Our Leadership Team
Karen Peña, Executive Director
As a humanitarian entrepreneur and business owner for more than 28 years, Karen is central to ECS operations with her strategic and visionary oversight of the ECS portfolio of services and community partner relationships. Recipient of the Salt Lake Chamber’s Small Business of the Year Award, she has owned trade shows, managed logistics for intimate gatherings for high profile clients, and facilitated events for thousands. Under her careful watch, ECS continues to widen its footprint in professional spiritual care, and to expand Affiliate relationships with other nonprofits that focus on the health, education, and safety of our community’s most vulnerable populations.
The ECS Spiritual Care & Education Center at St. Mark’s Hospital is owned and operated by Episcopal Community Services, a nonprofit charitable organization. St. Mark’s Hospital was founded in 1872 by the Episcopal Church and operated by the Church until its transfer to HCA Healthcare in the late 1980’s. With Karen’s careful oversight, the ECS Center continues to honor the exceptional heritage of St. Mark’s Hospital, with a compassionate spiritual care approach that broadly touches people of all ages and without discrimination.
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DIRECTOR OF SPIRITUAL CARE
The Rev. Nancy Cormack-Hughes
Nancy has spent more than 30 years in vocational ministry across the United States including churches, on university campuses, hospice care facilities, and hospitals. An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), she holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, completed an ACPE™ Chaplain Residency at the Spiritual Care Center at St. Mark’s Hospital, and is Board Certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC). As ECS Director of Spiritual Care, Nancy is responsible for the spiritual well-being of healthcare staff, patients, and their loved ones at St. Mark’s Hospital and other facilities served by ECS.
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DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & CPE
The Rev. Dr. Mariclea Chollet
For more than two decades, Mari has compassionately mentored multifaith chaplains in their pursuit to become theologically and clinically trained health care professionals. She continues the 39-year legacy of exceptional professional chaplain education at the Spiritual Care Center at St. Mark’s Hospital, which is Utah’s only CPE Center accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). ACPE is the only agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) to accredit programs of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) in the United States. Mari has a Doctor of Ministry from Eden Theological Seminary, a Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Psychology, a Masters of Divinity equivalent from her studies at Faculdade Luterana de Teologia in Brazil, has completed post-graduate work in Contemporary Theology, and is a Priest in The Episcopal Church.
ECS Board of Trustees
The ECS Board of Trustees is an integral part of our effective operation as a non-profit charitable organization in our community, fulfilling our mission of providing compassionate care when serving ill-met and unmet needs in our community, with a deep responsibility to our donors.
ECS Board members are our financial watchdogs, our ambassadors to the community, and some of our greatest supporters. Our members understand our programs and work to improve them through their participation, donations, and committee work. We are incredibly grateful for their efforts.
The Rt. Rev. Phyllis A. Spiegel
Mr. Michael Herron
Ms. Sarah Kurrus, RN
Ms. Anne Burkholder, M.Div.
Ms. Christine Arthur
Ms. Suzanne Gustin
Ms. Dianne Franz
Mr. Steve Bateman
Career Opportunities
ECS is eager to invite dynamic, compassionate, qualified professionals to our nimble team. We are proud of our culture of innovation and collaboration and look for individuals who are enthusiastic about being a part of a growing legacy. We provide competitive compensation and benefits packages, plus a beautiful location at the foot of the Wasatch mountains that is home to world-class skiing and year-round outdoor adventure.