Council Members
Sharon Anderson
President
Sharon serves as President of the St. Philip’s Church Council. She has served in various council roles for the past 10 years. She joined St. Philip’s in 2006 mainly because of the congregation’s commitment to justice and making a difference in the community. She also serves as part of St. Philip’s lay preaching team. Sharon has lived in Marina and worked at Cal State Monterey Bay as a faculty member and administrator since 1997. She has always advocated for low-income and commuter students who struggle to keep a roof over their family, gas in their car so they can get to class, and to balance family, work, school, and financial stress. She also is one of four volunteer chaplains at the university. She feels a call to share the Gospel with others and to speak out for those who have been marginalized and treated unfairly in our society. She would love to help St. Philip’s explore more ways to engage and support the local community. Sharon will be attending Luther Seminary to earn her Masters in Divinity via a full-time, 4-year program. In the meantime, she is part of the ELCA’s “Synod Approved Ministers” program that prepares lay leaders to lead all aspects of worship, including communion.
Mica Hill
Vice President
Micarl “Mica” Hill serves as Vice President of the St. Philip’s Church Council and works under the leadership of Mike Berry overseeing Building and Grounds initiatives for the church campus. Mica and his wife, Laureen, have maintained a home in Carmel for the past 18 years, most recently residing in New York City before making the Monterey Peninsula their permanent home. Their roots, however, trace back to Paso Robles, California, where they first met in high school. Celebrating 43 years of marriage this June, they joined St. Philip’s more than two years ago after settling permanently in Carmel. They were especially drawn to the church’s compassionate congregation and its meaningful outreach efforts, particularly the Food Bank ministry serving those in need throughout the community. Mica has devoted nearly five decades to the hospitality industry, beginning his career at the age of 17. Over a distinguished 49-year career as a hotelier, he has managed luxury and iconic properties coast-to-coast, including the historic Huntington Hotel and Clift Hotel in San Francisco, as well as The Sorrento Hotel in Seattle. His experience also includes leadership roles with internationally respected hospitality brands such as Rosewood Hotels, Woodside Hotels & Resorts, and Preferred Hotels & Resorts. In addition, Mica served as Executive Vice President of Forbes Travel Guide, evaluating and rating luxury hotels, spas, and restaurants worldwide. More recently, Mica founded Ēmit Hospitality Solutions, where he provides consulting services, guest-experience evaluations, and luxury hospitality coaching for hotels, spas, and restaurants. His recent work has included consulting over the last 14 months with Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah. Beyond hospitality, Mica is deeply passionate about animal welfare and currently serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors for national rescue - Best Friends Animal Society.
Mary Kramer
Treasurer
Mary is currently the treasurer on the council. She has been a member of St. Philip’s since 1979 and has served on council at different times throughout the years as the worship chair, the outreach chair, treasurer and secretary. In addition to council, Mary is active with the worship and communication committees and serves as an assistant minister. Coming to St. Philip’s was an easy decision after arriving on the Peninsula. It was then and is now a welcoming congregation offering a place of community and Lutheran spiritual practices. When first moving to the Peninsula, Mary lived in Monterey but has lived in Marina since 1999. Mary is a retired registered nurse having worked at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula for 39 years. Retirement is filled with volunteering, attending OLLI classes from CSUMB, visiting with friends and family.
Katie Anderson
Secretary
Katie and her husband, Jim, moved to Carmel Valley in 1975, and started attending St. Philip’s a year or two later, after switching from St. Timothy’s. She was an elementary school teacher in the Pacific Grove School District for many years before gleefully moving into a “life of leisure” after retiring. Katie enjoys golfing, gardening, and walking her dog on the beach. They have two children who live locally, as well as grandchildren.
Mike Berry
Property
Michael “Mike” Berry has been a member of St. Philip’s since 1993 when he and his family relocated to Marina from Napa, CA. He transferred to Naval Postgraduate School as a Health and Safety Officer from Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Mike retired in 2018 after serving for 40 years with the Navy. St. Philip’s acts as a close second home for Mike. He and his late wife, Carolyn, invest much of their lives into the organization. After his wife passed in 2025, Mike has felt her presence most strongly while at St. Philip’s. Outside of spending time with his family and being at St. Philip’s, Mike is very passionate about reading and writing. He also engages with light woodworking, home improvements, nature outings, and golf.
John Eisinger
Member at Large
John has lived on the Monterey Peninsula since 1976. He is a live long Lutheran, growing up in the states in the Midwest, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, He went to college at Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter, Minnesota, dental school at the University of Minnesota, and did he residency as an orthodontist at UCSF. He loves his profession now more than ever and finds it to be a very fulfilling profession. John has lived in Carmel Valley with his wife Andrea and their four daughters. Those daughters grew up in St. Philip’s. John became a member of St. Philip’s in 1997 after meeting Pastor Blumhorst, who after learning that Andrea was about to deliver a baby and asked if he could come to hospital for the delivery. The Eisiengers said yes and Pastor Blumhorst came to the hospital and that act had a big impact on them. John has served on council previously and joined again this year (2026) as a member at large. He is excited about the work of the council and the energy being shown for the updating of the church building.