Dominican Family Spotlight: Dominican Family Leadership Team Chairs

In 2008, the Dominican Sisters of Houston established the Houston Dominican Family for lay persons to help ensure the future of the Dominican mission and charism of prayer, study, community, and preaching. Much like Dominican Associates, the Dominican Family of Houston are men and women who walk alongside the Dominican Sisters of Houston, striving to carry forth the Dominican mission in their daily lives. The Dominican Family Leadership Team is led by three chairs, who each serve a three-year term (one year as “Future Chair,” the next as “Current Chair,” and the last as “Past Chair”). The Chairs for 2021-2022 are Mary Gangelhoff, Greg Schockling, and Anna Sklut. 

Past Chair, Anna Sklut, is the director of campus ministry at St. Agnes Academy, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Houston. Originally from Michigan, Anna’s great aunt was an Adrian Dominican, and her parents were Dominican educated. So, when she started learning about the Dominican Charism as a young adult, it was strangely familiar. The four pillars and Dominican spirituality put words and structure to something that, until then, Anna could not articulate. Dominican Family challenges Anna to practice the four pillars in daily life, surrounded by a supportive community, and the incredible example of the Dominican Sisters of Houston and other family members. 

Current Chair, Greg Schockling, is a retired energy executive. Originally from Pennsylvania, he has called Houston home for most of his adult life. Greg joined Dominican Family having been inspired by the Dominicans in the St. Agnes Academy family. Serving on the board for his daughters’ school, he saw how they lived their lives in such faith.  The principles they taught his children left an indelible mark on Greg and inspired his efforts to help others in a similar way.  How such a simple man and woman, in St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena, could lead with such powerful pillars, stirred something in Greg to be better in his own life for his family and himself.  Dominican Family allows Greg to express that, following in the steps of St. Dominic.

Future Chair, Mary Gangelhoff, was born in upstate New York and was a banker in her early career. She and her husband lived overseas, with their two sons, in third world countries, for almost 13 years, where Mary was the senior editor of a community magazine and served on two international school boards. After moving home to Houston in 2001, she continued with volunteer opportunities, including joining the Dominican family in 2012 as a way of serving others in the greater Houston area.