Meet Our 2022 Confirmands


From Left: New members Cal Walters, Jan Ghiradelli, Bill Ghiradelli, David Haecker, Suzie Skugstad, Rebekah Aldrich and Marilyn Siden.

Cal Walters is currently teaching math at Richmond High. He is married to Nancy and together they have two adult children and a grand-daughter. They also seem to collect rescue dogs – Rosie and Daisy who allow Nancy and Cal to live with them here in Piedmont. Cal was raised Methodist, but has been active in the Presbyterian church for the last 35 years.


Rebekah Aldrich grew up in Piedmont and went to Piedmont High, then attended college at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota with a major in biology, and now works at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab as a research associate and manager of a lab doing radiation research. She is excited to be joining Piedmont Community Church and looks forward to strengthening her faith and building a new community of friends.


David Haecker was born in Texas, left home at the age of 15 to live in San Francisco, graduated from UC Berkeley, and worked as a Professional Mechanical Engineer in Kansas, Saudi Arabia and the Bay Area. He has lived in the neighborhood since 1987, but only discovered Piedmont Church by chance last December. Though he was raised a Lutheran, he did not attend church between the ages of 15 and 60. David was given a sign (actually, a post card from Zion Lutheran in Piedmont inviting him to Easter service in 2016). Then COVID forced him online where he discovered Piedmont Church. He looks forward to enjoying the beautiful services, furthering his faith journey, and meeting more of the people of the church with the hope of developing new life-long friends.


Suzie Skugstad is a grateful and enthusiastic new member of Piedmont Church! She is also an artist and hospice volunteer coming into a new realization of what it means to be a Beloved Child of God. She brings with her a desire to be a loving presence in our church community and toward all of God’s beautiful creation.


Marilyn Siden is blessed with four grown children, 12 beautiful grandchildren and an amazing husband. For 37 years, she worked with vulnerable children in Christian camping ministries. She has written two books and is working on her first novel. Marilyn has a deep love of music, little plants that bloom in impossible places, the out-of-doors and pelicans.


Bill Ghirardelli has been a general contractor and developer for the past 45 years since graduating from Cal, putting his history degree to good use! He is a 4th generation Oaklander and was raised in the Presbyterian church.  He began attending 1st Presbyterian, Berkeley when he was a student. Bill is grateful for many great pastors over the years and especially connected with Steve’s preaching and teaching while he was there.  When he moved over to Piedmont Church, his wife, Jan, followed and have found a wonderful and welcoming community and opportunities to grow in his faith in Life Group. Bill looks forward to getting more engaged in the life this church.  


Jan Ghirardelli was born in Colorado, raised in a Christian home, and has been part of a church community for most of her life.  She recently retired from teaching Montessori pre-school and running the school she started 36 years ago with her friend in Rockridge.  This gives her more time to spend with her two grandsons, both of whom have been able to visit the nursery at Piedmont Church!  When they started attending, she and her husband, Bill, felt so welcomed and encouraged in worship and teaching, Life Group, and have met so many new friends in the church family.  She looks forward to getting more involved and continuing to grow in Christ.