Nominations
Elected Positions
Nominations are Due October 30.
Standing Committee
Clergy
The Rev. Cate Anthony
Standing Committee – Clergy
St. Stephen’s, Richmond
It is my privilege to stand for nomination to the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Virginia. We are living in divided and tense times as a nation; this atmosphere permeates life on individual and communal levels. As an Episcopal Church Foundation Fellow from 2020-2023, I designed and led a series of formation offerings on “sacramental citizenship,” learning how to live out our baptismal vows as citizens in the public sphere. This experience grounded my personal theology in the call of all Christians to seek relationship with God and one another, even and especially when it is difficult to do so. My experience as a mediator and facilitator equips me with deep listening, strong communication, and a collaborative and curious posture toward ministry and relationship. As a millennial priest, I bring a particular perspective to the work of the standing committee and the Diocese, with a commitment toward strengthening the future of the Church in Virginia and beyond through expansive and innovative forms of church and ministry. If it is God’s will, I am excited to serve the Diocese and its people in this way.
The Rev. Cate Anthony began her ordained ministry at St. Stephen’s in the summer of 2020. A child of Florida and Delaware, Cate is a graduate of McGill University, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, and Yale Divinity School. While at Yale, Cate served at Trinity Episcopal Church in Newtown, CT, where she helped facilitate meaningful healing in a community struggling with past community and church traumas. Prior to earning her Master of Divinity at Yale, Cate worked as a hospital chaplain at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago where she learned the spiritual practices of pastoral care which root her ministry today.
At the heart of Cate’s ministry is the desire to hold space for people of all experiences to draw closer to one another and to God, even and especially in times of conflict or crisis. At St. Stephen’s, Cate serves as the Associate Rector for Formation, working together with lay folk and staff colleagues to imagine the journey of discipleship for our youngest and oldest members alike. In this role, she oversees adult formation and small groups, and is a leader of the church’s family ministries. In addition to her ministry at St. Stephen’s, Cate also serves on the alumni board of the Fellowship at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics, a community that has radically shaped her understanding of what it is to live and lead ethically. In her time away from St. Stephen’s, Cate enjoys riding bikes and eating desserts with her husband, Emery.
The Rev. Fran Gardner-Smith
Standing Committee – Clergy
St. Thomas, McLean
In early October, I celebrated 20 years of ordained ministry. Before coming to Virginia just over ten years ago, I served in the Dioceses of Northern Michigan, New Hampshire, and California. My roles have included ministry developer, small-congregation rector, founding co-vicar of a four-church cluster, interim rector of Clarke Parish in Berryville, and, since early 2018, rector of St. Thomas, McLean. I also served on diocesan staffs in Northern Michigan and New Hampshire.
In Northern Michigan, I was elected to Executive Council and helped revitalize congregational giving to the diocese. In New Hampshire, I was appointed to the Mission Resources Committee and helped revitalize Fair Share congregational giving. In Virginia, I served as appointed Dean of the North Fairfax Region (2019–2022) and on the Diocesan COVID Regathering Team. I have served as a Title IV Intake Officer since 2021. I am a Level III seminarian supervisor at Virginia Theological Seminary and have supervised 18 people preparing for priesthood or the diaconate across my ministry in New Hampshire and Virginia.
Since 2017, I have lived in Reston, VA, with my spouse, the Rev. Dr. David Smith, and our poodle, Jasper. I am an avid reader, especially of fantasy and history, and enjoy creating, primarily with a crochet hook.
Exploring a call to the episcopate in another diocese has deepened my love for the Diocese of Virginia, my canonical and spiritual home for half of my ministry. I feel called to serve on its Standing Committee out of affection for this community and a desire to share my gifts and skills in its service. Throughout my ministry, I have sought to listen closely to the hopes and concerns of congregations and communities. I care deeply about building together a welcoming, inclusive Church that serves its neighbors, holds a clear sense of mission, and makes room for differing perspectives. I would bring prayerfulness, humility, and sound judgment to this work, and would welcome the opportunity to discern alongside our bishop and fellow committee members how best to nurture the diocese’s life, leadership, and future.
