LEADERSHIP

St. John the Divine Early Learning Center Director

Lauren Lee is the Director of St. John the Divine Early Learning Center in Jacksonville, Florida. She is responsible for all levels of program management, including staff retention and training, curriculum development, and strategic planning. She has worked for nationally-accredited schools in the area, including Palms Preschool & Childcare Center and The Salvation Army Child Development Center. Lauren has served as co-chair for the Duval Early Learning Director's Network and currently serves as co-chair for the North Florida Chapter of the Florida Association for the Education of Young Children. She also frequently presents at local, regional and national early childhood education conferences.

A Jacksonville native, Lauren received her B.S. from the University of Florida in Family, Youth and Community Sciences in 2005. After several years of teaching, she returned to graduate school at the University of North Florida for her M.Ed. in Elementary Education and continued graduate studies at the University of Florida for her Ed.S in Curriculum and Instruction.

Lauren is married to Thomas Lee, Vice President of Lee & Cates Glass, and they have three children Kate, Ben and Charlotte and a giant weimaraner named Ivy. She enjoys traveling and football games.

St. John the Divine Board of Directors 2020-2021

The Board of Directors of the St. John the Divine Early Learning Center has high level oversight to ensure that the ELC is achieving its mission, vision and goals. The Board also has fiduciary responsibility and ensures long-term sustainability of the ELC. The Board is focused on strategic planning goals and long-range policies, rather than daily operation.

St. John the Divine is thankful for the guidance and leadership of its Board of Directors, which includes the Parish Priest, Church Parish Council President, Church members, community leaders/educators, and ELC parents.

2020-2021 St. John the Divine Early Learning Center Board of Directors and Officers

  • Rev. Dr. Nicholas G. Louh, Parish Priest
  • Athena Mann, Chair
  • Maria Carantzas, Vice Chair
  • Alyssa Kyritsis, Secretary
  • George Stavros, Treasurer
  • Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Karas
  • Mary Lee Pappas
  • Lauren Scheible
  • Theresa Little

St. John the Divine Senior Priest, Rev Dr. Nicholas G. Louh

The Reverend Dr. Nicholas Louh was born in Jacksonville, Florida on September 25, 1974 and currently serves as the Senior Priest of St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church.

Upon graduating from the University of North Florida, Rev. Louh entered Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts and graduated with a highest distinction Masters of Divinity (1999) and a Masters of Theology (2000). He then attended Gordon Cornwell Theological Seminary where he earned a Doctorate of Ministry (2003) with an emphasis on Pastoral Counseling in the urban ministry.

Fr. Nicholas is known in both local and global communities as a devoted pastor, motivational speaker, and compassionate champion for those in need, and a passionate advocate for interfaith dialogue and social justice. Fr. Nicholas has a heart for guiding people through the difficulties of everyday life, by providing practical means to bridge their faith into their everyday life. He travels throughout the country leading retreats on understanding and living out God’s purpose. In addition to his role as pastor at St. John the Divine, Rev. Louh serves as the Vicar for the Eastern Florida Conference of the Holy Metropolis of Atlanta and is a member of the Metropolis Council.

In addition to his role as pastor at St. John the Divine, Rev. Louh serves as the Vicar for the Eastern Florida Conference of the Holy Metropolis of Atlanta and is a member of the Metropolis Council. He is also an Adjunct Professor of World Religions at the Florida State College at Jacksonville and is the chaplain for the Jacksonville Sharks Arena Football Team. He appears on WJCT radio as part of the “God Squad”, a monthly panel discussion broadcast program discussing a broad array of religious topics of current interest. He also proudly serves on several local and state boards, including OneJax, an interfaith organization. He is the co-host of a live call-in radio show with his wife, Dr. Roxanne Louh, called “Healthy Minds | Healthy Souls“, which can be found on Ancient Faith Radio on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month at 8pm. Rev. Louh also shares daily inspirational radio messages on 92.5 FM Sports Radio, as well as on local cable television.

Rev. Louh and his wife Dr. Roxanne Louh have two children, George and Gabriella.