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Aug 17, 2015 | EDOT Staff

New Diocesan Staff Focus on Hispanic Communications, Youth, Service Corps and Safe Church

The Diocese of Texas welcomes five new and gifted individuals to the Diocesan staff to work with Hispanic congregations, youth, the Texas Episcopal Service Corps fellows and Safe Church.

 

Paulette Martin serves as communication specialist with an emphasis on Hispanic congregations. Martin is a former content producer for Telemundo Media in San Francisco with additional expertise in social media and branding. Formerly, she worked for an environmental group in the Bay area and Univision in the Dallas/Ft. Worth market. A native of Jalisco, Mexico, she has a degree in communications from California State University, Fullerton.

 

“This is a new position that will allow us to respond to the communications needs of our Hispanic congregations and help us raise the profile of the Episcopal Church in this growing edge of our state demographics,” said Communication Director Carol E. Barnwell.

 

Angie Mireles-Paz serves as the new program coordinator for diocesan youth events. Mireles-Paz speaks both English and Spanish and has experience in diversity training through Eric Law’s Fertile Ground and Kaleidoscope programs. She has a passion for helping to develop Episcopal youth as effective Christian leaders and previously served as co-leader of youth at San Francisco de Asis in Austin and on the leadership teams of Missionpalooza, Conspire, Happening and YES. Mireles-Paz attended the young adult program during General Convention in Salt Lake City this past summer.

 

Nick Puccio succeeds Matt Blank as program director for the Texas Episcopal Service Corps in Houston. Puccio is a native Houstonian and long-time member of Christ Church Cathedral, with a strong passion for social justice. He has served as a youth ministry assistant at St. Mark’s, Houston and St. Matthew’s, Austin as well as two years with AmeriCorps through Communities in Schools in Austin.

 

  

 

Tracy Cramer provides bilingual (Spanish-English) Safe Church “help desk” assistance for Safeguarding certification processes to EDOT organizations’ Safeguarding Records Administrators (SRAs) and to other staff. He assists with keeping SRS up to date; provides other bilingual Safe Church services (e.g., conducting needs assessments, training SRAs, etc.) to largely Spanish-speaking congregations and translates Safe Church web pages, documents, and written communications from English to Spanish. He also provides training and assistance with the online option for SGC recertification and acts as SRA for small churches, as needed.

 

Katherine Muhlenbruch supports SRAs in EDOT organizations in their effort to create and maintain an accurate accounting of members who are or need to be Safeguarding certified. She trains volunteers to be the Safeguarding Records Administrator (SRA) for their organization and offers ongoing support and problem-solving.  She assists SRAs, trainers, and ministry leaders in understanding how policy applies to specific situations. She acts as SRA for small churches, as needed. She also prepares trainers to fulfill the role of educating volunteers in EDOT organizations about Diocesan policies and safeguarding procedures in order to raise individual and organizational awareness of the role each person has in protecting our children and our ministries. Her role also includes providing ongoing professional development of SGC/SGP Trainers and Master Trainers.