Leadership

Belinda Quaye (Director of Christian Education) began leading the religious education program at Westminster in 2013 after teaching Sunday school for many years here in the U.S. and in her home country of Ghana. Originally trained as a school librarian, Belinda loves to share God’s word with children in a way that makes them feel included and valued. She is skilled in a number of teaching methods including of the Montessori-based program Godly Play. Belinda serves the wider church as part of the Leadership Council of the Association of Partners in Christian Education. Belinda also serves as the Volunteer Coordinator at the FOCUS Churches of Albany and is an active member of the Westminster African Mission Committee. She is married to Ben and mother to Maxine and Robert.

Rev. Heather Kirk-Davidoff (Minister) began serving as Westminster’s minister in May, 2020, while the church building was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She and her husband Dan Kirk-Davidoff moved to Albany from Columbia, Maryland in 1998 and bought a house on Dove Street, just a half a block away from Westminster. They are active members of the Center Square Neighborhood Association and love living in the city of Albany.

Heather was born in Schenectady, New York and grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. A graduate of Yale University (B.A. 1989) and Harvard Divinity School (M.Div. 1994), she was ordained by the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ in 1994. Prior to coming to Westminster, Heather served as the Interim Protestant Campus Minister at Union College in Schenectady, NY. She has served as minister of the Kittamaqundi Community Church in Columbia, Maryland and the First Congregational Church of Somerville, MA and directed the Interfaith Families Project of Greater Washington, D.C. Rev. Kirk-Davidoff is the co-author of two books, Talking Faith (Chalice Press, 2004) and Dare to Dive In: Strategies and Resources for Involving Your Whole Church in Worship (Abingdon, 2006) as well as several book chapters and numerous magazine articles. Pastor Heather is also an “Inaugural Fellow” of the US@250 initiative of New America. She and Dan are parents of three adult children and an adult foster daughter.

Christopher Price has directed several other church choirs over the past eight years. He moved to New York in 2018 after teaching at Navarro College as Associate Professor of Choral Music. After moving to New York, Chris worked as the Fine Arts Coordinator for Troy Prep Uncommon Schools and is currently the high school choral director at Tamarac High School in Brunswick Central School District. Outside of school, he worked with children of all ages while serving as a music director for The Young Actors Guild in the Capital District. He also sings with Albany Pro Musica as a baritone soloist.

Lorraine Charboneau came to Westminster in July 2021 and brings to the job significant experience in non-profit and financial management, most recently at the Fiscal Policy Institute. Before beginning her work in the nonprofit sector, Lorraine spent a number of years with two financial institutions serving our low/moderate-income communities and populations in New York State through her work as their Community Reinvestment Officer. Her work includes overseeing our expanding use of the building to increase our community impact. She often brings her dog Sawyer to help with greeting each person who comes into our building.

Kim Deal has served as Communications Manager since 2016.

Joy Tallmadge (Associate Sexton) grew up in Westminster and has been a member of the church for over 50 years. She helps oversee our building, opening and closing on Sunday mornings and assists as we host weddings, funerals and other special events. Joy has one son, two granddaughters, one dog and three cats to keep her company.