December 21, 2022

Special Parish Meeting

St. John’s will be holding a Special Parish Meeting on Sunday, February 5, following our 10 AM service. Children’s activities will be provided for PreK-5th graders. If you are joining us online, simply stay on the worship feed at the conclusion of our 10 AM service. Those attending in person are invited to enjoy fellowship at a parish lunch after the meeting. You can vote below for our new 2023 Vestry members. We also invite you to download St. John’s 2022 Annual Report so you can follow along at our parish meeting.


VESTRY VOTING:

Get to know the candidates below who have been nominated this year for our St. John’s Vestry. We appreciate their ongoing commitment to St. John’s and are grateful for the time and talent they share through parish ministry. Remember, only “members in good standing” (see definition below) are invited to vote on the 2023 slate.

Vote for no more than five candidates. ONE BALLOT will be accepted per email address.

The 2023 voting window has closed.


2023 SLATE OF CANDIDATES:


STEPHANIE AMIDON

Stephanie Amidon joined St. John’s in 1998 when she moved to Tallahassee with her family. Early on she was a regular, helping Chef Fran in the Café and with Vacation Bible School. Stephanie’s three children – Molly, Joseph, and Sean-Patrick – were all baptized at St. John’s. When her children attended Holy Comforter Episcopal School, the family joined that parish for several years. In 2015, they returned to St. John’s for the vibrant youth group.

Stephanie currently volunteers each summer with Youth B.E.A.T. Week and she is in her second year leading the first-year students in St. John’s Global Philanthropy Leaders (GPL), a program now in its third year at this parish. As an AP Economic and AP Government teacher at Maclay School, Stephanie enjoys sharing her knowledge and passion with the youth in GPL. Stephanie and her husband, Frank, participate in small groups and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know other families within the parish.


ALISON PARKER DILLEHAY

Alison Parker Dillehay grew up at a Baptist church in Crestview, Florida. She and her husband, Joe, have been attending St. John’s since 2019.

At St. John’s, Alison serves on the Front Porch and Adult Education committees. Recently, she joined Global Philanthropy Leaders (GPL) Year 3 as an adult mentor. She is a spirited proponent of St. John’s small group ministry, believing that it is an accessible mechanism to strengthen one’s faith while concurrently bolstering the faith of the other group members. She is a fervent member of the Friday lunchtime Bible Study and relishes the mentoring she has received from the other participants.

Alison is an attorney and yoga teacher by trade and you can occasionally find her subbing the St. John’s yoga classes. She has worked at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation since 2014. St. John’s has been a balm to her and her family and hopes that it is for you as well.


WHITNEY LANGSTON FASON

A life-long Episcopalian, Whitney has been a member of St. John’s for over 25 years. Growing up she was active in many of the youth ministry programs, and after returning to Tallahassee after college, she has served as a Sunday school teacher, eucharistic minister, and verger. Whitney previously served on the Vestry from 2017-2020, where she co-chaired the adult education commission.

Whitney is the daughter of Lance and Cary Langston. She and her husband Brandon were married in 2020; they have three very large dogs (including two Great Danes). Professionally, Whitney is a senior attorney with the Florida Division of Bond Finance where she works with a legal and financial team to issue bonds to finance public works projects for state agencies and universities; she is also a member of Tallahassee Women Lawyers. Outside of work, Whitney enjoys spending time with her nieces, baking, running, and riding mountain bikes with her husband.


DEBBY MCNAMARA

Debby McNamara moved to Tallahassee from South Florida in 1990 to attend FSU. Previously Roman Catholic, she was comforted and inspired by the familiar liturgy of the Holy Eucharist and the warm and welcoming parishioners of St. John’s and became a member in 2018. Her partner, Patti, became a member the following year, and their son, Nate, is an active youth member. In 2021, Debby was received into the Episcopal Church at the beautiful outdoor service at Holy Comforter.

Debby enjoys serving as a Eucharistic Minister and member of the Choir. She is a Small Group leader, Choir School Advisory Board member, Youth Commission member, and Capital Area Justice Ministry house member. She is happy to serve on the Bread Run Team, driving bakery donations from Tasty Pastry to the Kearney Center. She performs the altar guild functions for Compline, serves as the Choir’s card minister, and volunteers annually with the Summer Choir Camp. She served as coordinator or volunteer for the 2019 England Choir Mission trip fundraising events and volunteered for the St. John’s Market and VBS Service Squad. Most importantly, she has been able to do most of these activities with Nate!

Debby is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Project Management Professional working as a healthcare consultant with a focus on publicly funded healthcare programs and systems. Her family has truly found a home at St. John’s, and Debby would be honored to support a faith community that means so much to her through serving on the Vestry.


LESLIE REDDING

Leslie Redding was born and raised in Tallahassee and grew up in the Catholic faith. She and her husband Charley were previously members at Advent Episcopal Church and have been members at St. John’s for about 10 years. Leslie and Charley have three children and three grandchildren (and one more on the way!). They spend much of their free time at St. Teresa Beach with friends and family.

Leslie has served as Co-Chair of the Stewardship Committee, is a regular volunteer in the Lively Café, has served on the Advent Luncheon Committee, as a volunteer at the St. John’s Market, and is a member of a St. John’s small group. She is currently the Chairwoman of the Boys Town North Florida Board of Directors and has been a board member for five years.


