Staff
Rev. Nicole Iaquinto,
Pastor
Rev. Nicole Iaquinto (she/her) came to us from Rochester, NY in 2022. In 2015, she graduated from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School with her M.Div. In addition to her degree in theology, she has a BA in Social Relations and Policy (with a minor in African American and African History) and an M.Ed. in Education and Public Policy. After graduating from seminary, she served several churches in the Rochester area and started her ministry with CDCC in January 2022. Pastor Nicole is also an actor, a farmer in training, and Community Herbalist at Forest Floor Herbals, the small herbal remedies business she started at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. She's currently learning how to longboard and hopes to take up surfing soon. She lives in Santa Barbara with her two cats, Buffy and Van Helsing, and an abundance of house plants.
Michele Tappeiner, Director of Goleta Valley Nursery School
Michele’s (she/her) passion for teaching began many years ago while she was a young girl providing child care at her family’s church. In 1984, Michele began working at a local preschool and by 1986 she was a pre-kindergarten teacher for a private school in town. Over the next 20 years, Michele worked with children in various capacities, including working in an infant care center with high risk infants and running a children’s center at the YMCA. In 2006, she joined Goleta Valley Nursery School (GVNS) as a teacher and was the Assistant Director for several years. In 2013 she became the Director.
Nancy Johnson,
Treasurer
Nancy has been Treasurer since 2010. A southern California native, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from U.C.R. and originally worked as a software developer. She and her husband Greg moved to Goleta in 1979. As their three children grew older, Nancy returned to college and earned a Business Accounting Certificate through U.C.S.B. Extension. Aside from her work, Nancy enjoys playing synthesizer in the church worship band and likes to play clarinet in small ensembles.
Riley Todd,
Pianist
Riley (she/they) has been plunking out notes on a piano ever since they were a baby (and has even improved a little bit since then). All of Riley's music teachers have been involved with church music in one form or another. Their first teacher was the pianist at the church they grew up going to, the one teacher after that a church pianist and choir director (who Riley also took choir lessons from), and their most recent instructor was the former pianist for CDCC, Jessica Miriles. Riley lives in the mountains of Santa Barbara with their grandma (who is gracious enough to not charge rent... yet). They're going to college in pursuit of becoming a RN, but don't hold them to that because they're always changing their goals. They spend as much time as they can reading science-fiction or listening to folk music (their ultimate dream is to be a gardener on Mars). Riley is always eager to make a joyful noise unto the Lord.