Our Team

Mickey Aquilino joined our staff in March '96. Mickey earned an English degree from Kent State University, and graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 2000. He and his wife Marilyn have two grown daughters, Joy and Gina, both of whom are married to pastors, and they have four grandchildren. In his spare time, you'll find Mickey playing the piano, reading or playing Madden. His favorite dessert is scones or a fruit pie.

Alistair Begg came to Parkside as our senior Pastor in September '83. On Sundays, you'll find him preaching at Parkside.  He sets the strategic vision for Parkside Church.  His teaching is also featured on the radio program Truth For Life. He was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, and from there went to Trent University, London School of Theology, and Westminster Seminary. He and his wife, Susan, have three children. One book he believes every person should have in his or her personal library besides the Bible is Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.

Jonathan Cameron joined the Parkside team in June 2008. Jon oversees & teaches Club JV, U-Turn, and provides guidance for other aspects of this ministry. He spent his undergraduate time at Grove City College studying political science and biology and is currently attending Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. One of his favorite books is A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken. When he has time to relax, you’ll find him golfing, skiing, or watching sports.

Josh Griswold joined the pastoral team in July 2008 as our pastor for the Care, College, and Singles Ministries. He graduated with a Biology degree from Indiana University and then his M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He is married to Andrea and has a daughter named Addison and a son named Parker. One book he recommends is The Cross of Christ by John R. W. Stott, and in his free time you'll find him enjoying his family, reading, or engaging in sports.

Jonathan Holmes joined the Parkside pastoral team in October 2008 as the campus pastor at the Green Campus. He oversees Children's, Men's, Women's & Counseling ministry at Green.  Jonathan graduated with degrees in Biblical Counseling and History from The Master’s College and is currently pursuing his M.Div. from Southern Theological Seminary. Jonathan and his wife, Jennifer, are parents of a daughter, Ava Grace. Jonathan enjoys traveling, reading, politics and spending time with his wife. One book Jonathan recommends to all is Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul David Tripp.

Scott works with our Young Adult & Young Families ministries and assists with our Missions efforts. He joined the staff at Parkside in September '02. Scott was born in Woomera, Australia but attended Cedarville College and then went on to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He is married to Mandy and has a daughter named Olivia and two sons named Peter and Jack.

Ron Klein joined the staff in September '95 and is the Pastor for Biblical Counseling and Missions at Parkside. Ron was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, and he and his wife Patti have two children and five grandchildren. What he enjoys most about pastoral ministry is “when unbelieving people come to faith in Christ as Savior and follow Him as the Chief Shepherd!”

Dan Larison joined the staff team in September ’05 but he and his wife, Pam, have been members of the church since ’98. Dan hails from Cincinnati and attended Adrian College in Adrian, MI and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has oversight for our Help & Hope care and support groups. He and Pam have four children. One thing Dan enjoys is getting out into nature, whether hiking, camping or just pausing for a great view of what God has made.

Matt McAlvey joined the Parkside staff in July '01. He graduated from Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, MI and is attending Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, IL. Our pastor of communications and connections, Matt's role is to help you build relationships within Parkside through Life Groups. He also makes sure we're communicating well through the website, flat-screen monitors, bulletin, and ads.  In his spare time you'll find him with his wife, Beth, and two sons, Titus and Graham, or out on a run.

Jeff Mills came to Parkside in May '94. He was born and raised in Kirtland, Ohio and attended Ohio Northern University in Business Accounting. After a successful career at Arthur Andersen, God called him into full-time ministry where he has served at Parkside as the Director of Ministries. In his role, Jeff helps to implement the day-to-day details of Alistair's vision for the church, helps provide direction for new & existing ministries, and assists with the financial management of the budget. He is married to Terry and they have two grown daughters. One book he recommends is The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges, and in his free time you'll find him enjoying his family, reading or exercising.

Adam Romans joined the pastoral team in October 2008. He received his education from the Moody Bible Institute and served as a youth and music pastor at another church before coming to Parkside. Adam will be serving as a campus pastor on the Green Campus, where he oversees Student, College, and Young Adult Ministries, along with Missions. He and his wife Christina have two children, Lydia and Ben. In Adam’s spare time he enjoys spending time with his family and sporting activities.

