Announcing our Vestry Candidates for 2023!

KATE BENNER

Kate Benner is a lifelong Episcopalian and has been a member of St. John’s since 2016, after returning to Washington upon completing law school. She was initially attracted to St. John's because of its active 20's and 30's group and went on to co-chair the Latrobe Fellowship from 2021-2022. 

For her day job, Kate is a Senior Associate in the Environmental, Health and Safety practice at King & Spalding. In her free time, she enjoys live theater and dance and experimenting in the kitchen.  

She is a graduate of Princeton University and Columbia Law School and has previously served as the co-chair of the Princeton Women's Network - DC Chapter and Columbia Alumni Association of Washington, DC.

JANET EDMOND 

Janet Edmond lives in Washington, DC, and has regularly attended St. John’s since 2012. She has served as the St. John’s Book Group Coordinator since 2020 and helped organize the Spring 2022 Diaper Drive and Clothing Drive. 

Janet has also worked for Conservation International, an international biodiversity conservation organization committed to improving nature for the benefit of humanity, with a focus on rights-based approaches to community conservation and environmental peacebuilding. 

Her commitment to conflict sensitivity, inclusion, and equity underpins many of her professional and personal pursuits, and she hopes to contribute to the Vestry and future initiatives of the church in line with the new strategic vision.

SYLVIA MARTIN ESTES 

Sylvia Martin Estes was born and raised in Atlanta and attended college and law school in Georgia. She practiced law for many years in Atlanta, first as an assistant district attorney at the Fulton County D.A.’s office and then in private practice in family law.

Sylvia and her family moved to the D.C. region in 2012, and currently, she practices immigration law at a small immigration firm in Arlington. 

Sylvia has been an Episcopalian for 35 years and was a member of St. Luke’s in downtown Atlanta where she served as a chalice bearer, adult acolyte, youth Sunday School teacher, Junior Vestry, and board member of the Atlanta Enterprise Commission. She and her family joined St. John’s in 2014. Sylvia serves as a chalice bearer, graduated from Education for Ministry in 2021, and is on the legal team representing the Zamani family from Afghanistan in their immigration matters. 

Her many years of experience in managing her law firm and serving as a board member and officer of non-profit organizations make Sylvia qualified to serve on the vestry and help to ensure the financial health of St. John’s and support the clergy in their mission.

DR. FRUZSINA M. HARSANYI

Fruzsina has been a member of St. John’s for more than 20 years. Her deeper involvement began in 2018 with the St. John’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In 2021 she committed to the 4-year Education for Ministry course, and today she serves on the Bell Tower Committee.

Fruzsina’s professional career has been in international public affairs. She has been an executive in U.S. and non-U.S. companies; taught public affairs as a leadership skill in universities in the U.S., Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore; and served as a counselor and mentor. Being on the Vestry would be an opportunity more directly and continuously to serve St. John’s historic and sacred mission in the nation’s capital.

MATTHEW TAYLOR 

Matthew Taylor first attended St. John's during a summer internship on the Hill in 2010 and became a member in 2014. Since that time, Matthew has been actively engaged in the life of the Parish, the Diocese, and the broader Episcopal Church. 

At St. John's, Matthew is on the Youth Church School Team, teaching confirmation class and Church School. Matthew previously served as the chair of the Latrobe Young Adult Fellowship and the Outreach Committee. He has also served on the vestry nominating committee, volunteered with Grace's Table, been a lay delegate to Diocesan Convention, completed the Education for Ministry Program, and is a volunteer with the Livestream team. At the Diocesan level, Matthew recently finished a term on Diocesan Council and served on the Bishop's annual review committee. 

Outside of church, Matthew is an attorney with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He lives in Alexandria with his fiancée Caitlin and their rescue pup, Tulip. Matthew is deeply committed to serving St. John’s in any capacity he can and is honored to be nominated for the vestry this year.

ALFRED THESMAR

Alfred is a lifelong Episcopalian who joined St. John’s in 2002 after moving to the area with his wife, Hilary. Their two children, Elizabeth and Cooper, were baptized at St. John’s and are active in the youth programs. Alfred has served many years as an usher and has been an Assistant Head Usher for the 7:45 and 9:00 AM services since 2017. He has also been serving on the Stewardship committee for the past two years and prior to that he took several terms as a self-described “Sergeant-at-Arms” for the Godly Play program. This past year he has been filling a vacancy on the Vestry and would welcome the opportunity to continue the important work of realizing St. John’s strategic plans. 

In the greater community, he was a long-term volunteer with the Falls Church Kiwanis Little League and is currently the Scoutmaster of a Scouts BSA troop in McLean, Virginia.

Alfred earned his bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his master’s degree from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. He is currently a Strategic Account Manager and Government Contracts Manager for Linde, a multinational chemical company.

And running uncontested for the two Warden positions:

CLARK ERVIN

Clark has been a member of St. John’s since 2001 and has held the position of Senior Warden this past year. Over the years, he has served on the Vestry, as lay reader, a member of the Capital Campaign team, a member of the Stewardship committee, a member of the Rector Search Committee, and as the coordinator of the speaker series. He earned undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard, and a Master’s degree from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He is married to Carolyn Harris, and they have a 16 year-old daughter, Callie.



The former Inspector General of the State Department and the Homeland Security Department, Clark is a partner in the law firm of Squire Patton Boggs, specializing in government investigations and national security-related lobbying.

NORA RIGBY

Nora is a lifelong Episcopalian and has been a member of St. John's since 2006. Originally from Baton Rouge, Nora graduated from Tulane University and Vanderbilt University Law School. She and her husband Hap have lived in DC since 2004 when they moved here with the plan to stay for “a couple of years.” Nora and Hap attend the 11am service and live in Northwest DC with their two children, Powe and Lizzie, who were both baptized at St. John’s. In her professional life, Nora is a partner at a law firm specializing in consumer financial regulatory law. She previously worked for almost 10 years at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In her free time, Nora enjoys playing tennis, reading contemporary fiction, and seeing live music.

At St. John’s, Nora has served as Junior Warden for the past year, on the Vestry since 2019, and as a member of the Usher Guild for many years, currently as an Assistant Head Usher. She served on the Regathering Committee in 2020 and taught church school for several years, both Godly Play to preschoolers and the teen Confirmation Class. 

Rotating off:

Lauren Edwards

Desirée Stolar

Alfred Thesmar (term completed to fill a vacancy)