Ministers
Reverend Janice Steele was appointed Foothills Church’s Interim Senior Minister in February, 2017. Rev. Steele, most recently a member of the City of Refuge United Church of Christ in Oakland, served as designated pastor at Loomis Congregational Church from 2011 to 2016. While serving in Loomis, she united and revitalized two congregations into a combined congregation location and successfully raised adult service and children’s Sunday school attendance.
Originally from Gary, Indiana, Janice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater Arts from San Jose State University (2002) and a Master of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley (2007). She was ordained in January 2009.
Reverend Melanie Weiner, Minister of Faith Development, joined the staff of Foothills Church in February, 2015. Melanie has experience in youth ministry and faith formation ministry for all ages, most recently as the Minister of Faith Formation and Youth Ministries at Ladera Community Church in Portola Valley. She believes faith formation and youth ministry are grounded in sharing and exploring our sacred stories and discovering together how they are related to our lives today. Melanie is a graduate of the University of Houston and received her Master of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion.
Staff
Susana Leung is our Administrative Assistant and has been at Foothills since 2000. Originally from Hong Kong, Susana and her family have lived in Los Altos for many years. As the face of Foothills, she is often the first person you meet when you come to the church. Her open and welcoming personality is appreciated by all. In 2005 Susana became a member of Foothills and has thrown herself into the life of the church. You will find her at the Rummage Sale, Women’s Fellowship and knitting with the Prayer Shawl Ministry. If you don’t see her on a Sunday morning it is because she is playing badminton that day!
Fred Cummins has been Foothills’ choir director since 2001 and organist since 1983 and served as children’s music director from 1972 until 1981. He accompanies the Golden Gate Men’s Chorus and has sung in the San Francisco Choral Artists and San Francisco Bach Choir. Fred holds a Masters in music education and a Bachelors in music from Stanford, where he sang in the Early Music Singers, Memorial Church Choir and Mendicants (which he directed for 2 years). He has also studied voice with Marie Gibson and organ with University Organist Robert Nanney. Fred was the first professional director of the Community School of Music and Arts in Mountain View.
Kristin Burns is the director of Church School Music and the Elementary Choir. She grew up at Foothills and has been leading music in the Children’s Program here since 1982. Kristin was invited to direct Foothills’ Elementary Choir when it was formed in 2007. She is a classically-trained pianist, who regularly accompanies our adult choir and substitutes for our organist when he is away. Her school-aged children, Anna and Sam, are active participants at Foothills, as are their grandparents!
Pamela “P.L.” Grove is our Handbell choir director. She is one of the few people ever to receive a degree in handbell performance and has performed in many capacities, from the San Francisco Symphony chorus to appearances on “A Prairie Home Companion”. While P.L. makes her living working for the government, she prefers to spend her time playing piano, singing, composing music and conducting handbells.
