The Rev. Dr. Ann Van Cleef, a 2015 graduate of Hartford Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program, was recently named 2018 Community Leader of the Year by the Suffolk Times, a newspaper that covers the North Fork of Long Island.

The Rev. Dr. Van Cleef retired earlier this year from the Orient Congregational Church in Orient, N.Y. She had served there for more than 17 years.

“When I started, I knew it was a small church,” she told the Suffolk Times. “It was never my intent to make them into a big church, but just a small church that did things in an excellent way.”

The newspaper cited the Rev. Dr. Van Cleef’s dedication to the community in making its choice. For the full story, visit this link.