Staff
Executive Director
Karen A. Tomcala, J.D. Telephone: (415) 206-6252
Karen is pleased to join the Sojourn staff as an opportunity to apply her executive management skills and previous non-profit experience to a mission of both personal and community significance. A lawyer by training, Karen specialized in energy policy and regulation. She practiced at Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C., representing the National Independent Energy Producers and developers of electricity projects domestically and abroad. She then joined the staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, serving as Chief of Staff to then-Chairman James Hoecker. Her most recent professional employment was as Vice President of Regulatory Relations for Pacific Gas & Electric Company, a position that pleasantly relocated her to the Bay Area. Karen has served on a number of non-profit boards, including Pets Unlimited in San Francisco and Spectrum LGBT Center in Marin. Karen received her J.D. cum laude from the University of Michigan and her B.A., majoring in Public Administration and minoring in Business Administration, from the University of Michigan-Flint.
Karen shares her home in the West Portal neighborhood with three dogs and two budgies. She has a daughter, a son, and three cherished grandchildren. She is a member of St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, where she currently serves as Senior Warden.
Spiritual Care Coordinator
The Rev. Elizabeth Welch Telephone: (415) 206-5245
The Rev. Elizabeth Welch, MDiv, BCC is a priest in the Episcopal Church and a Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) with the Association of Professional Chaplaincy. She completed a 4-unit residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco. Elizabeth has ministered in prison and jail settings: she has served as volunteer chaplain with the Episcopal Ministry at Solano/California State Prison in Vacaville, CA for three years and has volunteered with a program in the San Francisco County Jail system. Elizabeth currently serves as a Pastoral Associate at All Saints Episcopal Church in San Francisco and is active in the interfaith community.
Elizabeth earned her Masters of Divinity in 2004 at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific/Graduate Theological Union and her Bachelors of Arts at St. Olaf College.
Chaplain
Fr. Bruce J. Lery, sm Telephone: (415) 206-8119
Bruce is a perpetually professed member of the Society of Mary, Marists, ordained as a Catholic priest in 1987. Fr. Bruce ministers at SFGHTC under the auspices of the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Before profession Bruce worked for the federal government in Chicago and in San Francisco coordinating environmental planning for municipalities, and for regional associations of governments. Since ordination, Fr. Bruce has served as pastor, or in pastoral roles for communities (including military reservations) in Phoenix, AZ; the San Francisco Bay area; Kauai, HI, and Washington, D.C. In all of these geographical areas Fr. Bruce has been actively engaged in detention ministries, and in Spiritual Direction.
In the early 1990’s Fr. Bruce ministered to persons living with HIV/AIDs; doing so primarily in the Tenderloin of SF (Network Ministries), within the SF Jail system, and at SFGH. At SFGH Bruce participated in the Sojourn training for HIV/AIDS ministers, and remained to volunteer at Sojourn until transferred by his religious community from the Bay Area.
Academically Bruce has received M.A. (Botany), and M.Div. degrees. He has completed most academic course work for a D.Min. degree and has actively studied Spiritual Direction in Pecos, NM, and at the Washington Theological Union.
Administrative Coordinator
Leonor Barnett Telephone: (415) 206-8918
Leonor Barnett joined Sojourn Chaplaincy in 2008. Prior to her work here, she served as Facilities Manager at Saint Agnes Church in San Francisco where she is an active parishioner. Leonor has a bachelor's degree in biology and worked for nearly 15 years at an agricultural biotechnology company.
Volunteer Coordinator & Training Assistant
The Rev. Molly Haws Telephone: (415) 206-6795
The Rev. Molly Haws, M.Div., is pleased to return to Sojourn Chaplaincy, where she completed her clinical hospital ministry training prior to ordination. Molly has volunteered as a crisis line counselor with San Francisco Night Ministry since 2004. She serves as priest at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in San Rafael.
Links
San Francisco General Hospital
Bay Area Jewish Healing Center
The Episcopal Diocese of California
San Francisco Interfaith Council
