Our Team
Our Team
Pastoral Team
Alistair Begg
- Senior Pastor
Alistair Begg has been the senior pastor of Parkside Church since 1983. Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, he’s a graduate of The London School of Theology, and in addition to Sunday services at Parkside, can be heard daily on the Truth For Life radio program. Alistair and his wife, Susan, have been married since 1975, have three grown and married children, and eight grandchildren.
Jonathan Albright
- Associate Pastor, Welcoming Ministries, Music Ministries
- jalbright@parksidechurch.com
Jonathan grew up in Chicago, and lived a number of years in Wisconsin and Salt Lake City before moving to Cleveland in 2021. He has a background in ministry, specifically as a music pastor and church planter, and joined our team in 2024. Jonathan is married to Sarah, and they live in Newbury and have five children.
Mickey Aquilino
- Membership, Sojourners
- maquilino@parksidechurch.com
Mickey Aquilino joined our staff in March 1996. Mickey earned an English degree from Kent State University and graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 2000. He and his wife, Marilyn, have two grown daughters and four grandchildren.
Charles Cano
- Associate Pastor
- ccano@parksidechurch.com
Charles Cano was born and raised in Southern California, then resided in Spokane, WA, where he served as a youth pastor until 2020. He came to Parkside as a pastoral resident in 2022 and joined the pastoral team in 2023. Charles and his wife, Becca, have three young children.
Cameron Cronk
- High School Pastor
- ccronk@parksidechurch.com
Cameron came to Parkside as a pastoral resident in 2023. He joined our team in the summer of 2024 as our high school pastor.
Dan Larison
- Missions, Community Groups, Residency Program
- dlarison@parksidechurch.com
Dan Larison joined the pastoral team in September 2005 but he and his wife, Pam, have been members of the church since 1998. Dan hails from Cincinnati and attended Adrian College and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and Pam have five children.
Jeff Mills
- Director of Ministries
- jmills@parksidechurch.com
Jeff Mills came to Parkside in May 1994. He was born and raised in Kirtland, Ohio, and attended Ohio Northern University in Business Accounting. After a career at Arthur Andersen, God called him into full-time ministry where he has served at Parkside as the Director of Ministries. He is married to Terry and they have two grown daughters.
Matt Ross
- Counseling, Premarital Counseling, Support Groups, Young Adults
- mross@parksidechurch.com
Matt Ross joined the Parkside pastoral team in 2019. He was born and raised in the Cincinnati area and earned his undergraduate degree from Georgetown College in Communication, a Master of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Biblical Counseling Certificate from CCEF. Matt is married to Catherine, and they have two children.
Samuel Sanya
- Benevolence, Community Involvement, Care Ministries
- ssanya@parksidechurch.com
Born and raised in Nigeria, Samuel moved to the U.S. for his chemical engineering degree at Cleveland State University. In 2021, he transitioned from an engineering career in the automotive industry to pursue pastoral ministry, first as a pastoral resident, before joining the pastoral team in 2022. Samuel is happily married to Moriah.
Dan Schillero
- Men's and Women's Ministries
- dschillero@parksidechurch.com
Dan Schillero joined our staff in June 2013. He graduated from Moody Bible Institute with his Bachelors of Science in Biblical Studies and earned a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dan and his wife Emily have three young children: Leo, Penny, and Rory.
Nick Spurgeon
- Support Groups, Young Families, Missions
- nspurgeon@parksidechurch.com
Nick Spurgeon came to Parkside as an intern in 2015 and joined the pastoral team in 2016. Born and raised in Pineville, Louisiana, he received his undergraduate degree from Louisiana College in Christian Philosophy. Nick and his wife, Ally, have three children.
Jacob Wirka
- Middle School Student Ministry
- jwirka@parksidechurch.com
Jacob is originally from Wahoo, Nebraska. He has a degree in history education and communications from York University (NE) and holds a master’s in theological studies from Midwestern Seminary. Jacob was formerly a Bible teacher at Lincoln Christian Schools before coming to Parkside as a pastoral resident in 2022. He joined the pastoral team in 2023.
Support Team
Sarah Bianchi
- Director of Communications
- sbianchi@parksidechurch.com
Born and raised in Maryland, Sarah moved to the Cleveland area when she married Brian. She is a graduate of Grove City College with a degree in English Education, and has been at Parkside since 2012.
Bruce Coffy
- Production Manager
- bcoffy@parksidechurch.com
Bruce Coffy graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh with a degree in Video and Music Business. He worked in the sports and corporate video market until joining our staff in January 2005. He is married to Sonia, and has three grown children.