The Rev. Dr. Bart Natoli
Standing Committee – Clergy
Varina Church, Henrico
I am nominating the Rev. Dr. Bart Natoli for the Standing Committee because I think he would be able to bring a unique perspective to the Standing Committee. First, he has been involved in the Episcopal Church in a variety of roles for 30 years and is a newly ordained priest in the Diocese (ordained in February 2026). His recent interactions with the discernment and ordination process provide him a more empathetic lens through which to assist others through the discernment process themselves.
Second, his formation and occupational status provide him with a unique viewpoint on the directions in which the church is moving. He completed his MDiv through Bexley-Seabury, a seminary offering formation mostly via online classes. In addition, he currently is a bivocational priest, splitting his time between his role as Vicar of Varina Parish in Henrico and as Professor and Chair of Classics at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland. As the church continues to move and grow in new and unexpected ways, I think non-traditional positions (e.g., bivocational) will be more and more prevalent. Having someone on the Standing Committee with that lived experience can help provide a more holistic and nuanced conversation.
Finally, in his secular job as Chair and Professor at Randolph-Macon College, he served on the College’s Tenure and Promotion Committee for half a decade. In that capacity, he was charged with evaluating individual portfolios for faculty considering promotion and making high-stakes decisions on the ways in which the institution would move forward. On the Standing Committee, I believe he would bring that same level of detail-oriented, empathetic, and thoughtful evaluation to bear.
In short, I think the Rev. Dr. Bart Natoli has the energy, perspective, and qualifications to provide a unique voice on the Standing Committee to advise the Bishop and help to move the Diocese forward.
The Rev. Deacon Stephen Pace
Standing Committee – Clergy
Grace and Holy Trinity, Richmond
I was born and raised in Richmond to deeply faithful parents who just happened to be Episcopalians. And, was baptized, confirmed and ordained at All Saints, Richmond. I am married to Naomi Miller and we have 4 children and 7 grand children.
My early church experience was being a member of the men and boys choir, serving as acolyte, participating in youth groups (YPSL) and youth member of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. As an adult I served on the vestry, directed our acolyte guild for 35 years, was choir member, eucharistic minister, youth leader, with work in pastoral care and outreach in the wider community of Ashland, VA. I answered my call to the diaconate in 2018.
My first placement, January 2020 to October 2024, I served at The Church of Our Saviour, Montpelier. I worked in the mission and outreach programs there, in pastoral care, assisted with their wonderful garden ministry and wood ministry and prayers to go with other deacons in Richmond.
I now serve as deacon at Grace and Holy Trinity Church, Richmond. Our Red Door feeding ministry on Friday’s provides me with the opportunity to connect with those that are living on the streets offering prayers of healing, conversation and after lunch prayer service. I have focused on being a presence in the park to the community around the church, VCU, Monroe Park and Oregon Hill areas. Basically, my ministry is a walking ministry in the streets around Grace and Holy Trinity offering prayers, conversation, smiles and the Light of Christ in my very being to those I meet.
What would I bring to the standing committee if elected? I would bring a fresh outlook with a long standing commitment to service and deep faith in the church with a vision of openness, inclusiveness, compassion and experience to do the work God has given me/us to do!!!!
Serving as a deacon means standing at the sacred intersection of the church and the world. I feel I would bring a fresh commitment and energy, in the tradition of the Episcopal church, as a deacon’s primary vow is to bring the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world to the church’s attention. By stepping into a leadership role on the Standing Committee, I would bridge the gap between administrative oversight and grassroots impact. A role that ensures that every institutional decision, policy change, and strategic plan is directly tethered to its real-world implications—transforming church governance into a catalyst for justice, healing, and service in the wider community.
