St. Paul’s Vestry

 

St. Paul’s Vestry manages the affairs and conducts the secular business of our parish.  The Vestry also supports the rector in promoting the spiritual welfare and growth of our church.  Comprised of the rector, treasurer and nine (9) lay members of the congregation, St. Paul’s vestry meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm. Three (3) members of the congregation are elected at the annual general meeting to serve three (3) year vestry terms.  

Our current Vestry consists of the following members:
 
The Rev. Annie Mertz
Barbara Jewell,  Senior Warden
Mark Sally
Bill Smiglewski
Yann Jouvenot Sells
David White
Charlie Kilbourne
Kim Rodekohr, Junior Warden
Heather Healy
Ken Nowinski
Del Baker Medlock, Treasurer
Betsy Zampa, Clerk
Giovanna Zampa, Youth Advisor
 

Barbara Jewell, Senior Warden

Barbara Jewell,  Sr. Warden
 
I have been a member of St. Paul’s since 1983.  This congregation is
tremendously important to me. It has nurtured me and my family through good and bad times. Our lives are richer because we belong to this incredible community of people.  
 
I am grateful to St. Paul’s because everyone is welcome here, regardless of where they are on their faith journeys.  I think it is marvelous that our parish community accommodates both traditional and contemporary worship services, and that we make our buildings available for many community groups such as AA, NA, Weight Watchers, LifeRing, Cub Scouts, the Meditation Group, and the weekly Community Meal.  I am glad that with the Abraham Path program we are reaching out to other faiths, and that our Grateful, Glad & Giving group helps us use our talents and treasure to support a Christmas Giving Tree, Fifth Sunday Food Bags, and a Backpack project.   I am so glad that St. Paul’s supports the Sierra Service Project year after year because it allows our teens to experience the value of service and community.  Finally, I love KVA, and our Sunday School programs, and the music we sing every week!  We are so lucky to belong to such an active parish.
 

As a member of the Vestry I will do everything I can to insure that St. Paul’s continues to be a vibrant faith community here in Benicia in the future, and that it inspires our children to share our faith.

Mark Sally, Vestry member

 
Mark J. Sally
 
Mark likes the way the Episcopal Church blends the early Christian worship styles with contemporary culture.  Mark and his wife Suzanna, began worshipping in the Episcopal tradition in 1986.  Job location assignments have taken them to multiple communities over the years, with Benicia being the place they plan to stay in retirement.  Mark believes that Vestry members need to support & encourage the work of the Holy Spirit through the clergy and congregation.  He also brings some Christian & secular organizational  skills to the team including past Vestry/church council experience, leadership roles in volunteer and professional organizations (scouting, youth sports, Christian education & youth leader, budgeting, and professional societies), and leadership of small & large teams for projects in the semiconductor & energy industries.  Mark is also a member of the Gibb’s Society at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and believes in supporting those that are called to religious vocations.
 

Bill “Ski” Smiglewski, Vestry member

Bill “Ski” Smiglewski

Bill was born and raised in Kansas City, MO.  He served three years in the Marine Corps, including 13 months in Viet Nam.  He started working at Chevron in the refinery as a mechanic in 1967, his last four years as a shop foreman.  He then transferred to San Ramon and worked in marketing, building, remodeling, and maintenance of service stations.  After 37 years, he retired.   He and his wife Carol started attending St. Paul’s in 1993 and married there in 1995.  During that time they’ve both served as ushers and sing in the 11 choir. This is his third time on the Vestry, and he has twice served as Jr. Warden.  Carol also serves as a Stephen minister.     To Ski, the most important thing here at St. Paul’s is the inclusion of our youth in any ministry in which they desire to serve. Ski says, “I love it when Jeanne invites all youth to sit around the altar during a service.” Ski’s hobbies are stained glass, wood-working, and golf.  He’s honored to be crew chief on a supercharged alcohol dragster.  “We do the quarter mile in 6.00 seconds at 234 MPH.  It keeps me connected to my son and grand kids.”

Yann Jouvenot Sells

I have been a member of St. Paul’s since 2009, when my husband Dave and our two sons, Albert and Thomas, moved to Benicia. St Paul has welcomed and embraced us since, and it has become an extension of our family. Our youngest son James was brought to St Paul as soon as he was in our care (three weeks old), and our three boys have been baptized and welcomed to the Episcopal Church by Rev Jeanne.                                                                                                                           My functions in St. Paul’s have mainly revolved around the choir and as an usher. We have also participated in a variety of family activities such as KVA and family weekends. As my sons grow older, I look forward to getting involved in the Sierra Service Project. In 2015, I started my path in the Cursillo community, and it has had a profound effect in my spiritual life. I am currently the Cub Master for Pack 128 of the Benicia Cub Scouts and was a Volunteer Firefighter in this town for five years (until 2016). 
                                                                                                                                                              I look forward to bringing my skills to the vestry, in particular around the areas of communication, leadership and financial planning, as well as my perspective as the father of young children and a gay man.  I am committed to working with the rest of the Vestry members to ensure St. Paul’s future as the welcoming and inspiring community that we all know it to be.

