Parish Council Nominees

Immaculate Conception has been my parish home since my husband and I, along with our two young sons, moved to Glenside in 2017. We have since added two more sons and two daughters, and all of our children attended or are still attending Immaculate Conception Preschool. 

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I grew up in Fox Chase and attended St. Cecilia and Cardinal Dougherty. During my undergraduate career at The University of Pennsylvania, I was involved at the Newman Center and served as the outreach chair. After graduation, I taught in Catholic middle and high schools for five years in Philadelphia, Alabama, and New York. During that time, I earned my master’s in education from Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education. 

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I have been a stay at home mom since our oldest was born, but as our youngest kids move closer to elementary school, I’m looking forward to a season of life where I can more actively serve my faith community. I volunteer with the preschool parent association, and I am working toward completing the formation to become a catechist for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori religious education approach. If you follow our parish on Facebook, I’m the one behind the scenes there sharing parish and local events in addition to broader Church news and Catholic content. 

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I look forward to continuing to grow in faith and serve as a member of this wonderful parish. Immaculate has so many amazing opportunities for our community, and I would love to be part of a team building on that success. Thank you for considering me for the parish council. 

I’ve been a parish member since 1986, and am married to Cyndy (Montgomery) Clarke, a lifelong parishioner.  I have 4 grown children, 3 of which attended Immaculate Conception School and 1 who attended Jenkintown. 

I have 8 grandchildren and another on the way.  I spent my career in Banking and Finance, working for various banks in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

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I have been retired since 2017 and have since enjoyed being with my family and getting involved in the Church.  I attend daily Mass, the rosary, and Tuesday and Thursday prayer meetings.  I have come to know many parishioners and enjoy their company and camaraderie. 

I look forward to serving the church community in as many ways possible.

My wife Carol and I relocated to this area in February of 2019 and we began attending Mass at Immaculate Conception. 

I retired on 3/31/2018 after a lengthy career in accounting, finance and education.  My final positions from 2010-2018 were teaching accounting at colleges and universities in PA, Bulgaria, the Republic of Korea and CT. 

I hold a DPS in Accounting & Information Systems and a MS in Information Systems from Pace University, as well as a MBA in Accounting and a BA in Economics from the University of Rochester.  I was a CPA in NY.

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In 2023, I organized the new Knights of Columbus Council [#18200] at IC and have served as its Grand Knight.  I am an avid model railroader and belong to the Rockledge Model RR Museum and the Philly Division of the NMRA. 

Peace

My name is Robert Leeson, and I became a member of Immaculate Conception in 2020, when my wife Cristina and I moved to the area and saw the strong foundation and welcoming environment to raise our children in this parish community.

We are both engineering graduates of The Catholic University of America, where we first met during orientation. I hold a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus in Aerospace Engineering, and later earned both a J.D. and M.B.A. from Villanova University.

I currently serve as Associate General Counsel for an international defense contractor that designs and manufactures helicopters. As an Eagle Scout, former youth ambassador for the Diocese of Allentown, and product of Catholic education, service and faith have always guided my path. I’m grateful for the mentors in my life and look forward to giving back by serving our parish community on the Parish Council with my unique skill set.

My name is Justin Sutter; my wife, Erin, and I have been members of Immaculate Conception Parish since 2016. In that time, we had the honor of celebrating our wedding and the baptisms of our two beautiful children at Immaculate Conception.

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 I am originally from Northeast Philadelphia where I attended St. Martin of Tours grade school before attending Northeast Catholic High School. I have a Bachelor of Art in Psychological and Social Sciences from Penn State University and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University.

For the past 13 years I have worked for Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehab in the Occupational Therapy Department. I am currently serving as a Senior Occupational Therapist on a multidisciplinary team that works with stroke survivors to regain their independence so they can rejoin their community.

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As a member of the Pastoral Council, I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with Father Howarth and other members of the council to continue to guide Immaculate Conception Parish during these turbulent and uncertain times.  My experience of collaborating and communicating with a team to

Mike Werner and his wife Megan, moved from South Philadelphia to Abington in 2022 prior to the birth of their first son, Nicholas. Since moving, their family have joined the Immaculate Conception Parish in 2023 then welcomed their second child Michael in 2024.  Mike has become an active member of the Parish where he is finishing his second year of teaching 5th grade PREP as well as helping to start the Knights of Columbus at ICC where he serves as an officer. 

My name is Ken Hildebrand.  Marie, my wife, and I joined Immaculate Conception in January 2024. Previously, we were members of The Church of St. William in the Lawncrest section of Philadelphia for about 25 yrs.  Marie is a lifelong Catholic while I converted in 2010.  From 2010 to 2024 we served as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion; both at Sunday Mass and bringing communion to Catholic residents of the Philadelphia Protestant Home pre-covid.  I also served as a Lector, and a member of the Parish Finance Council.

