Who We R: The Rochester Project

Sheryl Brown, R.N., B.S.N., (vocals) is a Staff Registered Nurse at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, specializing in Psychiatric Nursing. Brown grew up in Beloit, Wisconsin. She received her B.S.N. in 1989 from the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire. She is currently pursuing a M.S. Degree at the University of Minnesota as a Clinical Nurse Specialist- Psychiatry. She is a member of the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi. Brown is a soprano vocalist. Her musical career includes performances in musical theatre with lead roles in West Side Story (Maria) and the Sound of Music in high school. Her vocal experience includes amateur performances in numerous choirs including the Women's Chorale at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire. She has also performed in community and church choirs in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Brown lives in the Rochester area with her husband and their two daughters.

Kris Davis (drums) was born in Cleveland, Ohio and attended High School in Minneapolis. He played banjo and drums through High School and College. Davis attended Michigan Technical University where he earned bachelor's degrees in Electrical Engineering (1983) and Computer Science (1984). Davis has performed bluegrass, jazz and gospel music in many settings. He has been a software engineer at IBM-Rochester for 15 years. Kris is married to Dolores and has three children. In recent years Davis has played drums and percussion regularly at First Baptist Church in Rochester.

Jim Maher Ph.D. (bass) is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Mayo Foundation. Maher grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, where he was awarded a full-tuition music scholarship and earned his B.S. (1983) and Ph.D. (1988) degrees in Molecular Biology. He then studied chemistry and molecular biology at the California Institute of Technology from 1988-1991. Maher was an Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha from 1991-1995, moving his research group to the Mayo Foundation in Rochester in the Fall of 1995. His research involves designing molecules that recognize genes, and understanding how DNA is bent by proteins. Maher is a classically trained bassist. His symphonic experience includes amateur and professional performances with many orchestras and chamber ensembles in southern Wisconsin, the Los Angeles area, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota. As an electric bassist, Maher has performed and recorded in many musical styles, including gospel, pop, blues, jazz, and swing. Maher lives in Rochester with his wife, Laura, and two daughters. He plays regularly at First Baptist Church in Rochester.

Sarah Manthei (vocals) grew up in Worthington Minnesota where she learned to sing at an early age, studying voice for three years and violin for seven years. She attended Rochester Community College where she earned an A.A.S. degree as a medical secretary in 1991. Manthei has worked as a medical secretary at Mayo Clinic (1991-1993), a retail assistant manager (1993-1996), and most recently as office manager for Sargent's Landscape Nursery, Inc. in Rochester. Since 1992 Sarah has been a frequent singer at First Baptist Church in Rochester.

Mick Nichols (vocals) grew up in Kansas City and attended Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Bolivar, Missouri where he studied music. From 1992-1994 Nichols toured the continental United States, Canada, and Australia as a vocalist with ARK ministries. He then worked with youth and served as a worship leader in Kansas City until 1996 when he moved to Rochester, MN. Nichols recently served as interim worship leader at First Baptist Church, and is now Youth and Worship Pastor at Berean Community Church in Rochester. Nichols is married to Piper, and they have four children.

Mollie Pellegrino (vocals) is a radiation therapist for the Department of Oncology at Mayo Clinic's Naeve Hospital Albert Lea Cancer Center. Pellegrino grew up in Worthington, Minnesota after which she studied at the Mayo School of Health-Related Sciences, where she graduated with an A.A.S. in Radiography. She then went on to specialize in the field of Radiation Therapy Technology, graduating in 1994. Pellegrino has had a wide a variety of musical experiences, though no formal music education (except for piano lessons from age 4 - 7!). While her performances date back to her middle school years, she has been leading worship since high school, and has continued to do so in various churches in her area. Pellegrino currently lives in Albert Lea, Minnesota during the week, but considers herself a vagabond on the weekends due to her love of travel!

April Rowe (keyboards) is a worship assistant at First Baptist Church in Rochester, coordinating and playing keyboard for the services. Rowe grew up in Lititz, Pennsylvania and earned a B.A. in English Education at Messiah College. She moved to Minnesota and taught junior high school for several years before her children were born. She then accepted a position in the church, working with the music ministry and playing keyboards. Rowe is a classically trained pianist. She has played with orchestras, small ensembles, and soloists from her early high school years to the present, performing in a variety of musical styles. Rowe resides in Rochester with her husband, Tim, and three children.

Jeffry Swertfeger (guitars) is the Director of Advertising at McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing Co., a leading producer of concrete mixers and refuse vehicles. He was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah and is a graduate of the University of Utah, where he earned his B.S. in Mass Communications (1987). After college, he worked as a technical writer on the Space Shuttle program for Boeing Aerospace and then as an Information System Specialist for HISPAN Corporation. He also formed a small advertising agency and was among the first to embrace digital imaging and layout. Swertfeger began playing the harmonica at age 7 and immediately fell in love with the ability to create music. He began playing guitar at age nine and was formally trained through age 17 in a variety of musical styles. In addition to guitar, he plays mandolin, harmonica, bass guitar, and keyboard. He owns his own digital recording studio and is an avid builder and collector of fine musical instruments. Swertfeger lives in Rochester with his wife Kathy and their three children: Collin, Caitlin, and Connor. He plays regularly at First Baptist Church in Rochester and is a founding member of the Rochester Project.

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