Deborah Suess, Pastoral Minister
Thanks for checking out First Friend’s website. Maybe you are investigating various faith 
communities in the Greensboro area and are thinking about visiting us for the first time. I know that for some, walking through the door of any new church or Quaker meetinghouse can be a bit unnerving. So – please know you are truly welcome and “among friends!”
I was in my early 30s when I was first walked through the doors of a Quaker Meeting and eventually became a “Convinced Friend.” After completing seminary, I served as a pastoral minister in West Branch, Iowa; Perth, Australia; and Spokane, Washington. In the summer of 2004 my husband Tim Jackson and I were delighted to move to Greensboro and make First Friends our church home. Some of “my favorite things” include good coffee with cream, spicy foods, traveling anywhere warm, dancing music, reading mysteries and stumbling upon a really satisfying movie. I also love to engage in conversation about our faith journeys. You are welcome to email me.
Sheila Hoyer, Christian Education Director
I moved here from the Northwest, specifically the Portland, Oregon area.
I discovered Quakers at age 18 and have developed a deep love for the community of Friends ever since. I worked as a Youth Pastor for three years at a local Friends Meeting, then moved into the position of Youth and Young Adult Program Coordinator at our denominational headquarters in Newberg, Oregon. After that I went running off to Ireland to study conflict resolution and mediation. In January, 2006 I moved to sunny Greensboro to accept the call of Christian Education Director here at First Friends Meeting. So far, I am having a fantastic time working with this beloved community and look forward to a long term venture here. I hold a deep passion for fostering and nurturing community and for good sound theological education. In this role I am getting to exercise the gifts and desires that feed my soul. Also, being a child of the Northwest, I love coffee and would love to get to know you over a cup anytime.
Renee Heagney, Office Manager
I am a Southern girl, who grew up in Raleigh, and has called Greensboro “home” since 
1994. In 2002, I moved to Brooklyn, NY to attend graduate school at Pratt Institute, where I studied Dance/Movement Therapy. After 5 years, my husband Brian and I decided we had enough of the big city life, and returned to NC. I was hired to work in the
nursery at First Friends in 2007, and fell in love with the children and parents I met here. In 2011 I started as Office Manager, and my family and I continue to bask in the warmth
with which we have been embraced by this community.
In my “other” life, I am involved in the Autism Spectrum Disorder world, and run a therapeutic movement program for kids with ASD and other behavioral/developmental challenges. My passions include dance of all kinds, bluegrass music, coffee, books, swimming, roller coasters, and James Bond movies. I am also interested in people, and
would love to talk with you.
Rebecca Gibboney, Treasurer
I have lived in Greensboro since 1982, left to broaden my education, and am now raising a family back in Greensboro. I was born and raised a Quaker and even attended Westtown School, a Quaker boarding school outside of Philadelphia for high school. My family began attending First Friends in 1999 and my husband and I officially became members in the Summer of 2011. I began work as Treasurer of First Friends in the Summer of 2011. Aside from handling the financial work for the Meeting, I am also a Neonatal Intensive Care Registered Nurse. I’m happy to call First Friends my religious home and work with such wonderful, diverse, kind people.
Lawrence Ross, Clerk of Monthly Meeting
Like many members of this spiritual community, I grew up in a different church tradition 
and have found a home in the Religious Society of Friends. For over 25 years, First Friends Meeting has been deeply important to me: being for me a faith community that is constantly seeking, and that welcomes seekers; encouraging me to have an immediate and current focus on the teachings of and the presence of Christ among us; and giving me opportunities and support to grow and to serve. In my current role as Presiding Clerk for our Monthly Meeting for Business, I try to be a facilitator, but most importantly a listener in our continuing journey to discern God’s will for our faith community. My wife, Jenny, and I live on a farm south of Greensboro where we enjoy both gardening and farming. I’m an IT Architect by trade, enjoy cooking for larger groups, woking in the woods, and being a shadetree mechanic. I’d love to hear your story!
Bill Davis, Clerk of Ministry and Counsel
I was raised in Murphy, N.C., and grew up attending a United Methodist
church. I spent 9 years living in the Triangle region to attend school – 2 years at the North Carolina School of Science and Math, 4 years undergraduate at UNC, and 3 years of law school at Duke. I came to Greensboro in 1998 to begin working as an Assistant Public Defender. In 2000, I was introduced to First Friends by my
(then-future) wife, Dawn Davis. I sing in the choir, co-lead a Sunday School class, and clerk the Meeting on Ministry and Counsel. I also serve on the Music Committee and Hospitality Committee. I love music, movies, and books. I am drawn to First Friends by the welcoming
atmosphere, characterized by its open and accepting spirit. The theology at First Friends is one that encourages spiritual growth and does not alienate or estrange seekers.
Anita Trumpler-Rich, Organist/Choir Director
I’m happy to be the organist and choir director at First Friends Meeting. I’ve been a pianist 
since age 7 and an organist since age 18 and I have earned a college degree in each instrument. I love making music, listening to music, and teaching music to others. It is my belief that music has enormous power in worship. Music can create an atmosphere within which almost any thought or emotion may be enhanced and explored. In worship services, music is most often used to create a prayerful atmosphere. It can also create an emotional setting for great joy, such as celebrating Christmas and Easter; or it can help people empathize with sorrow and pain, as on Good Friday. The First Friends Choir and I, along with Deborah Suess, do our best to line up the music each Sunday so it highlights a mood, theme, or story central to the service. I am a newcomer to Quakerism and love what I’m experiencing. I have been working with First Friends Meeting since July 2004. I live in Greensboro with my husband, architect Charles Rich, and our two cats. In addition to my work at First Friends, I teach piano and organ lessons. My hobbies are doing puzzles, playing games (the good kind!), reading, sailing, walking, and bicycling.
Karyle Miller, Childcare
Hi, My name is Karyle Miller and I provide childcare services to all of the friends at First 
Friends Meeting House. I am a student at Guilford College. I am studying English and Education. In the future, or when I grow up, I hope to be a High School English teacher, and potentially one day (unless I change my mind) a student success coordinator at the University level. I am avid reader, conversationalist, and joker; however, I will not play jokes on you or any of your children. I promise. If you wish to speak to me at anytime about anything, feel free to find me in the nursery, or e-mail me. Thanks, and to whoever is reading this, I hope you have an absolutely wonderful day!