Constitution and Bylaws

The governing documents of the Church Club of New York are available for reference here.

Board of Trustees

Officers

Emory Edwards, President | Trinity Church Wall Street, Manhattan
Emory is a parishioner and former Vestry member at Trinity Church Wall Street and a former trustee of the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. He served on the Council of the Diocese of New York, as President of the Manhattan Midtown IPC, and as Warden of St. Clement’s Church, Manhattan. Emory is a graduate of Washington and Lee University and has a Master's in Divinity from Yale Divinity School. Emory is President and CEO of the Hudson County (New Jersey) Chamber of Commerce.

Judith Douglas, Vice President | Christ Church San Marcos, Tarrytown

Judith is a nonprofit professional with several years of corporate sector experience. She is the Director of Programs for Episcopal Charities, overseeing all parish-based and supported programs throughout the Diocese of New York, and was formerly the Executive Director for the Episcopal Service Corps ministry in the Diocese. She is a former member of the ESC Network Advisory Council to the Episcopal church and was the ESC Eastern Regional program representative. Judith has extensive experience in nonprofit capacity building, training nonprofits on effective volunteer management and engagement. Her undergraduate degree is in Business Administration and she holds a Masters in Nonprofit Leadership from Fordham University.

Diane B. Pollard, Vice President | Church of the Crucifixion, Manhattan
Diane’s professional background includes experience in financial services, pensions, employee benefits, and human resources. She has served on numerous Committees and Boards in the Episcopal Church as well as on the Joint Nominating Committee which led to the election of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori in 2006.

Eric Blair-Joannou, Treasurer | St. James Church, Manhattan

Eric is a committed Episcopal lay volunteer in Manhattan, having served as the leader of two parishes’ young adults ministries, chairing the Annual Appeal Committee, and on the Lectors’ Guild.  Eric works for his 4th-generation family parts supply business and in industrial real estate for his family office, and currently serves as a trustee of several museums and cultural institutions in New York and the Hudson Valley. He also serves on the Cornell University Council, and volunteers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Eric received his undergraduate degree from Cornell and graduate degrees from the Columbia University Graduate Schools of Business and Architecture, and has worked for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., the NYC Dept. of City Planning, and the New York State Dept. of Transportation.

Stephen Storen, Secretary | Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, Manhattan

Stephen has extensive experience in finance, risk management and regulatory compliance and is a retired managing director of BNY Mellon. Stephen is a long time board member, current treasurer, and past board chair of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, an organization that promotes the social and economic well being of New York's most vulnerable. He is a former member of the Advisory Council of the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations. Stephen is a Commander Brother in the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, and is co-chair of their volunteer service corps outreach program in New York City. Stephen holds a BA in Economics from Pace University.

Members

Stanley M. Ackert III, Esq. | Church of the Ascension, Manhattan

Stan is a past president of The Church Club of New York, past president of the Laymen’s Club of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, is a former Cathedral Trustee, and a former member of the Diocesan Council. He is a graduate of Trinity College, Hartford and Fordham Law School. Stan’s legal practice has focused on trusts and estates matters, including real estate, the formation and merger of not-for-profit organizations and foundations, and acting as counsel for a large variety of nonprofit organizations, charities, historical properties and national and international arts organizations. He also organizes the summer Episcopal services on Fire Island through St. Ann’s, Sayville.

Christian Burke | St. Bartholomew's, Manhattan
Christian is a former member of the Vestry at St. Bartholomew’s in Manhattan, and has been serving as Head of the Ushers and Greeters for many years. He is currently leading the Church Club’s Membership Committee. Christian is a graduate of the University of Virginia and is a Merchandising Manager with the home textiles manufacturer WestPoint Home LLC.

Michael Cudney | St. Luke in the Fields, Manhattan

Michael currently serves as Warden at the Church of St Luke in the Fields, where he serves on the Stewardship Committee, and ex officio on the Finance Committee. He served previously on the Nominating Committee, and on the Strategic Planning Committee. He coordinates the parish’s lay Liturgical Guild volunteers, recruiting and scheduling congregation members serving as acolytes, readers, ushers and altar guild servers. He is an Associate of Holy Cross, the program of those wishing to maintain a spiritual connection to the Monastery of the Holy Cross by adopting a way of life based on Benedictine spirituality in daily life. Prior to retiring in 2016, he worked in the classical music business for over two decades, and was employed at New York University in an administrative capacity. He graduated from Manhattan College with a degree in Theology, and holds a Masters degree in Cinema Studies from NYU. He and his husband Keith live in Inwood, in upper Manhattan, where they raised their son Artemis.

Nick Gordon | St. John’s in the Village, Manhattan

Nick is a member of the vestry at St. John’s in the Village. He works with the Episcopal Diocese of New York in the role of Special Projects Navigator. He has also worked for Episcopal Futures and United Thank Offering. He received the Church Club’s Young Adult Service Award in 2020, and has served on the Committee for the Election of a Bishop (EDNY), with Invisible Hands (COVID-19 Relief), and as a delegate to the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Nick graduated from NYU.

Anne Kelly | Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, Manhattan

Anne is a member of the Usher Corps at Saint Thomas Church, a member of the vestry Nominations Committee, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the St. Thomas Choir School. She is Associate Director of Admissions for the graduate program in social work at Fordham University, and earned two bachelor’s degrees from SUNY Purchase, and a Master of Social Work degree from Fordham. Anne is a Dame of the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem and is the first woman to hold the office of Prior in the Priory of Saint Michael and St. George, NYC.

Dane Miller | Trinity Church Wall Street, Manhattan

Dane Miller serves as Assistant Head Sacristan at Trinity Church. In his role, he coordinates worship service volunteers. Dane's journey to the Episcopal Church began during his AmeriCorps service, leading him to various impactful roles, including an Episcopal Service Corps internship aiding Hurricane Sandy recovery on Staten Island. With a graduate background in liturgical history, Dane actively engages the congregation across 20+ weekly worship services, promoting inclusivity and spiritual support for all our neighbors.

Adina Taylor | Church of the Heavenly Rest, Manhattan
Adina Taylor is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and has a Masters in Urban Planning from CCNY. Adina’s career has been in architecture and urban planning, including having worked with the architecture firm of Edward Larrabee Barnes. She has served on the Hudson River Park Advisory Council, and was instrumental in establishing Floating the Apple, a non-profit organization focused on restoration of access to public waterways in New York City.

Director

Kate Hill | Grace Church, Brooklyn Heights