The Very Rev'd Burl Salmon
Standing Committee – Clergy
The Falls Church, Falls Church
My interest in serving on the standing committee is borne of a deep commitment to the work of the diocese and support of the bishop in that work. Having come to the Diocese of Virginia in 2021, I have been honored to serve as dean of the South Fairfax Region as well as Title IV intake officer, and in that time have come to understand keenly the importance of abundant, regular, and appropriate communication that is challenging for a diocese the size of ours. I have also seen and realized the need for the bishop to have a candid council of advice that is attuned to the diversity of voices that comprise the diocese, lay and clergy alike. It has been a pleasure to raise The Falls Church’s involvement in the work of the diocese since my arrival, supplying members for numerous diocesan commissions and committees, and I would be humbled to continue that commitment as a clergy member of the standing committee.
Called to serve as rector of The Falls Church in July of 2021, The Rev. Burl Salmon came to the Diocese of Virginia from The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida, where he served six years as senior associate, and before that as middle school chaplain and dean at Trinity Episcopal School in Charlotte, North Carolina. Salmon is a mentor in the contextual education program of Virginia Theological Seminary as well as in the Thriving in Ministry program for recently graduated alumni. He represents The Episcopal Church on a convening table for the National Council of Churches and serves as chaplain to the City of Falls Church Police Department. He is the former chair of the Clergy Advisory Council of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. A native of Natchez, Mississippi, Salmon holds a BA from Millsaps College and an MDiv from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, with a certificate of study from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. For sixteen years prior to ordination, he served on English and religion faculties at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexandria, Virginia, and Holy Innocents Episcopal School and The Lovett School in Atlanta.
Lay
Mrs. Megan Costilow
Standing Committee
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (Wellington), Alexandria, VA
I’m a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on Fort Hunt Rd in Alexandria, where I serve on the vestry and as an usher. I grew up in a small Pentecostal community in Mississippi and only recently was confirmed Episcopalian this past Easter. I’m on the grill team at St. Luke’s and try to help out at as many events as I can. I am the author of a Substack blog titled: Becoming Episcopalian, where I mostly write about parish life and my spiritual journey with TEC. Professionally, I work for the U.S. Government. I’ve spent my career reading laws closely and helping people apply them fairly for the betterment of public safety. I believe the core of that is part of what a Standing Committee does on behalf of the diocese as the bishop’s council of advice. I’d also bring the view of someone who walked into an Episcopal church for the first time just a couple of years ago, and who still remembers what it took to keep coming back. I would be grateful for the opportunity to serve.
Mx. Connor Crafton-Tempel
Standing Committee
Christ Church, Winchester
I am a lay Episcopalian with experience in parish governance, diocesan and churchwide leadership, episcopal transition work, and public service, and I would be honored to serve on the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Virginia. My experience at the parish, diocesan, and churchwide levels has given me a deep appreciation for the importance of faithful governance, collaborative discernment, servant leadership, and the ministry of the laity in The Episcopal Church.
Since coming to the Diocese of Virginia, I have had the privilege of serving on the Diocese’s Truth and Reparations Task Force. This ministry has challenged me to listen deeply, engage honestly with difficult aspects of the Church’s history, and consider how our common life can be shaped by truth, reconciliation, accountability, and repair. I have found this work particularly meaningful because it demonstrates that diocesan leadership is not simply about administration or governance; it is about helping the Church faithfully discern how we live into our Baptismal Covenant and our call to seek and serve Christ in all persons.
My experience with diocesan leadership began in the Diocese of New Jersey, where I served on the Cathedral Chapter of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Trenton from 2021 to 2023. I also served on the transition committee responsible for the election and transition of the XIII Bishop of New Jersey from 2021/2022 through 2023. That experience gave me firsthand exposure to the responsibilities of cathedral governance and to the particular demands of episcopal transition. It taught me the importance of prayerful discernment, careful stewardship, transparency, collaboration, and maintaining continuity during periods of significant institutional change.
At the churchwide level, I served on The Episcopal Church’s Task Force to Study Household and Relationship Diversity. This work broadened my understanding of the many ways Episcopalians experience household, family, and community life and reinforced the importance of listening to the lived experiences of people throughout the Church. Serving in this capacity also gave me an appreciation for how local and diocesan ministry connects to the broader mission and governance of The Episcopal Church.