Steve Coiro
- Facilities Manager
- sjcoiro@parksidechurch.com
Steve Coiro joined Parkside's staff in 2008 after serving four years in the United States Navy as an aviation electrician and 13 years as a facilities manager in another ministry. Originally from Connecticut, Steve and his wife, Tammy, have four adult children: Ben, Tabitha, Sarina, and Theresa.
Kelly Coy
- Children's Ministry Director
- kcoy@parksidechurch.com
Kelly Coy joined the Parkside staff in August 2005 and serves as Children's Ministry Director. She and her husband, Michael, have two adult children, Elizabeth and Andrew.
Tony Gambatese
- Business Administrator
- tgambatese@parksidechurch.com
Tony received a BSBA in Management at John Carroll University, served three years in the Regular Army Reserves, and worked in Information Technology in the healthcare industry prior to joining our team in January 1999. Tony was married to Judy for 42 years before the Lord called her Home, having 7 children, 14 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren between them.
Joy Harabedian
- Assistant to Senior Pastor
- jharabedian@parksidechurch.com
Joy was raised in Northeast Ohio and has spent her entire life here, with the exception of a five-year stint in sunny Arizona. Joy and her husband, John, have attended Parkside for more than 25 years and have been blessed in many ways by this Bible-centered body of believers. Joy and her husband enjoy the blessing of raising their two children.
JP Hendrick
- Accountant
- jhendrick@parksidechurch.com
JP joined the Parkside team in August of 2022 as an accountant. JP is from North Carolina and lives in Copley where he attends Parkside Green with his wife, Debbie.
Ruth Juergemeier
- Music Ministry Director
- rjuergemeier@parksidechurch.com
Ruth was born and raised in Green, Ohio. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. She and her husband, David, have two grown children: Matthew and Natalie. Ruth joined Parkside’s Music Ministry team in 1988 and has served in the role of Music Ministry Director since October 2004.
Renee Kearney
- Student Ministry Coordinator
- rkearney@parksidechurch.com
Renee joined the Parkside team in January 2022 after working for Truth For Life in Customer Service. She is a Cleveland State University graduate with a degree in Theatre Design and married her husband, Colin, in 2020.
Sirisha Kolli
- Database Administrator
- skolli@parksidechurch.com
Sirisha joined our team in April of 2022 as our database administrator. Originally from southern India, she holds a degree in computer science engineering and now lives in Aurora where she and her husband, Sam, have two children.
Nicole LaRocca
- Receptionist
- nlarocca@parksidechurch.com
Nicole LaRocca joined our team in the fall of 2015 as the church receptionist. She grew up in the Boardman-Canfield area of Youngstown, Ohio. She attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English. After college, Nicole lived and worked in Cincinnati until moving to the Cleveland area in 2009.
Brenna Lowe
- Administrative Assistant
- blowe@parksidechurch.com
Brenna Lowe joined our team in the summer of 2024 as an administrative assistant after recently moving back to Ohio, where she grew up. She attended Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Bible and Intercultural studies.
Allie Mach
- Children's Ministry Administrative Assistant
- amach@parksidechurch.com
Allie has been attending Parkside since she was a year old! She has been involved in Parkside's student ministry for a number of years before joining our team full-time as an administrative assistant in February of 2022.
Meghan McDevitt
- Administrative Assistant
- mmcdevitt@parksidechurch.com
Meghan is from the Akron/Canton area and joined Parkside's team in 2024. She graduated from Ashland University with a degree in fashion merchandising and marketing.
Cairn Novak
- Administrative Assistant
- cnovak@parksidechurch.com
Cairn Novak joined the Parkside team in April 2021, after serving as the Administrative Assistant at Shoreline Church for 6 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Administrative Management from Bowling Green State University. Cairn and her husband, Gary have three grown children.
Renee Pecek
- Administrative Assistant
- rpecek@parksidechurch.com
Renee Pecek joined the Parkside team in June 2005. Renee was born in Fulton, New York, but moved to Mentor, Ohio she was eight. She and her husband, Marty, have one married son and three granddaughters.
Jacque Platek
- Administrative Assistant
- jrplatek@parksidechurch.com
Jacquelyn Platek graduated from Wheaton College with a BA in Communications and a minor in Bible. She worked in various media positions and was on staff at television stations WOIO 19 & WUAB 43 in Cleveland prior to joining Parkside’s administrative team in February 2002.
Christine Riegler
- Director of Finance & Administration
- criegler@parksidechurch.com
Chris Riegler was born in the northeast Ohio area. She earned her BA at Baldwin Wallace College and her CPA shortly after graduation. Chris came to Parkside in 1997 as an outside CPA while working in public accounting. In 2017, she left public accounting and joined Parkside’s staff as the Business Administrator.
