It is with great privilege that I serve as your chair of the Church Council, and I thank Kendrick, Susan and you, the congregation, for your faith in me. Church Council was openly affected when Kendrick announced that DeWitt Zuse would not be fulfilling his third year as chair. He has been a gentle giant moving mountains and compiling a long list of accomplishments on behalf of First Church. So when Kendrick announced that I had been nominated to fill DeWitt’s gigantic shoes, there were questions as to “who is she?”
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Laura Kim Craddock Beckett, and I am the youngest child and only daughter of a former Navy pilot and a registered nurse. After my father’s career in the Navy, he started the first advertising agency in his hometown of Pensacola, Florida, and there is where I grew up with my two older brothers. After college I migrated to San Jose, California and landed a great job at San Jose State University. Working as the assistant business manager in the athletics department, I fell in love with college sports and met my future husband, Tom. He had moved from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to join the SJSU staff, but left three years later to join Jack Elway (father of John) at Stanford University as Associate Athletics Director. Some years later, I entered the corporate world, working as the office manager for a large development company in their construction division. Reporting directly to the president, I was responsible for a wide variety of duties, everything from managing staff and budget to serving as the human resources officer at both our corporate offices and job sites.
Ten years after our first meeting, something sparked between me and Tom, and we married in 1993. A few months later we were expecting a baby, and just two months after Alex was born, we moved to Connecticut when Tom was offered the position of Director of Athletics at Yale University. Leaving California and Stanford was a difficult decision, a leap of faith, but it was one we’ve never regretted. Coming from a milder climate, never did we imagine that we would grow the roots that we have in the northeast.
Since moving to Guilford, I have been blessed to be actively involved in voluntarism within the community. Serving on the board of the Guilford Newcomers Club, I met many women within our congregation. For over five years I served lunch at the Soup Cellar (now called The Community Dining Room), and have delivered Meals on Wheels for about seven years. I’ve cooked meatloaves for Columbus House and cleaned rooms at Melita House. The Junior League of Greater New Haven has kept me busy for the past eight years, primarily in corporate sponsorship, fund-raising, nominating/placement and a wide variety of community projects. The Mustard Seed Group, a spiritual discussion group for mothers with children having special needs, was formed four years ago by Elaine McNally Fitzpatrick, and it was handed to me when she retired. From that group, I have recently become involved with Guilford’s special education program, organizing a town-wide special education PTA, serving on the Special Education Parent Advisory Council and creating a sign language club at the middle schools.
My family raised me in the Episcopal Church, but I think my real faith journey began during my pregnancy when Tom and I discovered that there was a good chance we would be having a child with special needs. Struggling with the diagnosis, and hoping that somehow the odds would be defied, both Tom and I grew closer to God. Strangely, we never questioned His reasons for trusting us with this child. We considered Alex a precious gift. Our lives took a left turn, and we will be forever grateful. We are also grateful to First Church for welcoming our son into your sanctuary and church school because it has brought us closer as a family. How wonderful it is to share the joyful messages that Kendrick, Susan, Mary, Daphne and our blessed church school teachers bring to us every Sunday.
My plan as your chair would be to observe, listen and inspire. I come to you unbiased, and it will be your job to tell me your thoughts and ideas. Since last April I now know more about your by-laws, Melita House, Spencer House and other properties on our campus, fire suppression, what the HR and Business Committees do, and the important roles you all have in our church. I’ve even stood at the base of your steeple. What a view! But I want to know more, and so I may ask you to coffee or lunch to pick your brain. While I know every member of the congregation cannot be satisfied, I will communicate with you and your committee so we can all understand why or how.
In advance, I first have to thank my husband for encouraging me to take on this position. Juggling the needs of our child, Yale and our community work isn’t always easy, and without him, quite simply, this would not be possible. And secondly, I thank you all for your trust, and your hard work. We are all volunteers to make a difference in this church community, and that leads to making a difference everywhere around us and throughout the world. You should feel very proud about that. I know I am proud to have the opportunity to serve you and God. Kim
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