My formation in leadership has also been shaped by my service with FEMA Corps through AmeriCorps NCCC. Through emergency management and disaster response work, I learned to operate in complex and rapidly changing environments, collaborate across organizational and institutional boundaries, communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds, and remain focused on mission and service during times of uncertainty. FEMA Corps taught me the importance of servant leadership, preparedness, accountability, stewardship, and building trust-qualities that I believe are equally important in the governance and ministry of the Church.
I am seeking election to the Standing Committee because I believe lay leadership is an essential expression of our shared ministry through Baptism. The Standing Committee has a unique responsibility within the Diocese: to provide faithful governance and oversight while also helping the Diocese discern its direction, support its congregations and ministries, and navigate seasons of change. I would hope to bring to that work the perspective of someone who has served at the parish, diocesan, and churchwide levels and who has experienced both the ordinary work of institutional governance and the particular challenges of transition, reconciliation, and discernment.
I believe I am qualified to serve because my experience has taught me how to listen carefully, collaborate across differences, steward responsibility, ask difficult questions, navigate organizational change, and keep the larger mission in view. Just as importantly, I understand that service on the Standing Committee is fundamentally a ministry of discernment and service, not simply a governance position. I would approach the role with humility, prayerfulness, curiosity, and a willingness to listen to the voices and experiences of people throughout the Diocese.
I would be grateful for the opportunity to offer my experience, perspective, and gifts to the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Virginia, and to join with clergy and lay leaders across the Diocese in faithfully discerning and pursuing the work to which God is calling us.
Mx Ryn Kennedy
Standing Committee — Lay
St. Mark’s, Richmond VA
Baptized, raised, and confirmed in this Diocese (Christ Church, Glen Allen).
Left the church in early adolescence, but did not depart from own personal faith.
Member of St. Mark's Episcopal since 2019.
St. Mark's Vestry 2020-2023 (Jr Warden 2020, Sr. Warden 2021, Property team liaison)
Team lead for Food Pantry YA volunteers, member of coffee hour, justice and advocacy, and evangelism ministry teams.
Ad Hoc Young Adult ministry leader and Youth ministry liaison.
I represent a generation of Episcopalians that widely left the church during the mid 2010s. From my experience this exodus was centered on what I would call the Episcopal version of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in regards to our LGBTQIA+ siblings.
I believe my lived experience as a LGBTQIA+ Episcopalian is necessary for our Bishop to hear and learn from in order to grow the Church. My hope is my participation can assist our Bishop in making decisions to build a "bigger table" that has room for us all.
Thank you for your consideration.
Ms. Carolyn Lanier
Standing Committee – Lay
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church – Richmond, VA
I seek to serve on the Standing Committee as I believe my background, skills, and qualifications would be a good fit. I love Jesus. I love the Church. I love the people of the Diocese of Virginia and am eager to continue serving them.
Since moving to the Diocese in 2020, I have served as the founding Chair of the Ministry for Racial Justice and Healing (MRJH), the search committee for the XIVth Bishop and on the Board of Virginia Episcopal Real Estate Partners (VEREP). Through my work with MRJH, I was the grateful, and humble, recipient of the 2025 Meet Me in Galilee Award. At St. Philip’s, I have served as the Registrar to the Vestry since 2020 and as a vice-president to our ECW chapter since 2024. Through these experiences, I have been blessed to meet so many people from around the diocese for whom Christ is the center of their lives and learn that we share far more commonalities than differences.
Professionally, I possess nearly thirty years of experience in strategic planning, organizational development, and human resources management. This experience has been gained through executive and leadership roles in both government and non-profit organizations. My undergraduate degree in Psychology was earned at the University of Michigan. Additionally, I possess a Master’s in Public Administration from Seattle University.
Thoughtful leadership, discerning hearts, and collaborative intentions are called for as increasingly complex issues confront our congregations. Along with possessing these qualifications, I believe that my strong administrative and organizational skills would also be an asset to the Standing Committee’s work in these challenging times.