Lisa Scarpello
- Administrative Assistant to Director of Ministries
- lscarpello@parksidechurch.com
Lisa joined our team in January 2002 as the receptionist and has been the administrative assistant to Jeff Mills for the last 13 years. She began her administrative career while still a senior in high school, working for Stouffer’s/Nestle. Prior to serving as our receptionist, Lisa worked for the president of a local executive search firm.
Addam Skelly
- IT Manager
- askelly@parksidechurch.com
Addam Skelly joined the Parkside staff in August 2019 as IT Manager. Addam is a graduate of Cedarville University and is working on a cybersecurity degree at Western Governor's University. Addam is married to April and they have three young children: Jackson, Anneka, and Josiah.
Elder Team
Carl Anderson
Carl Anderson was born and raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio where he started working on cars at an early age. Since 1986, Carl has owned and operated Exceleration, an automotive business that repairs both foreign and domestic cars. He and his wife, Becky, have two grown children, Daniel and Elizabeth.
Chris Brown
Chris Brown, a native Clevelander, grew up in Chagrin Falls as the sixth of seven siblings. He has been attending Parkside since 1992 where he met his wife, Laurie. They have three adult children and live in Aurora. Chris graduated from Bowling Green State University with a BSBA and currently works as a risk management consultant at Huntington Insurance.
Dave Cameron
Dave grew up in Mentor, Ohio. He attended Miami University where he received his BA, and continued his education at Case Western Reserve where he earned his DDS. Dave also served in the US Navy Dental Corps from 1978-1981. He's had the privilege of being a part of Parkside since it was called The Chapel in 1974. Dave is married to Bitsy and they have five adult children: Jennifer, Jonathan, Chelsea, Heather, and Christine, along with eight grandchildren.
Dave Friihauf
Dave Friihauf was raised in Burton, Ohio, and later attended Bowling Green State University receiving a B.S. in Computer Science. Dave owns a business in Brecksville that provides services to manufacturing and distribution companies. He and wife, Carol, raised two daughters.
John Harabedian
John was raised in Northeast Ohio and has spent his entire life here, with the exception of a five-year stint in sunny Arizona. He earned a BBA from the University of Akron and has worked in the financial services industry for over 30 years, the majority of that time with The Charles Schwab Corporation. John and his wife, Joy, have two children.
Roger Jones
Roger Jones grew up in Massillon and received engineering degrees from the University of Akron and CSU. He is an Executive Vice President for TransDigm in Cleveland where he has been employed since 1994. He and his wife, Kim, raised three children: Rebekah, Susan, and Ben.
Bill Mills
Bill Mills was born and raised in the Cleveland area. He attended Dartmouth College and continued his education at Cornell Law School. Bill works at Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., L.P.A. Bill and his wife, Laurie, have three adult children: Mike, Bruce and Amy.
George Ohman
George Ohman grew up in Northeast Ohio. He attended Moody Bible Institute and William Tyndale College where he received his Bachelor of Music, then earned a Master of Arts in Theology from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. George is married to Kim and they have four adult children: Jordan, Ashley, Josh, and Whitney. George manages a local health care residence that provides service to seniors through skilled nursing, assisted living, and independent living.
Bob Pelletier
Bob Pelletier spent some of his early years in Quebec before considering Bedford his hometown. Bob has belonged to Parkside Church since 1979. He received his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Youngstown State University, and for the past thirty plus years, has been employed with Parker Hannifin in aerospace product development and advanced manufacturing. Bob and his wife, Julie, have grown five children: Sarah, Matthew, Rachel, David, and Ben.
Tom Piazza
Tom Piazza grew up in Solon, graduating from Solon High School in 1979. He furthered his studies at Kent State University and Georgia Institute of Technology where he earned a BBA, MBA and MS in Supply Chain Management. Tom currently works at Materion Corporation. He and his wife, Liese, have two boys: Tom and Brian.
Pat Presley
Pat Presley was born in Conway, Arkansas, but raised in Chicago where he graduated from DePaul University. He and his wife, Kristin, have four adult children: Michelle, Stephanie, David, and Alyssa, along with eight grandchildren.
Eric Snyder
Eric Snyder grew up in Canton, Ohio, and graduated from Grove City College in 1994. He followed up his undergrad degree with an MBA from Cleveland State University and has held various Global Sourcing positions with a number of Cleveland-based companies. He currently works for the Oatey Company. Eric enjoys family life with his wife, Kristen, and their two sons, William and Andrew.
Steve Terrell
Steve Terrell was born in Chicago but raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Dartmouth College, where he graduated in 1979. His professional career has been as a financial advisor. Steve is married to Sally, and they have three adult children: Hannah, Jeff, and Courtney, along with three grandchildren.