Sharon Ellman is someone who exemplifies the term “people person.” As Church Administrator, she is the person that people come to if they need a check cut, a personnel question answered, or an event planned. Ellman puts the church’s best foot forward, whether speaking with vendors on the telephone or showing prospective users available rental space at the church. She is, in short, the church’s organization person, the go-to staffer who is usually the first to hear both the bad news and the good news. None of that would come as a surprise if they knew that Ellman spent more than 13 years as executive director of Main Street downtown revitalization and historic preservation programs in Indiana, South Dakota, Colorado, and even London, Ontario. “Those programs called on organizational and people skills in equal quantity,” Sharon explained. She came to BPC in July 2001 after settling in the New York City area with her husband, Bruce.

Patrick M. Mahaney is the Audio and Lighting Coordinator at the church. But it’s no surprise that he views his role as one of ministry, just as many other staff persons do. Mahaney is busy well before each Sunday service and at many special services and musical performances, checking and testing the sound system. He makes certain that ministers and other speakers are “miked," and monitors the sound system during services and performances.

Good audio management is essential in Broadway Presbyterian’s cavernous sanctuary. Mahaney also records each event. “It’s important that we document the services and also make them available to shut-ins and other people who may want to listen to an earlier recording,” he said.

Mahaney said that he started working behind church soundboards at the age of 10. He attended Stonybrook University, taking courses in business, history and theater. Mahaney is presently employed as a computer consultant. But at heart, he’s still a light and sound man.

An elder in the church, Mahaney feels that “working the board” is simply another measure of giving and involvement. He has saved the church money on repairs and has invested some of his own funds in improvements to the church’s audio system.

While sound system management might seem to be Mahaney’s primary avocation, he said that he actually takes greater pleasure in designing lighting effects for special events. The warm colors and special lighting effects, including the huge star that covered some of the upper wall space in the sanctuary were his design and handiwork.

Frankie Rodriguez might be called the staff member who keeps Broadway Presbyterian Church afloat. Whenever something is leaking, a switch won’t flip or there is no heat coming through a vent, it’s likely that Frankie will be nearby, trying to fix what’s ailing the church building at the moment. Rodriguez was named Church Sexton, the Presbyterian term for building superintendent, in November of 2005. Prior to that, he had worked as a night security person and assistant sexton at BPC, starting here about three years ago. Rodriguez, who attended Washington Irving High School in Manhattan, came to the Broadway church after working in maintenance services at West End Presbyterian Church.

“It’s a challenging role, all things considered,” said Rodriguez. He noted that in addition to “normal” custodial work, the cleaning, touch-up painting and preparation for special events, an older building such as Broadway Presbyterian has plenty of unexpected surprises, whether it’s an old electrical balance going on the fritz or water leaks that seem to come from nowhere.

“So, I’m learning, too,” said Rodriguez, who has become a familiar face at local hardware stores.