I welcome the opportunity to offer my service, perspectives, and gifts to the Standing Committee and to the Diocese. Thank you for considering my nomination.
Miss Diem Miller
Standing Committee – Lay
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church
I currently serve in the Altar Guild and Parish Life, am a member of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW), and serve as Parish Administrator.
I have a genuine love for people, the Episcopal Church, and the rich history of Richmond. As I continue learning about Richmond’s history, I find that some of it saddens my heart, but it also inspires me to learn more, understand our past, and become part of building a better future.
My desire is to grow in knowledge and understanding so I can contribute to the continued growth, strength, and prosperity of our Diocese and our churches for generations to come.
It would be an incredible honor to serve, assist our beloved bishops, learn from their leadership, and be mentored by the dedicated individuals who are faithfully serving today. I come with an open heart, a willingness to listen, a desire to be educated, and above all, a humble spirit.
I believe there is so much wisdom to be gained from those who have paved the way, and I would welcome the opportunity to learn, serve, and help carry that legacy forward for future generations.
Your sister in Christ, Diem Miller
Mr. George Omohundro
Standing Committee – Lay
St. Luke's, Wellington, Alexandria
I was baptized on November 24, 1963, at Emmanuel, Brook Hill, and I grew up with the loving care of that congregation until I left Richmond to serve in the Navy in October 1985. My parents both served multiple vestry terms, including as wardens, and in many other parish roles, enthusiastically sharing their experiences with my sister and me, and involving us regularly in many Emmanuel activities. We loved being Episcopalians and were given sustained insight into parish life and administration from an early age. My dad served many years as delegate and president of Region 11/North Richmond, and delegate to Diocesan Convention, providing me insight into Episcopal Church polity, politics and administration at the diocesan level. My roles at Emmanuel included Sunday school and Bible school member, acolyte, choir member, youth group member, cemetery groundskeeper, and volunteer for unnumbered projects and activities. Confirmed by Bishop Hall in 1975, I was a Shrine Mont stalwart, and a four-summer St. George’s camper.
Navy service took me to California, then Japan, then back again to Virginia, where my wife Laura and I joined St. Luke’s, Alexandria and enrolled our children, Calvin and Cara, in the day school beginning in 2005. My roles at and through St. Luke’s have included Youth Group mentor, Journey-to-Adulthood (J2A) mentor (all three levels, including pilgrimage to Scotland), diocesan Parish Youth Ministry (PYM) mentor, delegate to Convention (2011-2026), non-voting delegate to the electing Convention of Bishop Goff (2012), lector and lay eucharistic minister (2012-2026), delegate to Region 6/Potomac (2013-2023), vestry (2012-2014), day-school board member (2013-2015), Renewal Works study group leader (2017), capital campaign representative (2018), vestry (2018-2020, Jr. Warden 2019, Sr. Warden 2020 (COVID, no rector)), Potomac Region delegate to the diocesan Executive Board (EB) (2021-2023, (VP 2022, 2023)), EB delegate to the electing Convention of Bishop Stevenson (2022), Sacred Ground class member (2024), Education for Ministry (EfM) class member (2025-2026 (completion in 2028)), among many other projects and activities as a follower and a leader.
My formal education includes a BS in Business Administration and Management from VCU (1985), and a Master of Public Administration (public policy) from The George Washington University (2000). My professional career includes service as a Navy Supply Corps officer (1985-1992) (during which I was trained as a government contracting officer), and 34 years as Director of Contracts for several companies engaged in providing primarily information technology services to U.S. federal government agencies, retiring at the end of October 2026.
I’ve made a lifelong discipline of reading widely, and of considering carefully the ways of our world and of our species, tempered by my foundation in the Episcopal Church. I believe my experience qualifies me to serve effectively as a member of the Standing Committee.
I love The Episcopal Church and grieve its shortcomings. I love what the Church does in my life, and in the lives of us all. I walk an Episcopalian path towards God (I trust), and I am bound in love to help maintain that way.
