Our Team

Dr. David Sharpe has been Organist and Choir Director at First Church since 1990. Growing up in Illinois and Indiana, David played clarinet from grade school onward, as well as piano and organ in high school. With an AB in applied physics from Harvard and PhD in engineering science from Purdue, his career included teaching at Notre Dame, University of Michigan-Dearborn and Simon’s Rock College. In his spare time he enjoys collecting records, record players, player pianos and other self-playing musical instruments. David is married to Pat, who is a dean at Simon’s Rock and they have a son, Oliver, who is an editor at a press in New York.

Paula has a degree in business from Towson University in Towson, MD and has been a member of First Church since 1994. In addition to serving as Treasurer she is employed in the Inside Sales department at Plaskolite LLC in Sheffield, MA. She is married to Mark Mannhiemer and they have five children.

Deb lives in Great Barrington with her husband Paul.  They have two sons, Christopher & Jason. Deb joined First Congregational Church on December 5, 2004. She has been part of the Christian Education Committee for many years.  She became our part-time Assistant Treasurer in January 2019.  Deb also works full time in the business office at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, an Early College, located in Great Barrington as their Payroll & Financial Assistant.  In her free time she likes to read, go for walks with friends, and just hang out with her family.