At the 55th annual Diocesan Convention of the Diocese of Central Florida, held on Jan. 27, 2024, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb announced the retirement of the Hon. Council “Butch” Wooten Jr. after 34 years as diocesan chancellor and the appointment of the Hon. Todd Pittenger to this key role. In his first quarter as chancellor, Pittenger has given what Holcomb described as “excellent service.”
“On March 28, I met with Chancellor Emeritus Wooten and Chancellor Pittenger for a handover meeting,” the bishop said. “We went over ongoing legal situations, operating procedures, best practices and suggestions for moving forward. The main thing was just to respect the reality that Todd doesn’t work for the diocese—he serves, and he is serving a ton.”
“Chancellor Emeritus Wooten left a big set of shoes to fill, having served selflessly and with the highest integrity,” Pittenger said. “I hope to follow and build upon his great legacy.”
He added that he considers it a great privilege to have worked under the previous leadership of the Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer and to work even more closely with Holcomb since being named diocesan chancellor. “Butch taught me that the word ‘Episcopal’ literally means ‘governed by a bishop,’ and I see the role of chancellor as serving as the chief legal adviser to the bishop for the benefit of the diocese,” he said.
For the past 30 years, Pittenger and his family have been attending St. Michael’s, Orlando, where he has served as a member of the vestry and as senior warden. Prior to his appointment as chancellor, he served as vice chancellor, church attorney for the diocesan Disciplinary Board and as a member of the Diocesan Board, lay order. As chancellor, he is an ex officio member of the Diocesan Board.
He and his wife, Beth, have been married since 1988; they met while students at Rollins College, Winter Park, and have three adult children: Graham, Davis and Lawton. “Being a father and watching my children grow into fantastic adults is a true joy,” he said. “It makes me sure our society’s future is bright.”
Pittenger earned his Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1988 and brings to the chancellorship more than three decades of experience as a successful litigation partner with three major Florida law firms. He has been a partner at GrayRobinson in Orlando since 2017 and has held board certification in business litigation since 2005, indicating his area of expertise: significant business-oriented state and federal civil litigation throughout Florida.
He is continually ranked by leading industry publications such as the Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation, litigation-intellectual property and real property and is also named as a Florida Super Lawyer for business litigation. In addition, he has served in a number of bar leadership roles, and his civic involvement includes a recent tenure as chairman of the board for the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.
Pittenger said, “I hope to always keep my eye on the ball in terms of my role as chancellor, which of course is service to our Lord’s church.”