PRINCE OF PEACE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Music & Organist
As a devoted church musician, Elizabeth has previously held positions at Holy Cross and St. Madeleine Sophie churches in Philadelphia, PA, Lawrencefield Parish in Wheeling, WV and St. John the Baptist Church in New Baltimore, PA.
She is committed to educating children in singing and sacred music and has completed the Director of Young Singers Certification through the Choristers Guild Institute and training in year one of the Ward method of music education.
A successful organ competitor, Elizabeth won several competitions including the Joan Lippincott Competition for Excellence in Organ Performance and the AGO competition for young organists. She received her bachelor's degree in sacred music from Franciscan University of Steubenville and a Masters degree in Organ Performance from Westminster Choir College. Her organ teachers have included Paul M. Weber and Matthew Lewis. In 2019, she married Thomas Wilson, a chemistry and algebra teacher at St. Joseph's Catholic School and they have been blessed with two children.
Job Titles:
- Volunteer Communications Director
Lisa has been married to Tom since 1981, and they have 4 grown children, and one grand-child. A member of Prince of Peace since 2014, Lisa serves as a Spiritual Director, head of the Guild of St. Thomas Aquinas Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration ministry, and is involved in various other ministries. Outside of the parish, Lisa is Director of the local Community of Marian Servants of Divine Providence, a public association of the Christian Faithful. Before coming to Prince of Peace, Lisa served as Prayer Coordinator in the Rachel's Vineyard Ministry of the Palm Beach Diocese, maintained Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at her parish, was employed as Director of Client Services at Pregnancy Care Center where she counseled women in crisis pregnancies, and owned an aerobics business. Lisa holds a Degree in Human Services Technology, specializing in social work and counseling. She received her Spiritual Direction Certification from The Cenacle of Our Lady of Divine Providence, School of Spirituality, in association with Franciscan University of Steubenville. Study includes, but is not limited to, the Discernment of Spirits, the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit, Living Christian Virtue, and Healing prayer.
Job Titles:
- Pastoral Associate for Children 's Catechesis
Maria Barontini is originally from Pennsylvania and moved to Greenville in 2014. She graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College with a B.A. in Christian Education and with minors in Religion and Theatre Arts. She then went to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and received an M.A. in Religious Education. Maria worked as a camp counselor, a youth director, and a Director of Children's Ministries prior to becoming a stay-at-home-mom in 2008. Maria joined the Catholic Church in 2014 at St. Alphonsus parish in Wexford, PA. Maria is married to Nathan and they have three children. She is responsible for children's catechesis, including sacramental preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
Maria worked for 5 years in Prince of Peace school and 4 years in the Church before moving into the receptionist position in October 2013 and Parish Secretary in Jan. 2015. She studied Business Law, Psychology and Food Management through Cornell University. She was born in Charlotte, NC and moved to Greenville from Orlando, Florida in 1995. She was married for 37 years and has 4 children and 4 adopted grandchildren. Maria enjoys party planning, decorating, painting, drawing, making jewelry and rosaries, decorating cakes and just about anything she can create with her hands.
Job Titles:
- Bookkeeper
- Director of Finance
With over 20 years experience in financial leadership, Mark has guided companies by ensuring financial stability. Mark has a varied background including experience in the following industries: banking, real estate, non-profit, manufacturing, healthcare, and business consulting. Mark is constantly trying to improve financial performance and optimize efficiency.
Mark is the Director of Finance and began working for Prince of Peace in 2016. Mark is a father and grandfather with his son and granddaughter residing in Charleston, SC.
Job Titles:
- Pastoral Associate of Adult Faith Formation
Michael grew up in Columbia, SC where he received his BS in Theology from Columbia International University. After a few years teaching English overseas with his wife, Katie, he returned to the United States and pursued his MA in Theology at both Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Pennsylvania and Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin seeking ordination as minister in the Anglican Church. When it became clear to him and Katie that they were being called into the Catholic Church, he temporarily paused his studies in order to support his growing family and they were received into the Church at St. Jerome Parish in Oconomowoc, WI in 2017. He and his family relocated to Greenville 2019. Michael is responsible for adult catechesis, faith formation and evangelization in the parish and is excited to explore new ways to invite people into the fullness of the Christian faith as revealed in the Catholic Church. He serves as ministry liaison for the staff and parish, and is always happy to connect new families to the tireless work Prince of Peace volunteers provide in so many different and exciting ministries. He received his Master of Arts in Religion from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, and actively continues his study of the Christian Faith, focusing in particular on liturgy, scripture, and the evangelizing bridge of beauty. He and Katie have five children.
Job Titles:
- Principal of Prince of Peace Catholic School
Job Titles:
- Director of Administration
Phil Head, Jr. is the Director of Administration at Prince of Peace Catholic Church and is responsible for daily operations at the church and school since July 2017. He and his wife, Linda, have been parishioners since 1998. Phil was raised in the Methodist faith tradition and converted to Catholicism in 1977. Phil remains active in the local community and has served as past Chairman and past Secretary for the Parish Finance Council at Prince of Peace. Phil and Linda have celebrated over 45 years of marriage and currently reside in Greer and are the proud parents of three adult children and ten grandchildren who all live in South Carolina.
Phil's background before working at PoP was as a corporate finance executive with 38 years of experience focused on improving profitability, margins and cash flow. He has worked in the aerospace / defense and commercial / industrial sectors providing leadership in CFO, Merger & Acquisitions, controllership, and Financial Planning & Analysis key positions. Phil began his corporate career during the early years of the Reagan administration with what today is Lockheed Martin Corporation. He has also worked for Martin Marietta Materials, DynCorp International and Ranger Aerospace.
Phil is a Lexington, North Carolina native and earned an AB degree in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University. In addition, Phil completed coursework in mergers and acquisitions from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
Job Titles:
- Director of Music & Choirmaster
A conductor, singer, composer, and musicologist born and raised in Greenville, SC, Philip has had a role in music at Prince of Peace in various capacities since 2009 and has served as Director of Music since 2021.
Philip received his bachelor's degree in music composition and philosophy from Furman University. He went on to complete a master's degree in choral conducting from the University of Georgia under the instruction of Dan Bara and J.D. Burnett.
Following his first master's, Philip moved to Taiwan, where he met his wife Annabelle, and then to Japan, where he completed a second master's degree pursuing ethnomusicological research at International Christian University in Tokyo, using the knowledge of Gregorian chant he gained at Prince of Peace to conduct comparative research on Japanese Buddhist chant notation.
Philip is also the artistic director of Chicora Voices, a professional choral ensemble based in Greenville. The choir held its inaugural performance at Prince of Peace in 2022, and continues to actively perform a diverse repertoire of esteemed vocal music in the Upstate and beyond.
Job Titles:
- Principal of Prince of Peace Catholic School
Steven Cunningham began his tenure as principal of Prince of Peace Catholic School in Taylors in 2019. He graduated Cum Laude from Minnesota State University and earned his Master's degree from the University of St. Thomas in Curriculum and Instruction, with a special focus in Catholic Education in Leadership. Previously, he has held teaching and leadership positions at John Ireland School, Queen of Peace Catholic School, and Providence Academy in Minnesota and St. Anne School in California. With 18 years of experience as a Principal of Catholic schools ranging in size from 150-900 students, Steven has demonstrated excellence in managing teachers, earning accreditation, growing enrollment and investors, and enhancing Catholic identity. He is married to Jese with 4 children.