St. john's staff

Sharon Lopilato, Communications Specialist

As a lifelong churchgoer, active in numerous parishes and ministries since adolescence, Sharon implicitly understands the mission, activities, and challenges of churches like St. John’s—and has a deep desire to see the Church grow and thrive.

Prior to joining the staff of St. John’s in April 2022, Sharon was already known to many in the parish: she and her family began worshipping at St. John’s Norwood in the fall of 2018; she has served on Nourishing Bethesda ministry’s leadership team since February 2021; and she was elected to St. John’s Vestry in May 2021.

Sharon brings to St. John’s staff a rich background in nonprofit communications and management. Soon after graduating from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 1993, Sharon co-founded and managed an artists’ co op and gallery while also working in the curatorial department of the Knoxville Museum of Art. She went on to earn a Master of Arts Management degree from Carnegie Mellon University, then moved to the D.C. area in 1999 to work at The Center for Arts and Culture. At The Center, she oversaw a number of communications initiatives designed to build a community of stakeholders, and to promote public conversation on the critical intersections of the arts and culture, policy, and society.

Leaving full-time work to focus on family in 2006, she continued to provide independent digital communications services to small businesses and nonprofits. When COVID shutdowns began in Spring 2020, Sharon threw herself behind Here2Help, a student-powered food assistance effort, assisting and advising on organization and strategy. In the process, she became engaged with the local food-assistance community and conversant with the food insecurity challenges in our area. She later joined St. John’s Nourishing Bethesda ministry, for whom she still oversees offsite deliveries. She has also served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, both secular and religiously affiliated.