Our Team
We are Here for You!
No organization can run, much less flourish, without the people who keep the place going. From our ordained clergy to our supporting staff to our vestry leadership, we are truly blessed with a wonderful team.
Use the anchor tags here to jump to the sections below.
Clergy
Kilpy was born and raised in Richmond. She attributes much of her vocational path to her family and her beloved church, First Presbyterian. After graduating from Freeman High School, she attended Furman University in Greenville, S.C., where she studied Religion and Asian Studies. It was in Greenville that she discovered the Anglican Communion. She then went on to receive her Master of Divinity with certificates in both Anglican Studies and Theology, Medicine and Culture from Duke Divinity School. She moved back to Richmond in 2020 and worked with the youth ministry of St. James’s Episcopal Church.
She then joined St. Mary’s staff in September 2021 as the Director of Youth Ministries. And in May 2022 it was announced that the Vestry unanimously and enthusiastically passed a motion to affirm the calling of Kilpy Singer to be St. Mary’s next Associate Rector. Kilpy was ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons as a transitional deacon in June 2022 and a Priest of the Church in January 2023.
Kilpy is married to Blake, also an Episcopal priest, and they have a silly pup named Milo and a daughter, Finley. In her free time, you’ll find her at the YMCA, exploring the outdoors, and hunting for new music or a good book.
Greg joined the staff in June as Priest Locum Tenens, a priest who serves for a season in support of the rector transition process. His focus is worship leadership, chairing meetings of the vestry, and giving direction and support to the church staff. Greg brings 25 years of ministry experience as a parish priest, campus minister, hospital chaplain, and mentor to people in discernment and formation for ordained ministry, mainly in his native New Jersey.
Greg is married to Dr. Jacqueline Lapsley, president and professor of Old Testament at Union Presbyterian Seminary. They live with an elderly cat and an adolescent pup. Greg likes to cook, walk, bike, and explore the history, culture, and scenic beauty of Richmond.
Staff
Tyrell joined St. Mary’s as Assistant Sexton in 2019. Before joining St. Mary’s, he served for many years as Sexton for Leigh Street Baptist Church, now Church Hill Presbyterian Church. Tyrell built his career as a sexton after gaining early inspiration and experience in his childhood assisting his grandfather, who served as a sexton for nearly 50 years. Tyrell enjoys the calling of a sexton, to look after and protect sacred items and spaces. Having been raised in church all his life, Tyrell felt an early calling to serve in this ministry. Tyrell is the third of four children, and you may see his twin, Tyronn, assisting at St. Mary’s from time to time as well! He lives in Chesterfield County and has many hobbies, including landscaping, repair work, watching great television, and volunteering.
Maggi Tinsley joined the staff in August 2023 after more than a decade operating her own communications firm. Prior to that, she held positions at the Valentine, AIA Virginia, and Visual Arts Center of Richmond. A North Carolinian with deep Virginia roots, Maggi holds degrees from Duke University and Virginia Commonwealth, where she taught writing as the recipient of a graduate assistantship. She serves on the board of ART 180, is a VMFA tour guide, and has had many volunteer roles at St. James’s, her home parish. Away from St. Mary’s, Maggi is most often found stitching, reading, or playing pickleball. She and her adult daughters enjoy movies and performing arts, travel, and NCAA basketball.
Ryan joined the St. Mary’s staff in September 2017. He did his graduate work in choral conducting at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and the University of Delaware, and his undergraduate study at Princeton University. Ryan has been involved in church music since high school, and over the past two decades has sung, played organ and piano, and conducted choirs in a variety of churches. Before moving to Richmond from Philadelphia in 2015, Ryan served as organist and choir director at Summit Presbyterian Church, assistant conductor of Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, an adjunct faculty member at The College of New Jersey, music director of the Newark Symphony Chorus, and maintained an active schedule as a professional singer. Since moving to Richmond, he has been the artistic director of both the Central Virginia Masterworks Chorale and the Richmond Concert Chorale and served for a year as interim organist and choirmaster at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. A native of Wilmington, Del., Ryan lives in Richmond with his wife Kate, a chemistry professor at VCU, and their cat, Rocky.