Dan was born and raised in Ohio. After graduating from Hudson High School he attended Duke University and graduated with a Bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering. He joined our staff in August of 2007 and has really enjoyed having a front-row seat to what God is doing in the lives of people. He teaches Student Impact, Student Body, and provides guidance to other areas of the High School and Middle School Youth ministries.  Vaughan Roberts book God's Big Picture is one that he thinks everyone should have in their personal library. In his free time you will find him keeping up with the Cleveland sports teams, and cheering on the Blue Devils.

Belle was born in South Euclid but spent 20 years of her life in North Carolina. After her husband Tom retired and her son Joseph graduated from college, they moved back to the Cleveland area. She joined our team in March of 2007 after spending 15 years as a bookkeeper. Belle enjoys many outdoor activities especially spending time in her beloved Metro Parks. In her spare time she likes to read and watch golf and hopes to play again soon!

Mike joined the staff in the fall of 2005 after spending 30 years in the construction industry.  Mike is an engineer and a businessman by training and is now using his career skills to assist in overseeing the Parkside facilities and in helping the elders plan and execute facility and real estate related growth.  Mike and his wife Betty have one daughter a recent college grad who is pursuing a career in Washington, DC.  In his spare time he enjoys working with the Men’s Ministry, participating on the Biblical Discipleship/Counseling team and playing the banjo.

Bruce Coffy joined our team in January ‘05. Serving as our media director for the church he also oversees Services Online for the website. Upon graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, he worked in the sports and corporate video market. However, his real passion is missions. He is married to his wife Sonia and has 3 children. He highly recommends the book, "Shepherding a Child’s Heart" by Ted Tripp to any parent but you may find him browsing the technical media blogosphere on any given day.

Steve joined Parkside's staff in 2008 after serving four years in the United States Navy as an aviation electrician and 13 years as a facilities manager in another ministry.  Originally from Connecticut, Mike and his wife, Tammy, have four children:  Ben, a firefighter in Alabama; Tabitha, a pastor's wife in Michigan; Serena, a student at Grace College and Seminary in Indiana; and, Theresa, a student at Newbury High School.  In his spare time, Steve enjoys working on his house or being on his small runabout boat with his kids.

Kelly Coy joined the Parkside staff in August '05 and serves as Children's Coordinator. You should see the collection of matchboxes she shares with her husband, Mike. Some of the boxes are from cities like Hong Kong, Paris, New York, and London. In her free time, you might find her baking, reading, playing with their golden retriever Sadie, and trying to learn golf!

Denise is the Office Administrator at the south campus of Parkside.  She was born and raised in the Akron area and is a graduate of the University of Akron.  She and her husband, Dana, have three children, Janelle, Brian and Tyler.  In her spare time, Denise enjoys golf, bike rides, and is an avid tennis player.  One of her favorite books is Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul David Tripp.

Jenn joined the Parkside team in July '08, after working as a consultant in Washington D.C. A member of the web team, she is excited to use technology and design to facilitate community within the church and to spread the Gospel. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, playing board games, and spending time with friends.

Caitie moved to Chagrin Falls in 2008 after growing up all over the United States. She enjoys spending time with her family, friends, reading and taking pictures. Her passion lies in Youth Ministry for which she has served in many different capacities. As much as she loves to curl up with a good book, it would be a long list to name her favorites. Her favorite thing about working at Parkside is being able to serve God and see the change the next generation of leaders in our world.

Tony Gambatese came to Parkside in January '99. He is our Business Administrator. He enjoys spending time with his wife Judy, children, and 10 grandchildren. You might find him working around the yard or in the house. He enjoys working at Parkside for “the challenges that the Lord puts before us, knowing and trusting in Him for the solutions”.

