MEET THE STAFF
Rev. Dr. Debra L. Duke
Senior Pastor
Rev. Dr. Debra L. Duke has served as Senior Pastor for The Community Church of Mountain Lakes since June 2012. She is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, where she earned both her Master of Divinity degree, as well as her Ph.D. in Mission, Ecumenics, and History of Religions. Dr. Duke received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and a Masters degree from Washington University in St. Louis, both in Engineering. Dr. Duke also studied at the Universite de Toulouse in Toulouse, France and served as an appropriate technology extension worker in the United States Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa.
In her free time, Dr. Duke enjoys running, singing, dancing, kayaking, hiking, reading and eating ethnic foods. She and her husband, Peter, have three young adult daughters, two very smart dogs and three adorable cats.
Ms. Sue Sullivan,
Director of
Children's Engagement
Ms. Sue’s studies in Elementary Education at Indiana University, with her major in English and minor in Drama, working at Frelinghuysen Jr. High in the Morris School District, and volunteering in almost every position possible in Children’s Ministries have led her to her current position at The Community Church of Mountain Lakes. At Frelinghuysen, she was not only School Secretary but Organizer for the week-long camp for the 6th grades; Director of 3 School Musicals, “Annie," "Oliver," and "The Sound of Music"; and the Newspaper and Yearbook Advisor. Most recently she served as Director of Children’s Ministries at First Presbyterian Church of Burbank, in Burbank, California.
Sue’s love of drama spans from seeing Broadway shows to involvement in community theater. Reading and traveling along with four grandchildren, (ages 7 years – 4 months), occupy the rest of her free time. She is hoping to add a rescue cat or dog to her home sometime soon.
Ms. Hazel Eaton
Director of Music
Ms. Hazel is a graduate of Westminster Choir College, where she studied organ with Alan Morrison. She holds bachelors' of music degrees in Organ Performance and Sacred Music. Prior to her work at CCML, Ms. Hazel held organist positions in churches throughout New Jersey, and has performed with the Westminster Symphonic Choir at Carnegie Hall and the Kimmel Center.
She also worked for the Organ Historical Society to support their annual convention in Philadelphia. Ms. Hazel lives in Somerset, New Jersey, and enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with her birds.
Sexton Position
We are currently looking for a qualified candidate to fill our Sexton position. We will keep you posted when the position is filled!
David Benson
Office Administrator
David joined our staff in January of 2022. He studied computer science at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, with computers and computer science as a lifelong passion of his. Prior to joining us at the Community Church of Mountain Lakes, David served as the Executive Assistant to the CEO at the Hamilton Wharton Group, Inc.
In his free time, David enjoys nothing more than spending time with his dog Chitika, and enjoying a quiet evening cooking (and, of course, eating!). His other passion is travel, having spent a great deal of his youth visiting or working abroad in countries such as France, Senegal, & China.
Ms. Linda Steenbock
Financial Administrator
Ms. Linda joined us in April of 2015. She previously did the books for her family business. Outside of work, Linda enjoys gardening and exercise. Linda also helps Brookside Community Church with their books.