Welcome to Pam Garrett
Near the end of October, St. Paul member Pam Garrett assumed the role of the Pastoral Residency Program Administrator. This role oversees all administrative aspects of the pastoral residency program at St. Paul, fosters a rich learning experience for residents, and provides leadership that continues to inspire the congregation to be a training center for ministry. Pam takes an active role in supporting the pastoral residents during their transition to St. Paul and throughout their two-year residency.
Pam’s educational and career background makes her uniquely suited for this role. Pam is a Bettendorf, Iowa native. She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an accounting degree.
“After finishing college, I assumed I would move far away and conquer the world, but I happened to get my first job back here in the Quad Cities,” Pam laughed. “I worked in public accounting for many years before working in the finance department for Von Maur’s corporate office in Davenport. When I had my children, I was blessed to be a stay-at-home mom when they were little.”
For the past 17 years, Pam has worked as a licensed real estate assistant. Pam and her husband Darren joined St. Paul in December 2023. The couple have two grown children.
“Being joyful and laughing are big parts of who I am. I tell everyone I married my husband because he makes me laugh a lot. Family time is extremely important, especially because our kids live so far away in Virginia and Florida, but we make the best of it,” Pam said. “I am a big health and fitness person. Darren and I like to hike. Our empty nest project is hiking every county in Iowa. Out of 99 counties in Iowa, we only have 25 left. It’s been really fun to see the state of Iowa from that perspective. We have a big map in our house that we put our pins in.”
She’s also very crafty. Pam enjoys chalk-painting furniture, creating beautiful artwork out of buttons, and organization.
“My grandmother had this cabinet full of buttons. When she died, I got the buttons and I started making artwork out of them. In my house, I have the state of Iowa made out of buttons. It’s fun to be creative in a different way,” Pam said. “I also love to organize everything and anything. It can be overwhelming to look at the big project so I’m good at breaking down those large tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces.”
Meeting people, especially those in different stages of their lives, excites Pam and the pastoral residency administrator position will allow her to do just that.
“I love to problem-solve. What excites me is that this program provides a solid background and foundation for these young pastors. They take the knowledge they learned from St. Paul and this congregation and bless their congregations and communities with it,” said Pam. “It’s such a unique program. My role will be to see what has made this program successful in the past and how I can continue with its successes and build on them. I’m here to listen and guide. It’ll be neat to watch the full journey of these new pastors; from their first day when they’re nervous and a little unsure to their last day as they leave with confidence to embrace this next call.”
Vicki Felger
Welcome Pam! You are going to be a delightful addition to the staff of St. Paul’s and look forward to meeting you!!
Cheers!
Vicki