Charlie Kilbourne   I was raised in the Episcopal Church and my wife Dale and I have been members of St. Paul’s since 1990.  I served on the Vestry during the mid-1990s and helped coordinate the Lay Eucharistic Visitor ministry under Father Harold.   I served as the spiritual advisor for the Rector search in 2000 and was a member of the search committee that brought Rev. Jeanne to St. Paul’s.  I currently serve as a Lay Eucharistic Minister, Usher and am a member of St. Paul’s Parish Commission on Ministry.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         I retired from California state service last year, having worked 29 years as a public policy manager and analyst in job training programs for the Employment Development Department.  I am a passionate advocate for people with epilepsy and serve as a board member and volunteer educator for the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California.  I subscribe to Jackie Robinson’s observation that, “A life is not important except for the impact it has on other lives.”  I bring this philosophy and passion to my work as a Vestry member.  

David White
 
 I have been coming to St. Paul’s since the mid to late 80s, first sporadically, then regularly in the 90s. I was recruited into the choir and found that my involvement made me more centered in the messages and liturgy.  I was asked to serve on the vestry and was senior warden for a two-year term, while a rector search was underway, eventually calling Jeanne Forte (after a trial rector didn’t work out) to our midst.
 
I have seen quite a few changes in this wonderful congregation, and I look forward to being able to serve God and the wonderful people here, and those yet to come. My mission will be to understand what will be the best for St. Paul’s and the people of the community. 
 
Kimberly Rodekohr, Junior Warden
 
It was 23 years ago when my husband Steve and I were riding bicycles on First Street with our daughters that we began noticing St. Paul’s.  With both of us being Episcopalians as young children, we decided to begin attending. We loved the quaint and historic look of this church and had always wanted to attend a service.  When we walked into St. Paul’s, it was like coming home. I had never felt such love and acceptance from a community as I did with St. Paul’s. We became members of the church and dove in, feet first, with serving the church in any capacity we could.  I became passionate about St. Paul’s  I am currently serving on the Altar Guild and the Flower Guild.  I was the Peddlers’ Fair chair and the Co-chair in 2003.  Throughout the years, I have taught Godly Play as well as the high school Sunday School.  I am an usher and a LEM and love serving my community of St. Paul’s. 
I retired at the rank of  sergeant with the Alameda Police Department after 18 years due to injuries sustained on the job. My retirement was a blessing in disguise as I was able to be a stay-at-home mom for our daughters Shelby and Haley.  
 
I was am honored to serve as a vestry member at St. Paul’s.
 
 
Heather Healy
 
I moved to Benicia in 2008 with my family and have been attending St. Paul’s since 2009.  I am mother to Colin, Evan, and Elizabeth and wife to John Healy.  I work part-time as an occupational therapist at John Muir Health in Concord.
 
I have been involved in Cub Scouts, elementary school volunteering, and youth and family ministries here at St. Paul’s.  I also enjoy running, yoga, and reading when I can catch a moment to myself.  I am excited and honored to serve as a Vestry person at St. Paul’s.
Ken Nowinski
 
I was born in Tacoma, WA, and grew up in San Jose, CA, and Chicago, IL. I graduated from Cupertino High School in 1986 and joined the Air Force in 1987. I was stationed at Biloxi, MS, Moreno Valley, CA, Fairfield, CA, Guam, England, and Robins, GA. I retired from active duty in 2013 and moved back to Fairfield in 2014.
 
Brigitte and I were married in 2001 and our son Robert was born in 2006. Although I am mostly focused on SCUBA diving and am training to become a Dive Master, our family also cycles, hikes, and camps as frequently as we can manage.
 
We first attended St. Paul’s in 2006, and I became more active in the church when we returned in 2014.  I have assisted with and participated in KVA and Peddlers’ Fair every year since our return, and I am also a LEM and Lector, usually at the 11 am service. This year I am becoming involved with the Peddlers’ Fair Committee.  We are living in Fairfield but renovating a house in Benicia and hope to be able to move in by the summer.