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Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Cocoa Beach, Fla.
Retired executive vice president and chief operating officer, Hyatt Vacation Ownership
I moved to Cocoa Beach in 2025 with my husband and our two young children. We looked all around the area for a new church family. After trying many Protestant churches in the area, we went to Lutheran Church of the Resurrection (LCR), and it felt special—it has a warm congregation, a great pastor that delivered a strong message, and active community service programs. These were all things that were important to us as we raised our children and built a home for our children to be raised and to develop.
My husband and I are co-leaders of LCR’s social ministry. This includes the operation and planning for our food pantry. Our food pantry offers services based on needs. For homeless friends who do not have the ability to cook, we provide “day bags” that can provide nourishment with no preparation. We also give away bags of food for families that can cook that include enough supplies for four to five days for a family of four. Besides these efforts, we also host a monthly burger bash and invite our friends in need for burgers and hot dogs. In addition to food, we also have a bike ministry that collects donated bikes from the community and repairs them and matches them with people in need of transportation.
Serving our neighbors and community is a way that we can help serve God’s will. All services are provided with an open, caring heart and without judgement, to help live in his footsteps. It is also important as we raise our children so they can see how we make room in our everyday lives to bring a caring heart and a spirit to serve others in a meaningful way. Serving others is a privilege that we believe is important for our children to understand.
Our church family is an important part of our lives in Cocoa Beach to us and our children. It allows us to build bonds with others who share similar beliefs in God and spirituality. It also provides our children with a safe and comfortable environment where they can meet others of different ages, backgrounds and thinking. They can grow in their spiritual journeys with the help of Pastor Paul Amlin and by being part of the services, be it through reading Scripture or serving as an acolyte.
I recently retired from my position as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Hyatt Vacation Ownership, but my time in this role was an incredible opportunity to develop, grow and lead a world-renowned hospitality brand. I worked for Marriott Vacations Worldwide for 27 years and had the opportunity to work in many parts of the business, which made me uniquely qualified for the time I spent as COO.
There were no “typical days” in my position, but they were filled with meetings, site visits, presentations and difficult decisions.
The hospitality industry provides the opportunity to serve others and to be a part of their lives at some of the most important times: vacations, weddings, family reunions and more. I have had the spirit of service my entire life, and the hospitality industry has allowed me to do what I love every day, through my job. As I worked my way up through the organization, I realized that leading a large team is one of the great privileges of being in executive leadership. Helping create a culture, a work ethic and a drive for excellence is an obligation that came with this job and others similar.
Our faith can be brought to life in our actions every day, and that includes our jobs. How we treat people, how we show grace in difficult times or with challenging individuals, how we help lift others up and show the way for those who are struggling—every day, God provides opportunities to serve, if we have an open heart and mind to hear and see him.
Our faith can be brought to life in our actions every day, and that includes our jobs.
I spend my free time working at LCR’s social ministry, cheering on my children in their athletic pursuits and being the best friend, neighbor and daughter that I can be.
I pray for peace in this crazy world we live in. I pray for leaders today to make decisions for a brighter tomorrow for my children and grandchildren. I pray that my children will grow up to show good judgement, appreciation, kindness and a spirit to serve and help others. I pray for our church, our environment and our community to be cared for and sustained for generations to come.
To me, grace means believing in the best of everyone. It also means appreciating the little things and living with a generous heart.
I’m a Lutheran because it makes my heart whole, through faith, community, family, service and a caring congregation.
If you’d like to nominate someone for “I’m a Lutheran,” email livinglutheran@elca.org.
