Who We Are

We're a team of workers who are thinking, praying and meeting regularly in preparation and planning for the program.

For contact information, click here.

OVM Leadership

Mike Tishel

Director of CrossRoad

Assistant Director of the Office of Vocation & Ministry at Hellenic College

Mike completed his undergraduate studies at Gordon College (Wenham, MA) with a BA in Comparative Historical Theology, and his Masters in theology at the Aristotle University of Thessalonika. He has been involved in youth ministry both on the high school and college levels for a number of years, working as a youth and young adult leader at his parish, for his diocese and for Orthodox Christian Fellowship. On his time off, Mike enjoys playing and writing music and spending quality moments with friends and family. Mike is grateful for the opportunity to serve God and his neighbor through this wonderful program, and can’t wait to welcome all of the 2013 CrossRoad participants next summer!

Anna Colis

Assistant Director

Originally from Chicago, Anna attended the CrossRoad program as a participant in 2005. She went on to complete her BA in English Literature from Illinois Wesleyan University. Her relationship with CrossRoad and the OVM eventually led her back to Boston where she is currently in her second year of the Master’s of Divinity program at Holy Cross School of Theology. She is focusing her studies in Youth Ministry and has had experience writing curriculum for and leading various youth retreats and programs for the Greek Orthodox Metropolises of Chicago and Boston. In desiring to give back to the program that so greatly impacted her life, Anna worked for CrossRoad as a staff member in 2011. This year Anna is honored to take the job as assistant director for CrossRoad 2012. This year she also took on the role of leading another OVM sponsored program for the women of Hellenic College: Women in Leadership and Service. In her spare time Anna loves to ski, travel, cook, and spend time with her friends and family. Anna has a deep love for her faith and for people; she thankful for these incredible opportunities to share this love with other young people through her work in the OVM.

Stephanie Skedros

Development & Public Relations Coordinator

Stephanie grew up just outside of Boston and is the youngest of three children. As a child, she benefited from the summer camp program in New Hampshire sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston. The camp program provided a dynamic education to the Church and opened the doors to so many learning opportunities. After two years of camp in New Hampshire, Stephanie boarded a plane to Greece to participate in the Ionian Village (IV) Summer Camp. It was this experience that had the most profound impact on her life at age sixteen, beginning her personal connection with the saints, prayer and worship, and a commitment to live a life in Christ. She served as a counselor for the program for two years as well as program coordinator in New York after college. Stephanie is an alumna of Boston College. She carries a strong background in higher education in the area of admissions and financial aid. In fact, she served at the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid for Hellenic College/Holy Cross in the early 90's. Stephanie returned HCHC after working for Harvard University and the Graduate Theological Union. Stephanie and her husband Jim are the proud parents of three daughters Anna, Francesca, and Rebecca. When not driving her daughters to their dance, soccer, and basketball practices she enjoys cooking, knitting, and crafts.

Ann Bezzerides

Director of the Office of Vocation & Ministry at Hellenic College

Ann is the Director of the Office of Vocation & Ministry. Before starting this ministry in 2003, she helped start the Youth Summer Institute at St. Vladimir's Seminary during her M. Div. years there. Ann was the founding director of CrossRoad along with the first program staff, Stavros and Ourania Chatzis (now Fr. Stavros and Pres. Ourania), Micah Hirschy, Mary Long, and Elenie Poulos (now Grassos). In 2006 Ann passed the director's baton to Dn. Nick Belcher, then to Mary Long in 2009, and to Mike Tishel in 2012, but still stays as involved as she can while directing a busy office and being mother to three boys, Nicholas, Peter, and Elias and wife to Vassili, a medical fellow in pediatric cardiology. In 2007 she earned her Ph.D. from Boston College in Theology and Education with her dissertation titled, "Conversing with John Chrysostom as Christian Religious Educator." She loves the academic nature of CrossRoad—that it serves as a crucial introduction to Orthodox Christian youth studying theology in a serious way, the beginning of a life-long practice of pursuing Christ's question, "Who do you say that I am?"

CrossRoad Program Staff 2013

Pictures and bios coming soon!