Ruth has been involved in the Parkside Music Ministry since 1988 and joined the team as the Music Ministry Coordinator in Oct. 2004. She was born in Akron and raised in Green.  She and her husband Dave have 2 children, Matthew who is a student at Taylor University and Natalie, a student at North Olmsted High School. One of the things she values most about her role is working with such a diverse group of musicians.  She highly recommends Alistair’s sermon series “What is True Worship”. She enjoys traveling, biking, playing through and finding new worship music, cooking new recipes, watching her kids’ events, and hanging out with her family.

Sandy was born, raised and currently resides in Bedford, OH with her faithful cats Cujo and Savannah. In her spare time you will find her on her patio feeding the birds and squirrels along with one of her favorite books, The Valley of Vision. She joined our team in the beginning of 2007 and what she enjoys most about her job is serving the Lord by serving you.

Renee Pecek joined the Parkside team in June '05. She is the administrative assistant to Mickey Acquilino and Kelly Coy. Renee was born in Fulton, New York but raised in Mentor since she was eight. She and her husband Marty have one son and daughter-in-law--Joe and Cheri--and 2 granddaughters, Faith and Willow. Renee enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her family when not serving at Parkside.

Jacque Platek came to Parkside in February 2002. Jacque works as the administrative assistant for Ron Klein & Dan Larison. Her favorite book is Christy by Catherine Marshall. You should see her collection of postcards, and interesting flavors of hot tea.

Leanne returned home to Ohio in August ’09 after spending five years in California. During her time there, she served in the Education Department at The Master’s College, while studying various aspects of ministry.  She has a heart for biblical discipleship and some of her favorite books are Trusting God Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges, Loving God with all Your Mind by Elizabeth George, and anything by Ed Welch, David Powlison, or Paul David Tripp.  She joined the Parkside team in September ’09.

Kay Roberts is Alistair’s assistant and joined our team in July 1992. She has two grown children. One of her favorite books is The Fruitful Life by Jerry Bridges. In her spare time you will find her spending enjoyable time with her two grandsons, Will and Owen. She is delighted to welcome her newest granddaughter, Moana, born in Hawaii in October 2008.

Lisa Scarpello joined our team in January '02 and works as administrative assistant to Jeff Mills. Her favorite book is Without Reservations by Alice Steinbach, and in her free time you'll find her reading, learning to knit, or having fun with family and friends.

Ellen joined the Parkside Bainbridge staff as Children’s Ministry Coordinator in May 1994.  She stepped down from serving in that role in September 2005 and joined the Green Campus as Children’s Ministry Coordinator in 2009.  She enjoys tennis, traveling with her husband, Dave, and spending time with her married children and five grandchildren.

Susie has been a member of Parkside Church since 1977 and joined the team as Parkside Receptionist in April of 08. Since she loves people, she loves her job, interacting with many, many people on a daily basis. Besides the Bible, her favorite book, the one she re-reads daily is The Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. She is married to Bill with two grown sons and seven grandchildren. Besides going on a creek walk behind their home with the entire family (dogs included), she loves herb gardening, reading and Bible study with her friends.

Carl was born and raised in Cleveland Hts., Ohio. He started working on cars at an early age and hasn’t stopped! He and his lovely wife Becky have two children, Daniel and Elizabeth. His favorite book other than the Bible is Discipline of Grace, by Jerry Bridges. In his spare time he likes to golf and race. Since 1986, Carl has owned and operated Exceleration, a great place to get your car repairs done.

Dave grew up in Mentor, Ohio. He attended Miami University where he received his BA; he continued his education at Case Western Reserve where he earned his DDS. Dave also served in the US Navy Dental Corps from 1978-1981. Dave is married to Bitsy and they have five children, Jen, Jon, Chelsea, Heather and Chrissy. One book you will find in his library is Morning and Evening by Spurgeon. Dave doesn’t have much spare time, he stays busy!

Roger was born and raised in Massillon. He earned his BS from the University of Akron and his MS at Cleveland State University. Currently he is the Director of Sales at AeroControlex Group in Painesville. Roger’s wife, Kim, and their three children, Rebekah, Susan, and Ben enjoy many family activities together. Roger also enjoys traveling, biking, reading history, and home improvement projects. His favorite book is Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

Randy was born in the NE Ohio area, spending the majority of his life in Portage and Geauga Counties. He earned his BA at Yale University. He and his wife, Kathie, have seven children, three still reside at home, Ally, Megan and Kaitlin. One book Randy recommends is Know the Truth, by Bruce Milne. In his spare time you will find him attending a sporting event of one of his own children or grand children. Randy is a self-employed Insurance Agent with Nationwide.

