SENIOR WARDEN

A long-time parishioner at St. Monica & St. James, Bob has lived in the Capitol Hill Historic District for more than 35 years. As well as being the Junior Warden, Bob is also the chair of the Buildings and Grounds committee and continues to provide a labor of love with everything from planting to carpentry work as well as being our resident grill master for our cook-outs. You can reach Bob at seniorwarden@smjec.org

JUNIOR WARDEN

Originally from Kansas, George lives in Arlington, Virginia, and has been attending SMSJ with his wife, Sydney, for a little over a year. Recently baptized and confirmed into the church, George has expressed a desire to offer his time to our parish. You can reach George at juniorwarden@smjec.org

TREASURER & CLASS OF 2025

Although a native Washingtonian, after finishing graduate school in New Jersey, Stephanie remained in the Garden State for most of her adult life. In early 2018, she and her husband Doug returned to DC and were looking for an Episcopal church with a warm feeling of community. They were happy to find St. Monica & St. James, and the bonus was that it was within walking distance! Before retiring, Stephanie worked for over 30 years in the financial services industry in the New York area. During the week you can often find her in the parish office reconciling figures in her capacity as Treasurer for SMSJ.

Class of 2026

Elisa Shearer began attending St. Monica and St. James in 2013, shortly after she moved to DC, and immediately fell in love with its rich worship tradition, commitment to inclusivity, and choir. She has now lived in and around the H street area for about 10 years, and works as a senior researcher at the Pew Research Center. She loves the DC area, museums, whiskey, cigars, music, and statistics.

Class of 2026

Ben grew up in Dayton, Ohio and moved to DC in 2015 after spending time here intermittently throughout his PhD (in electrical engineering at Purdue University). For five or so years he attended Trinity Episcopal in Takoma, where he went through the confirmation process. In 2022, he started attending SMSJ and quickly got involved as a thurifer. He is a spacecraft navigation engineer at NASA and has been living in Brookland since 2016. He enjoys playing music in local bands, studying maps, and learning about old buildings.

Class of 2025

Ian Nelson has been coming to SMSJ since June 2019. He was elected to the Vestry in 2022. Ian works as a teacher, specializing in science and engineering classes. He lives in Washington DC with his partner and their dog and cat.

Class of 2024

Mildred was elected to the Vestry in June 2021. Born in South Carolina, she has lived in Washington, DC since 1969. She is retired from the federal government after twenty years of service. She has travelled with three Secretaries of State and three Presidents all over the world. She continues to work as an income tax consultant. She loves travelling, cooking, and spending time with her grand- and great-grand children. Mildred has been a parishioner of St Monica and St James for 17 years.

Class of 2025

Doug was elected to the Vestry in June 2022. Born and raised in Ohio, he has lived in the District since 2016 and began attending St. Monica & St. James just before COVID shut down the world. Doug is an attorney and a proud dog dad to the most adorable border collie in the DMV. He has a Master's Degree in Philosophy from Duke University, along with a passion for metaethics and political philosophy.

Class of 2024

Sandra Pepera was confirmed an Anglican by the Bishop of Lewes in the UK, almost 50 years ago. Raised in the low Anglican tradition, she still finds the 'bells and smells' surprising. Sandra is a mother of three young people, and a grandmother to a little girl. She has had a long career working around the world in international development and on social justice. Sandra enjoys watching all sports and listening to live jazz music, and in 2020 qualified as a massage therapist.