Credentials

Gerry holds the rank of Appointed Designated Minister with Clergy Support Memorial Church (since September 19th, 2017).

He loves officiating Life Celebrations for the church and couples love his work.

Academic Achievements

• Baccalaureate (B.A.) – University of Windsor
• Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) – University of Windsor
• Masters of Education (M.Ed.) – University of Windsor,
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D). – University of South Carolina

Memberships

• University of Windsor Alumni
• Wayne State University Alumni

Awards

• Convention Award in Tourism, City of Windsor, Windsor Convention Bureau, Windsor, ON
• Award of Excellence in Special Education, Exemplary Classroom Practices for Learning
• Disabled Students, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto, Ontario.

Career Pre-Ministry

Prior to my Ministry, I retired from a full-time faculty position at Wayne State University, I continue to consult to school districts a few days a month. I also work with authors interested in publishing books and/or articles in professional journals or magazines.

Now, of course, solemnizing weddings and working with people is very satisfying.

Hobbies

I enjoy golfing in my spare time and although I enjoy fishing in local lakes my passion is deep sea fishing (Florida, Mexico, Portugal). My other hobbies include gardening and travel.

Words friends use to describe me: Humorous, social, knowledgeable, organized.

Community Involvement

I support The Hospice of Windsor on a regular basis either by donating or volunteering for events. Canadian Cancer Society is another organization I support. The Windsor Downtown Mission that supports people through clothing drives and food distribution, is another. The War Amps annual giving campaign is important as well, to support those who are called upon to serve and protect out country as well as first responders.

Pastoral Care

Having had parents who recently passed away, we spent a good deal of time visiting and talking with residents in assisted living and nursing care.

Counselling Activities

I would group these under two headings. First is “professional counselling.” I continue to work with parents, teachers, and administrators in school districts (part-time basis). My role is professional development which involves nurturing and develop educational environments to fit the needs of individuals from birth to adult. This is done through face-to-face contact, individual and group discussions. To date I have published two books for parents on how to use home activities to nurture their child’s intellectual development outside of the formal school environment.

Secondly, I would describe my counselling as informal/social/personal. Given my background as a University Professor with expertise in social and cognitive development I have counselled friends who may find themselves dealing with a particular personal situation. Often, I spend time talking and providing suggestions and information for them to consider given their situations. It is gratifying to know that friends/family value my expertise enough to seek me out in times of stress or just in need of a conversation or someone to listen.

Study Groups

Suffice to say my current initiatives with study groups/seminars/workshops have to deal with educational groups. For instance, I recently spoke at a conference in Michigan for Educators on how to develop reading and writing skills from birth to adult. As part of my consulting initiatives I developed an online communication program called, “Virtual Consulting.” People can email, Skype or FaceTime with me to discuss topics they feel are in need of direction/guidance to particular issues. As a professor and former Assistant Dean, I promoted communication with Faculty as a key to resolving issues quickly with an emphasis on “immediate responses” to inquiries by individuals. In this day and age, turn-around time to inquiry is key.

Bereavement

Activity in this area is limited to attending funerals for family and friends. Although I have been called upon to serve as a “family spokesperson” at funerals in a variety of roles.

Personal Growth

I am an avid reader. I like both hard-copy print and audio books. I read across a range of genres that include, but are not limited to, history, biography, humor, self- development and fiction. Here are a few book titles that I have read and/or listened to recently.

• Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
• Killing of Jesus: A History: Bill O’Reilly.
• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels and the History of American Comedy
• I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedian Legend: Martin Short
• Legends and Lies: The Patriots: Bill O’Reilly
• Uncommon Type: Some Stories: Tom Hanks
• Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself: Alan Alda
• What Happened: Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Canada: Mike Meyers