Meet Our Staff
Dr. Daniel A. Gordon, Director of Fine Arts Ministries, 863-686-7187, ext. 239
HL McConnell - Worship Director
John Lowery - Sound Technicial
Dan Renz - Technical Director
Jean Pettit - President of Fine Arts Guild
Daniel Gordon, Director of Fine Arts Ministries
Dr. Daniel A. Gordon began his professional music ministry at the age of eighteen, when he was hired as a tenor in the choir of First Presbyterian Church, Dunkirk, NY. He has led music programs in Presbyterian churches in Weedsport, NY; Oakland, FL; Norfolk, VA; Yorktown, VA; and Canton, NY before arriving at First Presbyterian Church in Lakeland. Dr. Gordon also serves as Director of Choral Activities at Southeastern University.
Dr. Gordon’s personal commitment to the proliferation of music programs in schools, communities, and churches across America has also included a thirty-year career as an educator. After teaching for fifteen years in public schools, he served as choral director and Chair of Music Education at The Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam and Director of Vocal Studies at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA.
As Musical Director of the Ottawa Choral Society for three seasons, Dr. Gordon collaborated with the National Arts Centre Orchestra under the direction of Pinchas Zukerman. He prepared the OCS for additional performances with Franz-Paul Decker, Joel Revzen, David Currie, and Duain Wolfe. During these years he conducted the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and the Ottawa Choral Society in an all Brahms and Bruckner program and conducted the combined choirs of the OCS and the Crane Chamber Choir in the U. K. premiere of Morton Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna with the English Chamber Orchestra and later with the Bath Philharmonia.
Dr. Gordon holds his Masters and Doctorate from The Florida State University College of Music. He is married to professional singer/actress Mary Grace Gordon, an active member of the choirs at First Presbyterian Church. They have two sons, David, a graduate of Rollins College in computer science and music, and Britt, a B.F.A. Acting major in the School of Theatre at The Florida State University.
HL McConnell, Worship Director
HL leads the Vine Band and coordinates the worship service including the music and arts for Vine. He has a B.A. in Visual Arts from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. HL is married to Nikki and they have a son, Quinn.
John Lowery, Sound Technician
Mr. Lowery received most of his audio engineering skills while at Valdosta State College,(GA) from 1973 to 1975. While attending college there, he worked at the college radio station, WVVS, and a Christian radio station, WAFT. After graduation from college with a Business Administration degree, he returned to Lakeland, his hometown, where he began working on a variety of sound engineering projects at First Presbyterian Church, particularly those involving the children’s musicals. He also became an assistant to the late Ernie Garrison with the church radio broadcast. When Mr. Garrison retired in 1991, Mr. Lowery became the Sound Engineer of First Presbyterian Church. He continues to do the sound for all activities in the sanctuary including both Sunday morning worship services, concerts, weddings, and the church radio broadcast over WLKF (1430 AM) on Sunday mornings at 8:30. John is married to Mary-Edwin Lowery. He also has a career in real estate title since 1975, and is presently employed by Attorneys’ Title Fund Services, LLC.
Dan Renz, Technical Director
Jean Pettit, President of Fine Arts Guild
First Presbyterian Church, 175 Lake Hollingsworth Drive, Lakeland, FL 33801. (863) 686-7187.