Finance Council
To contact, send email to: finance.council@saintgabriel.org
Fr. James Boachie, Administrator
Susan Yost, Chairperson
Susan was raised a cradle Catholic in the Chicago area by a devout single mother after her father’s untimely death when she was 9 years old. She has one brother in Chicago and a sister in the Washington DC area. Susan was educated in Catholic grammar and high schools, followed by her college years at the oldest Jesuit college in the US. After college and work in Alabama (14 years) and Florida (12 years), Susan and her children settled in the Richmond area's west end. In 2006 Susan relocated to the Chesterfield area and joined the amazing family community at St. Gabriel’s. Susan has three daughters (Elizabeth-Phoenix, Margaret-Atlanta, and Katie-Moseley) and 6 grandchildren. It is an honor to serve the parish on the finance council, having also served as an usher and altar server in the past years. Susan is still working as a healthcare efficiency and finance expert across the United States, and travels about 80% of the time, making it difficult to engage more with St. Gabriel’s. Her faith and strong relationship with God has sustained her through the many ups and downs place in her journey. Susan is still amazed looking back at where the Lord has brought her! She feels passionately about engaging all members of our church and ensuring we offer what is need for the total family connection to our faith regardless of their stage in life.
John Lemza
John Lemza graduated the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served over 20 years in the Army. He holds an MA in history from Virginia Commonwealth University and a PhD in history from George Mason University. He currently teaches history at Virginia Commonwealth University. He also sits on the Board of Directors, and currently serves as President of the non-profit Lifelong Learning Institute in Chesterfield. He and his wife Laura reside in Woodlake and have been members of St. Gabriel’s since 1997.
Sara Seelke
Sara Seelke is a “cradle Catholic” who was born in Havana, Cuba. Her family immigrated to the U.S. in 1960, and after more than a year in Miami, settled in Columbia, SC. She attended Catholic schools and graduated from Cardinal Newman HS in Columbia. She received a B.S. in mathematics from the University of South Carolina, and an MBA from Florida International University. She and her husband, John, have been married for 55 years and lived in many places in the U.S. They have one son and two granddaughters. Sara spent her career in education as a math teacher, junior college instructor, and math tutor for HS math (algebra – calculus.) John and Sara were co-owners of Skyway Power Corp., an energy industry consulting firm. She was the CFO and office manager. John and Sara moved to Moseley VA in 2019 and became members of St. Gabriel’s. Sara has been active with the Food Pantry and recently joined the Migrant Ministry. As a “numbers person”, she looks forward to serving on the Finance Council.
Jason Hanifin
Jason was born in Binghamton, New York and graduated from Le Moyne College (Jesuit College) in Syracuse, NY with a degree in Education. He joined the U.S. Army and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years of service. He earned a Master of Science in Business (MSB) - Supply Chain Management and a Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt degree which he employed working for Joint Logistics Management Institute after retiring from the military. He moved to the Richmond area in 2013 and became the Director of the Aerial Delivery and Field Services Department at Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia in 2017. Jason and his wife Shari have been members of St. Gabriel’s since 2023, and they have 2 adult sons and one grandchild.
Julie Kraska
Julie Kraska was born in Portsmouth, NH and graduated form the University of New Hampshire with a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. She met her husband, Ted Kraska, at UNH and they have been married for over 25 years. They moved to Virginia in 2000 and have been members of St Gabriel's for over 15 years, attending St. Bridget's Church before finding St. Gabriel's. They have two sons, Matthew and Carter, who have both served at St. Gabriel's in different areas. Julie spent over 10 years as an Assistant Director of a preschool where she enjoyed having her boys with her at work. She also was in Chesterfield County Public Schools and has worked for the past 5 years in banking and Human Resources. Julie has served St. Gabriel's as a Catechist, VBS Volunteer, Eucharist Minister, on the Adult Formation Committee and is excited to join the Finance Council
Robert Sarofeen, a parishioner of Good Samaritan Church, is a retired foreign service officer who served in both international and domestic management positions with the U.S. Department of State for over 23 years. Since retirement, he has worked on many special projects for the Department of State, providing management support for embassies and consulates, while also assisting in major conferences and real property operations. Robert is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the U.S. Naval War College. Originally from the Boston area, he has called the Chesterfield/Colonial Heights area home for over six decades. He and his wife of 45 years, Veronique, now reside in the Harpers Mill area of Chesterfield.