The Vestry Nominating Committee has selected an outstanding slate of candidates for election at the Parish Annual Meeting, to be held Sunday, March 14, 2021. Each one of these candidates brings excellent skills and experience, and will be an asset to the leadership of All Saints Church. Gary DePew, who is currently serving an unexpired term, Gabriel DuBransky, Elisabeth Eilers, Crystal Jones, Ava King, Walter Little, Karen Meier and Janet Carol Norton.
It is possible to nominate additional candidates by petition. The petition requires the signature of the nominee as well as signatures from twelve parishioners who agree that the nominee meets the requirements and possesses the qualifications for vestry membership. Forms are available by contacting Maren Tompkins at mtompkins@allsaints-pas.org. The deadline for petition submissions is 5:00 p.m., Sunday, February 21, 2021. Names, photos and statements of those nominated by petition will be published to the parish prior to the Annual Meeting. Thank you to the members of the Nominating Committee: MaryAnn Ahart, Rick Davis, Adelaide Esseln, Will Gatlin, Cathy Keig, Rory Lowdermilk, Juan Mejia, Max Molina, Frank Ramirez, Isabel Ramirez, Monique Thomas, Terry Knowles and Mike Kinman – for their prayerful discernment of this next class of parish leaders.
Here is the slate for 2021:
Gary DePew has been at All Saints for 3 years, and as a certified Peer Counselor for the Amputee Coalition, he’s provided a safe and supportive environment for individuals living with limb loss or limb difference. He has served proudly on the Board of Directors of the organization Masters of Harmony, a 110-member men’s chorus based in Santa Fe Springs, California. They are the winners of eight consecutive gold medals in international barbershop chorus competitions. The group has recorded eight albums across a variety of genres, including classical, jazz, patriotic, sacred, standards and Broadway pops. He came from a close-knit, loving and supportive family, many of whom are fairly conservative in their political views, some of which he shares. All Saints’ core value of radical inclusion and our mission statement of ‘reverently inviting all faiths and peoples into relationship poses a specific challenge that animates him, namely, how do we build bridges to those with whom we disagree, while maintaining our commitments to all the core values, mission and foundational goals of All Saints Pasadena?
Gabriel DuBransky (they/them) is in the 11th grade at California School of the Arts and has been at All Saints for six years. They have always loved the accepting and nurturing nature of All Saints. They are consistently proud and grateful for the work All Saints has done in extending spirituality and activism to everyone. Moving forward, they’re excited to see the Vestry branch out even more, and put deliberate action into the bettering of all communities, and they’re excited to be helping with that progress.
Elisabeth Eilers (she/her) has been at ASC for 10 years, and is a psychotherapist. Elisabeth has been involved in several All Saints ministries, has been on the South Pasadena Board of Education for several years, and has supported several immigrant families seeking asylum. In her words: “May those who attend ASC find their hearts and souls transformed into LOVE that we may become the sacred community that reflects the Goodness of the Creator. May everyone connect with a subset of individuals with shared passions (environment, racial justice, meditation, family nurture, music, etc.) thus deepening both the quality of relationships within ASC as well as increasing our impact for good in the world.”
Ever since joining All Saints Pasadena 8 years ago, Crystal Jones (she/her) has been spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually nurtured and challenged by All Saints. She has grown in her ability to love herself and others. When asked what makes her heart beat fast about All Saints, she says “at this life stage I am not looking for things to make my heart beat fast (LOL!). I continue to be drawn to the All Saints Pasadena community to promote more joy, health, happiness, ease, and safety in my life, and in the Beloved Community. It seems simple but it is a tall order as these qualities call for collective justice, and a ‘coercion to love that cannot be stifled’ (per Rabbi Ken Chasen’s recent sermon). I mean, wow, what an honor and what a responsibility.”
What is most special to Ava King (she/her) about All Saints, is the community – no question. She’s been here her whole life, been a fixture in choirs, acolytes and youth groups in general. “I am excited to help facilitate a community that, for me, has always been a place where I feel I can be my complete self. I am looking forward to bringing what I hope is a valuable new perspective to the Vestry, to youth programs and issues, as well as the work of the greater church. I hope to learn more about what it means to be a leader at All Saints, to advocate for youth voices, and to contribute to the work of the Vestry and the church from the viewpoint of one of its youth, as well as a member of the entire church community. I am also passionate about contributing to conversations about continuing to adapt All Saints and its programs to the virtual space. I am eager to work with the Vestry to continue to make All Saints a place where all feel welcome and connected, especially during this time where we are so separate.” She is also President of the Board of the Feminists in Action Club at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy.
Walter Little (he/him) has been at ASC for 10 years. He is the Product Manager at Strategic Information Group, a technology solutions, services and consulting provider focused on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and related software for manufacturers. Walter has worked in the Life Sciences industry for over 20 years in information technology management, product development and quality assurance capacities, and has worked on medical device innovations, such as the first commercially available artificial retina for individuals experiencing blindness. He also has experience working in fundraising and grant writing in the nonprofit arts sector. At All Saints he is co-leader of Parish Celebrations, a Greeter team lead, he co-captains Usher Team 4A, is a group leader for the Getting Connected class, and is a member of the Peace & Justice Rapid Response Team, the Giving Advisory Committee, and the Transition to Circles team. He graduated from the Education for Ministry program in 2016. “I am both humbled and thrilled for the opportunity to join this distinguished group of leaders at this pivotal moment in the journey of All Saints Church. Our mission and core values resonate deeply with me, and I look forward to helping All Saints build upon – and challenge – our considerable legacy in our crucial quest to bring about the Beloved Community in our own neighborhood and beyond.“
Longtime Coventry Choir member Karen Meier has been at All Saints for 26 years. “During the Great Recession there were many discussions about how the church would adjust to the ‘new normal,’ yet soon enough we went back to the old normal. In the past year we have been forced to truly adopt a reality that is vastly different from anything we’ve experienced before. There are many new challenges we will need to address – especially the mental health effects from this time of isolation and grief. We will also want to examine the things we had to change that have worked out well, as well as evaluate the things we have lost that are vital — to get back in whatever way we can. I look forward to addressing these changes in how we define and embody the sense of community at All Saints moving forward to a true ‘new normal.’”
Janet Carol Norton has been active in the ASC community since 2007 and currently serves as the co-leader of the Children Youth and Families’ (CYF) Parent Culture group. Janet has volunteered for many years as a choir and acolyte parent and recently finished a four-year term on the CYF committee. She has volunteered for years on Wednesday nights in the ASC kitchen helping prepare and serve youth dinners. When in-person church services resume, you will often see Janet standing in the back of the sanctuary videoing the youth choir for Ms. Jenny! Outside of ASC, Janet is a board member, partner and co-head of the Production department at ICM Partners where she represents television producers. Janet also co-leads the company’s female affinity group HERICM. A past Governor of the Television Academy, Janet has also served on Carnegie Mellon University’s alumni association executive board and CMU’s West Coast Drama Alumni Clan where she served eleven consecutive years and was President. “I’m in awe of everything from the music, our inspiring youth and everyone’s incredible collaboration to keep us connected during the pandemic, and want us to continue being creative in bringing the community together during these unsettling and unique times.”
