Our Leadership Team

The Leadership Team acts on behalf of the Congregation between congregational meetings and works with the minister and staff to coordinate the total program of the church. The members of the Leadership Team are the Moderator, Assistant Moderator, Clerk, Assistant Clerk, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Endowment Team Chair, and three at-large members who coordinate three different ministry teams: Discipleship, Fellowship and Stewardship.

· The Discipleship Ministry Team is responsible for educational opportunities in faith development for all ages, for outreach efforts in the local community and the world, and for coordinating all aspects of worship with the pastor, including music and media.

· The Fellowship Ministry Team is responsible for congregational activities, fellowship events, and the assimilation of guests and members into congregational life.

· The Stewardship Ministry Team is responsible for the care and maintenance of the physical and financial resources of the congregation.

The Leadership Team meets on the third Tuesday of the month from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. If you would like to have an item placed on the agenda, please contact the Moderator via the office: (941) 637-8443, office@puntagorda-ucc.com.

Moderator: Kathy Frantish

Kathy was born in Rochester, New York, and called Palmyra her home. After attending college in New York, she worked as an IBM Systems Administrator at the United Way of Greater Rochester, which is where she met her husband, Ron. They moved to Wake Forest, North Carolina, where she worked as IBM Systems Manager. Since 2018, Kathy has called Punta Gorda home and enjoys volunteering at Sallie Jones Elementary School, being active in her community HOA, and being close to family. Serving as Clerk on the Leadership Team is only one of many roles that Kathy has undertaken for our church. She also serves as the lead for our Scholarship Team.

Treasurer: Melissa Brown

Melissa grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, but has lived in the New York metropolitan area and Ann Arbor, Michigan. She and her husband, Steve, moved to Punta Gorda from the Mitten State in 2015. She returns as Treasurer after a two-year hiatus during which timed she served as Moderator.

Melissa enjoys playing bridge, biking, and accompanying the church choir.

Clerk: Vicki McDaniel

Vicki is a native of Connecticut who grew tired of cold, snowy winters and moved to southwest Florida, when her husband, John, became the Orchestra Director at North Fort Myers High School in 2007. She has a Bachelor's in English Education and a Master's in Corporate and Political Communications. In Connecticut, she worked in public relations for two Regional Education Service Centers. She found her true calling in Florida teaching adult immigrants to speak, read, and write English as well as American culture. Her son, Geoff Parker, is a UCC pastor at Foreside Community Church in Falmouth, Maine. Geoff and his wife, Julia, just welcomed a daughter, Grace. Vicki is a puppy raiser for Southeastern Guide Dogs in Palmetto. Her first puppy, Raven, enjoys attending worship often and has dreams of becoming a Certified Therapy Dog. She joined Punta Gorda Congregational UCC several years ago because she found the members of the congregation to value the same philosophies, congeniality, and spirituality as herself.

Assistant Moderator, Bruno Zanlungo

Assistant Clerk: Nancy Zanlungo

Bruno and Nancy hail from Michigan, having relocated "officially" in 2019. Bruno was a banker with National Bank of Detroit, and Nancy was a paralegal.. They met on a bus while commuting, married in 1987 and blended a family that includes four children and five grandchildren. They are both still working. For the past 12 years, they have both served as readers for a company responsible for scoring online essays written by students from various districts throughout the country. Nancy is an active substitute teacher for the Sarasota School district. The reside in the Maple Leaf golf community in Port Charlotte and love everything it has to offer, including the golf!

Assistant Treasurer: Tom Cartwright

Tom spent his early years in Minnesota but has also lived throughout the United States and has traveled extensively throughout the world, especially during his time at General Electric while running their water treatment division. He worked most of his life in water treatment as an inventor and has 15 patents to date. He has also designed and donated systems to areas around the world where clean, safe drinking water is not readily available, including southern China, Thailand, and Mozambique. He currenly owns his own water treatment company. Tom is also an author, having published one mystery novel centerered around racism in today's society. He is working on his second novel.

Endowment Team Lead: Dick Michael

Dick was born and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which was named by his ancestral Moravians on Christmas Eve 1741. He attended Moravian College (Earth Science), University of Hawaii (Civil Engineering and Mathematics), and the University of Vermont (Environmental Engineering). His 45-year engineering career took him to Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine and, 25 years ago, to Punta Gorda for what was billed as a two-year “temporary assignment." Dick and Paula raised two daughters in Maine where five grandchildren now draw their attention. They--especially Dick--enjoy traveling within and outside of the United States, which has led Paula to call him a cruise-aholic.

Fellowship Leads: Dennis and Jessica Danner

Dennis and Jessica retired to Punta Gorda in 2019 and adopted the CUCC-PG as their new church home. They are both retired registered nurses who moved here from Springfield, Illinois. While in Springfield, Dennis was a volunteer fireman and Jessica volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. Dennis plays several musical instruments, and ithey are both members of the choir. They love to travel and are looking forward to some post-COVID adventures.

Stewardship Lead - Judy Bloomquist

Judy moved to Punta Gorda in November 2001 from Jamestown, New York. She worked for a non-profit as Director of Extended Programming, and then in Florida in commercial insurance. She and her husband, Rick, brought their boat down the intra-coastal waterway and arrived at their dock on Christmas Day. She was an avid skier (snow), enjoys boating and is a Buffalo Bills fan. Rick passed away in January 2021 after a 5-year battle with Parkinson's. She is an active volunteer in the community and is now a member of “this wonderful church family.”