The Hon. Todd Pittenger, appointed by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb as chancellor of the Diocese of Central Florida in January 2024, has received a recent award that speaks not only to his legal expertise but to the quality of his voluntary service as chancellor, which he has already demonstrated is a priority.

A few weeks ago, he received the Best Lawyers® 2025 Intellectual Property Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” award in Orlando. Only one lawyer in the entire greater Orlando area earns this award, which is based on peer feedback. His peers also selected Pittenger for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The  Best Lawyers in America® for commercial litigation, litigation – intellectual property, and real estate law.

Holcomb lauded the chancellor for his prestigious award and expressed his gratitude for Pittenger’s service to the diocese.

“Congratulations to Chancellor Todd Pittenger on this tremendous achievement. It’s assuring to know that our diocesan chancellor is recognized by his peers for his excellent work,” the bishop said. “His ongoing contributions are invaluable to me and to the diocese, and I want to express my deep admiration, gratitude and appreciation of his selfless service, availability and professionalism.”

Not only is Pittenger a cradle Episcopalian, but he is also a “preacher’s kid.” His late father, the Rev. Tom Pittenger, was ordained in this diocese, where he ministered for several years before serving churches in Colorado and in two other Florida dioceses.

“The lifelong thing is real,” he said, noting that he’s always been around Episcopal churches. “I’ve known bishops my whole life; I’ve known priests my whole life,” he said, adding that he was in middle school when his father attended seminary. For the past 30 years, the chancellor and his family have attended St. Michael’s, Orlando, where he has served on the New Rector Search Committee, as a member of the vestry and as senior warden.

After more than three decades of practicing law, Pittenger believes both his church heritage and his professional experience have equipped him for his role as chancellor. “I like someone who has a problem coming to me and helping them solve it; I like that a lot,” he said. “All the legal work that I’ve done my whole career helps with that.”

Pittenger also has a long history of civic service, including various leadership roles with the Federal Bar Association and the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. His role as diocesan chancellor, however, has forced him to curtail those activities. But Pittenger said it’s all a matter of priorities – and his current priority lies in his service to the Lord and to the church.

“I feel led to do this now,” he said. “I really think it is the right time for me to do this because I have done all of these other things in life previously, and you have to make choices. I’m excited about working with Bishop Holcomb because there is so much energy, and I love the direction about where he wants to move things. He’s a dynamo. …  This diocese is on the move, and it’s great to be a part of something like that.”

This month, Pittenger will extend his expertise as chancellor by attending the Chancellor’s Conference for The Episcopal Church. With the assistance and encouragement of Chancellor Emeritus Council “Butch” Wooten, he also participates in an email loop with other Episcopal chancellors where, he said, “There’s a great wealth of knowledge.”

“I don’t know the other chancellors in the other dioceses in Florida yet, but they’re most likely going to be at this conference, so I’m going to seek them out,” he said. “Maybe we can call on each other if we do have an issue.  … Just as we’re a part of The Episcopal Church, I’m part of the chancellor’s network. All the chancellors, we have things in common, so I can learn from those folks.”

Working closely with Holcomb and other leaders of the diocese has become one of the genuine joys in his “extraordinarily busy” life, Pittenger said. In fact, Holcomb’s example serves as one of the many catalysts for the chancellor’s willingness and enthusiasm to continue volunteering his time to the diocese.

“He [Holcomb] wants to grow and to improve, to make things better in the church,” Pittenger said. “Being a part of a team like that is very exciting. To do it for the good of the diocese, it’s inspiring people. If you are not led by someone like that or inspired, then you simply don’t do it; you prioritize something else. That is a tribute to his leadership ability.”