Meet the Team

Chris has served as Senior Pastor of First Pres since 2012. Chris is a graduate of Baylor University, holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree through Fuller Seminary. Chris loves guiding the congregation to live into its call to participate in the mission of God in the world. “More Than Sunday means we discover what it means for us to live as followers of Jesus Christ in every aspect of our lives. God’s love for us and for the world has implications for our relationships, our families, our calendars, our community, our work lives, and on and on and on,” says Chris. Prior to joining the team at First Presbyterian Church of Glen Ellyn, Chris served as Associate Pastor of Adult Discipleship at Sammamish Presbyterian Church in Sammamish, WA. Chris lives in Glen Ellyn with his wife, Erin, and two sons, Carter and Ryan.

Jonathan serves at First Pres by leading the pastoral care ministries of the church, shepherding the Deacon ministry, and serving as a regular participant and preacher in Sunday morning worship. He has an undergraduate degree from Wheaton College, attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and graduated with an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Jonathan is inspired by the number of unsung people in this church body who quietly, effectively, and faithfully serve behind the scenes: loving their “neighbor”, serving meals, caring for the children of others, visiting homebound elderly. He loves seeing people flourish in the gifts God has given them, using those gifts to serve and engage with others. Prior to joining the First Pres team in 2014, Jonathan has been an Associate Pastor and Executive Director of the LaSalle Senior Center, both at LaSalle Street Church in Chicago and most recently was the Executive Director of Emmaus Ministries, a long-time mission partner of First Presbyterian Church. He and his wife Beverly live in Chicago and have two adult daughters, Elizabeth and Abigail.

Emily Puntuzs has been at First Pres since 2014. She directs handbells at the Classic service. Emily loves making music to glorify God each week with an amazing group of dedicated people. She is inspired by the love and support the members show for each other. She also currently teaches viola and violin at Wheaton College Community School of the Arts, where she also serves as Suzuki Strings Coordinator and directed the handbell program for nearly 20 years. She subs occasionally with Chicago Bronze and enjoys performing with her string quartet. Emily lives in Wheaton with her husband, Tony, and two daughters, Eliza and Caroline.

Lesley teaches general music and leads a children’s chorus in Glendale Heights, where she has been the music teacher for nearly two decades. She completed her undergraduate degree in Music Education at Millikin University where she studied choral conducting and sang in the University Choir under the renowned Dr. Brad Holmes. Following the completion of undergraduate studies, she immediately began working on her Master’s in Music, which she obtained from Northern Illinois University during her first years of teaching. Lesley has enjoyed meeting new people at First Pres and is excited to expand the choral program. She believes that anyone can sing if they are given the right tools! Lesley and her husband Jim live in Aurora and have three children.

Since 1997 Sue Clary has served as Westminster Preschool Director, where she oversees the staff and supports the educational and social goals of the school. Sue has a B.S. in education from Illinois State University, and vast experience in both business and education. Sue’s passion is for young children to begin a love of learning and develop self confidence by attending Westminster. She works with the Westminster team to provide a sense of community for families to equip and support one another. She loves the wonder that is present every day in children. Sue lives in Glen Ellyn with her husband Dion.

Since 1995, Cinda has overseen adult education programming, small group development, women’s ministry, new membership, and helped with Deacon team. She loves to provide spiritual direction to individuals seeking to be more attentive to God’s presence in their lives. Cinda earned her undergraduate degree from University of Illinois and certification in Spiritual Direction from the Christos Center. Cinda is passionate about seeing people flourish in their relationships – with Jesus and with one another. In her work, she loves meeting a first-time visitor, having them attend the new member class, and then watching them as years go by as they develop life-long relationships while flourishing/maturing in their faith. Cinda lives in Glen Ellyn with her husband, Dale, and they have two adult children and a granddaughter.

Kristen is responsible for assisting the Children’s Ministry Director, in leading and running Children’s Ministry at First Pres. This includes giving spiritual and organizational leadership to the Kids Church program, the Spark program, VBS in summer, and other kid-centric programs. Previously, Kristen has worked as a project manager for organizations like HERE and Cisco. While she is the newest staff member to First Pres, Kristen, her husband, Chris, and their daughters, Maddie and Audrey have been members since 2012. Residing in Glen Ellyn, the family likes to get outdoors and explore the Midwest.

After receiving a B.S. in Business from UNL, I worked as a Consultant for Accenture in Chicago and New York for 10 years before becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom. I’ve lived in Glen Ellyn for almost 12 years with my husband Ryan, our 3 kids, Will, Luke & Lucy, and our sweet Australian Labradoodle - Ozzie.
My kids and I have all attended and volunteered in everything from Westminster Preschool, VBS, Spark through TNT at First Pres. We feel very at home at First Pres. I have a heart for Children’s and Student Ministries and have loved coordinating all of the many details that make Student Ministries a success!

Nancy Cavanaugh coordinates the Equipped Adult Education Ministry. As a former teacher and school librarian, she has a passion for life-long learning. In the Equipped Ministry, the focus of learning is all about gaining a deeper understanding of God and His Word to grow closer to Christ in our relationship with Him. Whether the class is about theology, scripture, missions, or soul care, Nancy enjoys encouraging people at First Pres to come to the Parlor to listen and learn. One of her favorite parts of this position is meeting and talking with the amazing speakers and teachers who lead the Equipped classes. Nancy lives in Oak Brook with her daughter, Chaylee, and their adorable, very spoiled, Cockapoo, Ginger. Nancy enjoys reading, walking, and becoming totally engrossed in series like All Creatures Great and Small, Medici, and Call the Midwives. Her favorite food is pizza, and her mornings always begin with coffee – hazelnut flavored is preferred.

Jen joined the church in 2004 with her husband Jeff. She shares the responsibilities of the Front Desk, with Tricia Cavan, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Jen has served twice as a Deacon, valuing the relationships she has fostered and gained through service. She has enjoyed helping with the VBS and Spark children’s programs for over 10 years. Throughout the years, Jen has appreciated attending and growing deeper in her faith through Faith Builders and participation in Women’s Small Groups. Jen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Clothing, Textiles & Fashion from Murry State University (KY). She lives in Glen Ellyn with her husband and two children: Nic & Lindsay. Their Doodle dog, Ginger, rounds out the family and keeps them on the move desiring daily long walks & runs!

Tricia joined the First Pres team in 2019. She runs the front desk on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays where she enjoys serving all of the people with whom she comes in contact as well as the variety of administrative tasks. Tricia loves it when she is able to connect the needs of a caller, whether a church member or not, with the many resources and people in our great congregation. She holds a B.F.A. in acting from DePaul University. Tricia lives in Glen Ellyn with her husband Marc and their sons Rory, Luke, Brady and Chase.