Elizabeth has served as the Executive Director for Church Operations since August 2021, overseeing the parish facilities, coordinating the work of St. Mary’s sextons and working with the parish treasurer and Finance Committee to oversee parish finances. Elizabeth first joined St. Mary’s in 2017 as Administrative Assistant and later was the Office Administrator. Elizabeth is a graduate of Sweet Briar College and received her master’s in history and museum studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. During her time at St. Mary’s, she has had the privilege of researching St. Mary’s fascinating history—be sure to check out the exhibition in the Dover Lounge! In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two beautiful daughters.
Paul has served as Parish Sexton for more than three decades. He was born in Goochland County in Hadensville, the 11th of 12 children. After three years in the U.S. Army, he returned to his birthplace. He found us in 1992 and has been an important part of our parish family ever since. When we asked Paul if we could take his picture for this site, he said, “Do I have to stand or can I keep working?” The man is unstoppable. When asked what he likes about St. Mary’s, he doesn’t miss a beat. “Everything. These are some of the best people I’ve met in my whole life.” He and his wife Polly are members of Divine Baptist Church in Louisa, where Paul served as pastor for many years.
Amelia McDaniel has served as a Christian education director and teacher to several congregations and an Episcopal Day School over the past 20 years. She began her career in Richmond at St. James’s. Her travels have taken her to Raleigh, Alexandria, Nashville and Baton Rouge. Amelia joined the staff in 2016 and during these several years, she has been working with families to build a nurturing place for children to grow and learn about our faith. In addition, she helps facilitate adult formation opportunities. Amelia grew up in Middle Tennessee and graduated from Sweet Briar College. She is married to Steve Metzger and together they share six children and one badly behaved Labrador named Ruth.
Lauren joined St. Mary’s staff in 2021 as the welcoming face when you stop by the office and the friendly voice who answers the phone. Lauren is excited to be a part of such a wonderful and vibrant community that is St. Mary’s. She has worked for various churches and denominations for more than 14 years. Her role as the Office Administrator at St. Mary’s includes answering phones, preparing the worship bulletins, and assisting parishioners, staff, and clergy in their various needs. A native of Richmond and graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Lauren has three school-aged children and two kitty cats. In her spare time, you can find her performing in various professional choral ensembles in the region, watching British comedies, and listening to podcasts.
Vestry
Our vestry members serve three-year terms, and we elect a new class of vestrymen and women each year. Nominations are made by a committee and the parish at large during our annual meeting.
We encourage anyone who wants to serve on the vestry to raise a hand. We draw our leaders from across our parish spectrum, and we don’t want people to be shy about expressing an interest in this kind of service.
The eligibility requirement for election to the vestry is as follows:
Canon 11, Section 4.
Only lay persons, who are confirmed adult communicants in good standing of the church, as defined in General Convention Canon 1.17, shall be eligible for election as Vestry members of such church. However, regardless of eligibility of a person for election, no person shall be elected at duly convened congregational meetings to consecutive full terms on a congregation’s Vestry or Vestry Committee.
Vestry Members
Jeff’s first Episcopalian memories are participating as an acolyte and being confirmed at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Beckley, W.V. When he moved to Richmond after college, he attended St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church where he and his wife Page were married, and their kids, Ashe and Kaki, were baptized. When Ashe was a middle schooler, he became less eager to join the family at church and they realized that perhaps St Stephen’s had become too big a congregation for their family. The Allendes began searching for a church home where they truly felt they belonged, and, thankfully, found St. Mary’s. That was 12 years ago, and they couldn’t be happier. Both Ashe and Kaki were confirmed at St. Mary’s, and Ashe and his wife, Catherine, were married by David May in 2021. Page’s passion for fostering newborns has led to many “baby blessing” services in Little St. Mary’s as well. Jeff has been honored to have served on the St. Mary’s vestry previously, to have taught youth (middle school) Sunday school, participated in the outreach and CARITAS committees, led a pastoral care team, and to have participated in two discernments.