Bill was born and raised in the Cleveland area. He attended Dartmouth College and continued his education at Cornell Law School. Bill is married to his wonderful wife, Laurie and they have three children, Mike, Bruce and Amy. In his spare time you will find him exercising, golfing, or swimming. He likes to travel. Bill works at Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., L.P.A. One of his favorite books is Mere Christianity.

Bob will always consider Bedford his hometown although he spent some of his early years in Quebec. He received his Bachelor’s from Youngstown State University and for the past twenty years he has been employed with Parker Hannifin as an Aero Space Engineer. Bob has a large family which consists of his lovely wife, Julie, and five children, Sarah, Matthew, Rachel, David, and Ben. WHEN he has spare time he likes to hike, camp and fish. Two of Bob’s favorite books are Abandoned to God by McCasland, and D-Day by Stephen Ambrose.

Tom was born in Maple Heights but was raised in Solon. He graduated from Solon High School in 1979. He went on to further his studies at Kent State University and Georgia Institute of Technology where he earned a BBA, MBA and MS. Tom is currently working at Brush Engineered Materials, Inc. He and his wife, Liese, have two precious boys, Tommy and Brian. In his spare time you will find him playing with his boys and doing projects around the house. One book Tom highly recommends is Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem.

Jeff was born in Waterbury, Conn. but, at age four his family moved to Solon. He graduated from Wheaton College with a BA, received his Master’s Degree and Teaching Certificate from Ohio University. He and his wife, Karen, have been married for over twenty years and they have three children, Katie, Stephen, and Aaron. In his spare time you will find Jeff remodeling their 1930 bungalow, exercising, or camping. Jeff is a 7th grade teacher at Albion Middle School, in Strongsville. In his library you will find one of his favorite books, Up from Slavery, the autobiography of Booker T. Washington.

Larry was born in Painesville and raised in the south side of Cleveland. Now retired, his career consisted of 34 yrs. with Ohio Bell/Ameritech/SBC. His wife of 50 yrs. is Carolyn. They have a married daughter, Linda who is a member of Parkside. Their son Michael and his family live in Pueblo, CO. He said other than the Bible everyone should have a telephone book! In his spare time you will find him tending the yard, garden and pond. He also likes to camp.

Pat was born in Conway, Arkansas but raised in Chicago where he graduated from DePaul University. He and his wife, Kristen, have four children, Michelle, son-in-law David, Stephanie, David and Alyssa. They also have a beautiful grand-daughter named Nora. In addition, to the bible Pat believes everyone should own a World Atlas to see the world that God has made.

John was born in Cleveland and raised in Middlefield. He received his BA from Houghton College, his R.S. (Registered Sanitarian) in the State of Ohio and his Licensed Cheesemaker from the University of Wisconsin. He and his wife, Cindy, have two children, Hans and Julia. One of his favorite books is What is an Evangelical? By D.M. Lloyd-Jones. John likes to hike with Cindy, golf with Hans and encourage Julia in drama, basketball and golf. He works at Middlefield Cheese.

Eric was raised in Canton. In 1994 he graduated from Grove City College where he majored in History and Pre-Law. In 2002 he graduated from Cleveland State University with an MBA. After many years working for Swagelok, he took a new position in Sourcing for Fasteners for Retail in Solon. Eric enjoys family life with his wife, Kristen, and their two sons, William and Andrew. Friday nights are a special time in their household with pizza and game/movie night. A favorite book of his is Pilgrim’s Progress.

Steve was born in Chicago but raised in Cleveland Ohio. He attended Dartmouth College. Steve is married to his lovely wife, Sally and they have three children, Hannah, Jeff and Courtney. Steve likes to read, play multiple sports and spend time with family and friends. One of his favorite books is A Quest for Godliness.