but a joy and a calling. I am so happy to have become a part of this wonderfully supportive community over the years and I look forward to future blessings that I hope to give as well as receive. Email Kerstin here. Office hours: Wednesday 10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m or by appointment.
Music Staff Music Programs
Ben Luedcke (Director of Music) has a Bachelor of Music from UW Madison and teaches voice. In addition to conducting the choir and leading the praise band here at Lake Edge, Ben is a worship leader singing and playing guitar at The Crossing on the UW campus. Ben conducts UW Men's Choir, an auditioned honors choir open to students and community members. Men's Choir does a joint concert with Half and Half, a male quartet Ben sings baritone in and directs. Ben is the artistic director of the Choral Arts Society Chorale, a 32 mixed voice auditioned community ensemble. Ben sings in and directs a mixed voice Early Music Quintet that opens for Choral Arts at their biannual concerts. Ben is the conductor of Madison Summer Choir, a mixed 80 voice auditioned choir open to students and community members that performs a cappella and orchestral works. Email Ben here.
Marques Bovre (Artist-in-Residence) Marques has a following of his own right as a songwriter and performer in Madison and beyond. He began singing for and with us at Lake Edge in 2007 while playing guitar and mandolin. He currently works with the 11am service most Sundays. Visit Marques’ homepage here or here.
Kathy Hoch (Organist) Kathy has served as our Organist since 1985. With three advanced degrees in music education and organ performance from the UW-Stevens Point, she accompanies all our choirs and plays each Sunday. Married to Al Strohschein, Kathy teaches music at the Unified Catholic Parish Schools of Beaver Dam and plays in a wide variety of community choirs and performances.
Kerstin Smith (Children's Music Coordinator) Kerstin joined our musical staff in mid 2007 as director of the children’s music programs. Kerstin has a background in Music Education and has taught K-8 music in multiple settings. Kerstin's ministry includes dramatic presentations in service as well as Christmas Musical and a fully staged musical in the Summer. Her programing is available to all ages. E-mail Kerstin here.
Jeanne Warzyn (Adult Handbell Choir Director) Jeanne has a Masters degree in Organ Performance, which served her well for many years as Lake Edge's organist. Now focusing on the handbells, she arranges and conducts a variety of sacred music pieces, mixing her choir's use of a full four and half octave range of traditional handbells with three octaves of more mellow-sounding choir chimes. Jeanne and husband Willard have been members of Lake Edge from its beginning. E-mail Jeanne here.
Support Staff
Michael Armato (Office Manager) Michael joined the Lake Edge staff in March, 2011. He has a B.A. in public policy and administration from Wagner College, a M.A. in political science, and is also a Ph.D. student at the State University of New York At Albany. He has many years of experience in the non-profit and government sectors. He is on the vestry at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Madison, and lives on the west side with his wife Gina, a veterinary student at UW-Madison. Email Michael here. Michael is currently in the office Tuesday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sarah Cleveland (Bookkeeper) Sarah has been our bookkeeper since December, 2007. She has degrees in business administration and business education, with a minor in computer science, from York College in Nebraska. Sarah and her husband, Matt, have four young daughters. Email Sarah here. Office hours: Tuesday
Tim Campbell (Custodian) Tim joined us in September 2008, after a long career in HVAC installation. Tim also has carpentry and electrical skills among his many talents. He is on duty Monday-Friday 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.