We feel blessed to now belong to such a welcoming, vibrant parish.  As a result, my intent is to become more involved with the Church Community.  If I am blessed with selection to the Council, I believe the knowledge and skills gained over a 50-year career in the insurance industry will provide me with an opportunity to positively contribute to Fr. Howarth and the other Council members in guidance of our Parish.

Sincerely,

Ken Hildebrand

Hello, my name is Brenda Corey. I have been a parishioner at Immaculate Conception since 2012. My family and I love being a part of this parish. My three older children are students in PREP, where I am in my third year as the Level 4 teacher. My youngest is in the 4-year-old class at our preschool.

 I have been involved in our preschool program for the last 10 years, serving as presidents of the Parents’ Association for 8 of those years as well as being a substitute teacher. I graduated from La Salle University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree both in Education. I currently work as an assistant for a property management company, as well as a secretary for Immaculate’s rectory.

I enjoy planning and fundraising. Since becoming a member at Immaculate, I have been a part of the planning of the Father-Daughter Dance, Casino Night and What Would Jesus Brew? I am also currently the president of the Rockledge 4th of July Association. If elected to council, I look forward to providing insight from a preschool parent perspective, as well as sharing my ideas for community building and fund raising.

My name is Bob Huntowski. I have been a member of Immaculate Conception for over seven years. Prior to this, I was a longtime member of St. Luke’s, where I coached CYO sports and was actively involved in the parish. My spiritual journey led me to Immaculate because of the energy, humor and message that Father Howarth, Deacon Clay, and the other priests bring.

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 I have been blessed to have three adult children, Emily, Matthew and Brian, and have recently welcomed my first grandchild, James.  I currently attend weekly mass with my girlfriend, Maureen.  

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I would like to be a member of the council to give back to the parish with my time and energy. As a retired manager at UPS, I have organizational and leadership skills that I would like to bring to the parish council. As vice president of the Philadelphia ski club, I have coordinated national and international group activities. Through my current charity work with The Breathing Room, I’ve had the chance to enhance my empathy and listening skills, to better serve.  I am a current member of The Knights of Columbus, The McSweeney club and Tallamore country club. If elected, I will interact well with all council members and support spiritual growth and council mission. Thank you for your consideration.

To be nominated as a candidate to serve on the Parish Council is an honor. I have been a member of Immaculate Conception Parish for 2 years, previously as a member of St. Joseph’s, Cheltenham where both Ted and I grew up and attend grade school, Presentation Parish, Cheltenham, and St. Albert the Great in Huntingdon Valley where Ted and I served on the Pre-Cana Team for over 16 years, and a member of the music ministry playing organ and harp.

When looking for a place to call home, my husband, Ted, and I connected spiritually with Immaculate Conception.  We are truly blessed to be in such a beautiful and holy parish. Over the years, I have served in many leadership capacities. I prayed that God would lead me to a spiritual leadership position. 

I am passionate about the church and the church's future. Some of you may know me as a harpist, having most recently played at our Lenten Penance Evening. I am currently a Mentor of Music Educators in the Philadelphia School District and at Regina Coeli School in Abington.  I serve as a docent for the Philadelphia Orchestra School Concert Program.

Raising our 3 children, Nicholas, Rachel, and Nora, in the Catholic faith at Ancillae Assumpta Academy has been joyful and spiritually fulfilling.  We are blessed with 6 grandchildren and strive to disseminate our faith to them and pray they embrace the Lord.  If elected, I will work to assist and collaborate with Father Howarth and fellow council members as the Parish continues to advance to foster and integrate a deeper faith community. 

My name is Daniel Tocatlian, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our parish as a Parish Council nominee. As a previous Roaming Catholic, I’ve lived and worshipped in various cultures and communities, deepening my appreciation for the universal beauty of our Catholic faith.

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Currently, I volunteer with the Padre Pio Prayer Center, partnering with the Capuchin Franciscan Friars to prepare and distribute meals to those in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. I also participate in Pro-Life events such as praying outside the 2 locations in downtown Philadelphia. I  co-teach Level 4 PREP classes with my wife at the Church of St. William in Philadelphia.

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These service experiences, and my previous parish experiences with Father Howarth, have strengthened my faith and inspired me to further support my Immaculate Conception  parish community. If chosen, I will bring compassion, a collaborative spirit, and a global perspective to the Council, working to foster a welcoming and vibrant parish for all.