Barbara Tavenner is a cradle Episcopalian who was raised at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Greenville, N.C. She’s been married for 31 years to Bill Tavenner, also a cradle Episcopalian, and they have three sons: Jack, Cab, and Ben. Barbara attended UNC-Chapel Hill, majoring in finance, and worked as a banker for First Union Bank before becoming a stay-at-home mom. Barbara and Bill settled in his hometown of Richmond 20 years ago after six corporate moves and fully enjoy calling Virginia their home. In her free time, Barbara enjoys traveling, playing pickleball, needlepointing, volunteering, and walking their golden retriever. Currently, she co-chairs the St. Mary’s welcomers’ committee with Patsy Simril. Barbara also works part time with Naborforce helping senior citizens by providing social interaction, support for errands and transportation to appointments.
Over the years, St. Mary’s Church has been a part of many joyous and tragic times for Ros. He and his three sisters were baptized at St. Mary’s. In 1971, Holt Souder buried his father. A few years later, his mother and stepfather Armistead Talman were married at St. Mary’s. Throughout Ros’ childhood, John Miller shepherded him and his sisters through confirmation classes and acolyte duty. Then two of his three children were baptized at St. Mary’s and all three were confirmed and have been acolytes. He and his wife Didi have been Sunday School teachers, prayer readers, and ushers. They’ve enjoyed participating in CARITAS and other St. Mary’s outreach programs. Ros served on the vestry once before and was previously co-chair of the annual stewardship campaign with Jim Crawford. In addition, he has served on the finance committee and is currently a member of the legacy committee. In 2018, his stepfather Armistead Talman was buried in the churchyard at St. Mary’s. But then in 2020, his mother Peggy and Austin Brockenbrough were married by David May at St. Mary’s in a beautiful, outdoor service in the midst of a pandemic.
Henly Deutsch is a self-described “Virginia girl, born and raised in Newport News” before leaving for college at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg and then Medical College of Virginia School of Pharmacy in Richmond. Henly has worked for VCU Health as a staff pharmacist in various capacities since 1995. For more than 10 years, Henly has worked in Investigational Drug Services providing pharmacy services for clinical trials.
Henly and her husband, Mark, met in 1995, married in 1996, and joined St. Mary’s in 2000. Since then, they have been a part of St. Mary’s Supper Club, Hospitality Team, Youth Committee, Welcome Committee, Altar Guild, outreach opportunities, and Sacred Ground series. Henly and Mark have two sons, Jack and Davis. Henly and Mark have seen their boys through baptisms, confirmations, acolyting, youth groups, and mission trips to South Dakota, California and Georgia. Henly shared, “I am very excited to enter this next chapter in my life as an empty nester and look forward to turning my focus onto St. Mary’s. I truly feel that the stars have aligned, and God has called me to serve on the Vestry.”
Andy and Katie Howlett chose St. Mary’s in 2015 on the recommendation of their friends Anne and Jesse McCoy. Their family of four knew they had found their church home as soon as they entered New St. Mary’s for the first time and heard John Miller deliver his sermon. Andy officially became an Episcopalian in 2018 by reception. He has been involved in youth mission trips, the discernment committee, and the search committee that called David May as rector of Mary’s.
The Auburn graduate works for Owens & Minor where he is a director of business operations and spends weekends as an “unpaid Uber driver” for daughter LJ and son Graydon, both of whom are active Richmond Kickers soccer players. Andy’s ideal evening is one spent around a fire pit with good friends or at a concert at one of Richmond’s many excellent music venues.
Linda is a lifelong Episcopalian, who has attended St. John’s in Hopewell, Wicomico Parish in the Northern Neck, and Hickory Neck in Toano (her grandmother’s church). She graduated from St. Mary’s College in Raleigh and Louisiana State University in New Orleans. Linda and John married after his first year of medical school at Tulane. Following that, Linda worked in IT (long before it was called IT) in New Orleans and Richmond until John completed his residency. Prior to joining St. Mary’s, they were members of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church, but then became members of St. Mary’s in the mid-1990s with four young children. Linda initially volunteered with Sunday School and later served with the fellowship committee, CARITAS, altar guild, joined a pastoral care team, and became an usher. She treasures the friendships made working with these groups and is grateful for the dedicated staff and others who faithfully work to make St. Mary’s such a special place.