STEVE ROGERS

Stephen Rogers grew up in Rochester, NY in the Roman Catholic faith. He began attending the Episcopal church after completing college in Colorado. Upon moving to Florida in 2005, Steve found St. John’s Episcopal Church and became a member. Both of his children, Abigail (12) and William (10), were baptized at St. John’s and enjoy the many activities St. John’s has to offer its children and youth. Abigail is a chorister in the St. John’s Choir and William currently enjoys Club 45. Steve hopes to continue serving with the church youth programs as his children grow in their faith. Steve has enjoyed participating in Men’s Bible Study and leading Children’s Chapel for numerous years. He is a Sunday School teacher at St. John’s and an active member in the Children’s Ministry.

In his free time, Steve enjoys running, walking, and biking and is known to run obstacle course races to keep in shape. He currently works for the Florida Department of Transportation in the Project Finance Office where he oversees the financing of major transportation projects and the Department’s State Infrastructure Bank lending facilities.


ERIK SALSGIVER

Erik Salsgiver was raised in a small non-denominational church in Western Pennsylvania. He has been married to his wife Melanie for 32 years, and they have two children (Mason and Emma), as well as two grandchildren (William and Wakefield). Erik and Melanie were very active in the Southern Baptist churches they attended while living in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Florida. Erik was ordained as a deacon in the Southern Baptist Church in 1999. He also served as an Elder for an ARC congregation in Destin, Florida. His ministries over the years included outreach, evangelism, children and families, couples, Sunday School, small groups, hospital visitation, benevolence, and family financial planning prior to coming to St. John’s.

Erik and Melanie moved fully to Tallahassee in 2018 and began attending St. John’s along with Erik’s father Jim. They knew St. John’s would be their new home after experiencing the loving spirit of the people and the richness of the worship on their first Sunday. Erik and Melanie became members in April 2019 after attending the “Growing in Grace” classes.

Erik has been active as a Greeter and is one of St. John’s Stephen Ministers. He is also one of the leaders/facilitators for Walking the Mourner’s Path grief recovery care at St. John’s. Additionally, Erik has been a Board Member at Grace Mission since 2019 and is very active in their ministries to the homeless and underserved in our community. Recently, he also began serving as the Faculty Sponsor for the Ruge Hall Episcopal University Center at FSU.

Erik has been a Nurse for over 28 years serving in multiple roles in that time. He is currently a doctorally-prepared Family Nurse Practitioner and teaches in the College of Nursing at Florida State University. Erik has always believed his career in nursing is both a ministry and a profession. He has observed that striving to serve people through healing and maintaining their health is a true blessing to both the caregiver and care receiver. God faithfully shows up to intervene in people’s health and uses nurses and other health professionals to participate in administering His grace (and occasionally miracles) in this aspect of their lives. If chosen for a vestry position, Erik will prayerfully seek opportunities to serve God in this role and further His work in this world through the ministries of St. John’s.


CORINNA STRAYER

Corinna Strayer and her family have been members of St. John’s since 2011. She is married to Wayne, and they have three children who were all confirmed at St. John’s.

Corinna has been involved in many St. John’s ministries throughout the years including the Rector Search Committee, Rector Transition Team Co-Chair, Parish Profile Chair, Vestry, Eucharistic Minister, Greeter, Market volunteer, Youth Bible Study leader, Youth Commission, Mothers of High Schoolers co-leader, Youth B.E.A.T. Week planner/volunteer, Cafe volunteer, St. John’s Bookstore volunteer, Preview Market Committee, Parish Weekend Activities Chair, Foyer Group coordinator, Advent Luncheon Speaker, Flower Ministry, Block Party Chair, Sunday school coordinator/teacher, Universal chaperone, and Newcomers’ Ministry.

Corinna has also served on two missions to Ecuador and is looking forward to returning to Ecuador in July.


KATHY SULLIVAN

Bio available in office.


SUSAN WALTON

Susan Walton was raised in the Roman Catholic Church, married her husband, Jay, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Atlanta, GA and joined St. John’s after moving to Tallahassee. They have two married daughters and two granddaughters. Both daughters were baptized, confirmed, and served as acolytes at St. John’s.

Susan has degrees in education from the University of Florida, taught grades 4 & 5, and served as a Reading Specialist in Florida, Georgia, and Virginia. At the Florida Department of Education, she oversaw Intergenerational School Programs and served as the director of three programs: Special Projects, Family Involvement, and School Volunteer Programs before retirement. At St. John’s, Susan’s activities include Sunday School teacher at most grade levels, VBS co-chair, B.E.A.T. Week team, Market volunteer, Grace Mission’s Summer Reading Academy, and Chair of the Mentor/Lend a Hand Project. She is a member of St. Mary’s Circle and has supported Front Porch activities and events.

As a community volunteer, Susan has served as president of the Junior League of Tallahassee and as State Junior League SPAC Treasurer, and has served on the Tallahassee Museum Board and also as Tallahassee Museum Market Days Chair, Friends of the Library Board, and Florida Association of Partners in Education Board. She is a lifetime member of the Florida PTA and Leadership Tallahassee.

Sign Up for E-Chimes