Ms. Kim Clark Pakstys
Standing Committee
St. John’s Episcopal
For more than two decades, St. John’s Episcopal Church has been my spiritual home and a place where my faith and vocation have become deeply intertwined. Through leadership in adult formation, vestry service, confirmation class, missions, capital campaigns, rector search, stewardship, and as Senior Warden, I have witnessed and led through numerous transitions. I’ve seen when the Church is at its best, it brings people together in service of something greater than themselves. My experience teaches me that faithful leadership begins with listening, discernment, and trust. I look to expand my ministry beyond the doors of St. John’s and into the Diocese.
Professionally, I have spent more than three decades in executive leadership roles and in board rooms navigating pivotal moments. I work at the intersection of governance, strategy, finance, operational excellence, and organizational leadership, guiding the path through leadership transitions, changing landscapes, and periods of uncertainty. My experience has taught me that lasting progress comes from building a strong talent pipeline, allocating resources wisely, aligning people around a shared purpose, engaging diverse perspectives with respect, and building the trust necessary to move forward together.
I seek to serve on the Standing Committee because I believe the Diocese of Virginia is entering a season that calls for faithful discernment, thoughtful leadership, and collaborative partnership between clergy and laity. I hope to bring a steady presence, sound judgment, and an ability to navigate complexity while keeping our shared mission at the center. My leadership experience helping institutions and organizations across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors through times of transition and succession can support the Diocese as we strengthen our congregations, steward our resources wisely, and faithfully respond to where God is calling us next.
Ms. Deborah Taliaferro
Standing Committee – Lay
The Church of the Holy Comforter, Richmond
While living in New Jersey, I drank the Kool-Aid of service and time. I served on the vestries of two churches in the Diocese of Newark. Both vestry terms included the challenging task of working through serious issues with the diocese. Although painful for the churches, those issues sparked my interest and desire to learn more about the workings of the Church. I also served on two search committees, chaired the youth ministry, taught Sunday School, and mentored 12 middle-school boys in Rite 13. That alone will get me to heaven!
Shortly after I retired, I moved back to Virginia in 2012 to be near family. I joined St. Philip’s after meeting the rector. When the parish administrator became ill, I volunteered to fill in. She eventually retired, and I was hired. I spent eight wonderful years there with a joyous congregation and clergy.
I served as president of what was then Region 11, now the North Richmond Region. The transition took place during my tenure. As I was still relatively new to Richmond, it was a great way to meet people from other churches and learn about the churches in our region/diocese. I also served on the Diocese of Virginia’s Executive Board, which was an amazing experience.
I eventually transferred my membership to the Church of the Holy Comforter, where I am completing my final year on the vestry as Junior Warden. I have always loved serving on vestries and consider it an honor to be trusted with that responsibility.
I have long wanted to serve on the Standing Committee, and I believe my experience has prepared me well: I have served in a variety of ministries in the Diocese of Virginia, worked through significant challenges on vestries in New Jersey, and developed a strong understanding of how The Episcopal Church operates. Volunteering for my church and my career in Airport Operations has made me quick-thinking, creative, innovative, and confident. I enjoy finding solutions, diffusing conflict, and taking a thoughtful risk when the moment calls for one.
I was born an Episcopalian and, by my own admission, I am a “church nerd.” Many a Saturday night has found me with popcorn in one hand and the Book of Common Prayer or the Canons in the other. I love learning the small details of The Episcopal Church.
I attended Montclair State College (now Montclair State University) in Montclair, New Jersey, where I majored in Fine Arts. After graduating, I remained in Montclair and worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for 30 years. I retired as Airport Operations Manager at Newark Liberty International Airport.
In my spare time, I make jewelry—especially prayer beads—design projects with my Cricut, and lead my Girl Scout troop. I’m a Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a Lifetime Member of Girl Scouts USA. I am divorced and have a 37-year-old son. I share my home with Beauregard (Beau), a Yorkie/Shih Tzu who dictates my life.
Diocesan Missionary Society
Virginia Episcopal Real Estate Partners
Virginia Episcopal Investment Funds
Nominations will be posted as they are received.