A Norfolk native, Mary-Taliaferro found the Episcopal Church as a University of Richmond student and was confirmed at St. Stephen’s. She and husband Bruce attended All Saints for almost 40 years, then, in 2017, they moved to St. Mary’s. Mary-Taliaferro immediately joined the Fellowship Committee, which she found was a great way to meet people. From there, she joined the Early Education Committee and the Altar Guild and volunteered for Vacation Bible School. A gifted artist, Mary-Taliaferro also enjoys providing the newly baptized with a ceramic cross on behalf of St. Mary’s.
Professionally, she and Bruce ran a public relations and lobbying firm, prior to which she worked in the Virginia General Assembly. Since retiring last year Mary-Taliaferro feels fortunate to be more involved with St. Mary’s and to support its mission and purpose.
Sandy and Vanna McDonald moved to Richmond in August 2012, which was, in fact, their twelfth move together. Sandy often shares that they found their church before they found their home. Driving on River Road to look at houses and neighborhoods, Sandy and Vanna crossed into Goochland and found St. Mary’s at the top of the hill. Sandy shared, “‘Find a church‘ was immediately checked off our to-do list.”
Sandy and Vanna have been members of St. Mary’s for more than 20 years. For much of that time, Sandy traveled internationally for work. Since retirement, he and Vanna have enjoyed spending more time at St. Mary’s. Both Vanna and Sandy are members of the Pastoral Care Team 2 and volunteer as ushers for services and funerals. Sandy is also a member of Saint Mary’s Welcoming Committee. Sandy shared that St. Mary’s has become their “spiritual home.” He and Vanna have seen two of their children married and their two grandsons baptized in the church.
Meriwether’s life at St. Mary’s began at age one when her family moved to Richmond and joined the church. She grew up attending Sunday School, Children’s Chapel, and Vacation Bible School. After being confirmed, she participated in several youth mission trips. In her adult life at St. Mary’s, she has volunteered with the youth and children’s ministries through VBS, Children’s Chapel, Youth Group, and teaching Sunday School. Most recently, she directed the 2023 Christmas Pageant. In addition, she has been a member of St. Mary’s music ministry beginning at the age of four, singing in the Children’s Choir, Treble Choir, and the Adult Choir.
Meriwether graduated from the University of South Carolina with a double major in accounting and supply chain management. She just received her MBA from City, University of London and is a technology and digital transformation consultant. She spends her free time with her golden retriever Ginny and sailing competitively.
Geoff Simril was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, in the Lutheran Church. He later graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and Harvard Business School, and he served three years as a Naval officer. Geoff married his wife, Patsy, in 1998, and they have three children Peter Vick, Jane Vick, and Henry Simril. They also have three grandchildren.
Geoff was confirmed in the Episcopal Church in 1999. He and Patsy joined St. Mary’s in 2016. He serves as a Lay Eucharistic Minister, lector, and usher. He also volunteers for parish breakfasts, participates in the Men’s Spiritual Practice, and leads the Men’s Meal Ministry.
Celeste and her family moved to Richmond from Raleigh, N.C., in 2010. Celeste shared that her family “felt God’s love, presence, and joy at St. Mary’s and feel very grateful to be a part of this wonderful church.” Celeste currently volunteers in the church office and is a member of the Grief Group.
In Raleigh, Celeste was a founding member of Holy Trinity Church, where she wore various hats, including organizing bible studies and teaching youth Sunday School. Additionally, she has served on the Parents’ Committee for both the University of Virginia (Will ’18) and The University of the South (Emily ’21) when her children were students.
Frank and his family decided to try a new church on Easter Sunday 2009. They loved the service, the campus, and the peaceful feeling of the congregation. And they received enthusiastic approval from their U of R law-student babysitter from Atlanta who accompanied them! Over the years Frank and his wife Charmaine have become more attached to and involved with the church. Frank has served as a lay reader, usher, and lay Eucharistic minister. Daughters Garland and Rainey were both confirmed at St. Mary’s.
Frank is a Board of Directors member at Davenport & Company LLC and heads up the advisory acquisitions efforts for the firm. He believes vestry service is a wonderful opportunity to help with the continued growth and development of St. Mary’s Church and to work with the talented team David has cultivated over the last few years.
Join Us in Worship
Find our current service hours, along with other resources to help prepare your hearts and minds for worship.