Leadership

Robin became our rector in September of 2019. She was ordained a priest in 2017, and before that had a career in agriculture development in tropical post-war contexts, as a missionary of the Episcopal Church. In the course of this work, Robin lived in Liberia and South Sudan. She also served as a lay church-planter, starting a bilingual ministry in the Salinas Valley. Robin grew up on a farm and ranch in northern Salinas Valley, and has a degree in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis. Robin also previously worked as a vineyard manager and as a staff member in the US Congress and the State Legislature. She has a master’s in divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary, where she helped start the student-led sustainability and gardening initiative, Cultivate VTS. Robin is the author of a handbook on Tropical agriculture titled “Where There is no Farm Advisor”.

Robin enjoys being an active member of the community. She is a member of the Napa Interfaith Leadership Council, and serves on the board of Aldea. She is the chair of the Neighborhood Resiliency subcommittee of the Napa COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster).

Don Callison was ordained as a Vocational Deacon on August 8, 2015. Don works full time at the Veteran’s Home of California as a Budget Analyst. In addition, he volunteers in Chaplain Services, providing pastoral care to the members of the Home. Don generously volunteers his time to St. Mary’s, preaching, leading worship, and along with his wife Wendy, leading our youth ministry. Don has chaperoned countless youth mission trips, and has helped lead Cursillo ministry teams (programs of spiritual renewal), as well as helping to lead Kairos ministry retreats for inmates at San Quentin.

Don helps us as a community to keep our focus on others, especially the most vulnerable, as we seek to love and serve in the world.

Don received his B.S. in Business from San José State University in 1990. He is a Navy veteran, having worked as technician in Naval Aviation.

Don lives in Napa with his beautiful wife, Wendy. His has two adult children, Hannah and Ben. His four-legged children include his German Shepherd, Maggie, and cat, Felix.

We have been lucky to have Sharon as our Parish Administrator for over 30 years. Sharon grew up in Napa, and knows a wealth of information about our community. Sharon keeps our office and operations running smoothly, answering just about any question, and managing a number of volunteers.

Sharon, her mother, her sister, and her adult daughter all live in Napa. Sharon is a San Francisco Giants fan, and loves spending time with family and friends, and with her dog Shasta.

Ann Gibson has been our director of Children’s Ministries for more than nine years. She also works along with her husband John in their winery and consulting business. Before coming to St. Mary’s, Ann was a teacher in the US and also for two years in Japan.

Ann oversees our volunteer storytellers, Sunday school leaders, and VBS volunteers, and coordinates fun events for the children including seasonal parties and activities. She writes curriculum for unique, educational, and fun Vacation Bible Schools (VBS) each summer break at St. Mary’s. We are so blessed by her creativity and commitment!

She enjoys watching professional football, baseball, and basketball. She loves making greeting cards, reading and spending time with family and friends. Ann and her husband John and adult daughter Sarah live in Napa.

Travis Rogers is the Choir Director and Organist at St. Mary’s. He has been on staff as the Music Director since 1997. He came to St Mary’s upon the invitation of former Rector Stephen Carpenter. Mr. Rogers is retired from full time work as the choral music director at Napa High School having served for thirty-seven years conducting one of the largest high school choral programs in the United States while earning international recognition for the quality of the group’s performances.

A past President of both the California and Western Region chapters of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Mr. Rogers remains active as a guest conductor, choral clinician and adjudicator and music conferenced presenter. He currently serves as the Director of the Young Men’s Ensemble of the Ragazzi Boys Chorus in Redwood City, California.

Outside of work, Mr. Rogers is a passionate fan of major league baseball; and loves to travel, both nationally and internationally. He has attended at least one game in forty-five different major league ballparks! He lives in Napa with his wife of forty years, Sharon, has two adult children, Tara and Jay, and enjoys (sometimes) the company of three cats!

Also known as “Deacon Don’s Wife” or “Mrs. Deacon,” I have been worshiping at St. Mary’s since 2003 and have participated in many aspects of church life at St. Mary’s. I currently serve as a youth leader and mission trip coordinator, IWC committee member and People’s Warden. I have an interest in social justice issues and a heart for those incarcerated which has led me to service through Kairos (prison ministry) at San Quentin. I have two bonus children – now adults, Hannah and Ben, and my furry children are Maggie, a 13-year-old German Shepherd rescue and Felix, a 13-year-old cat who is also a rescue. I love trees, animals, Jesus, coffee, my husband, books, music, and ice cream – not necessarily in that order.

A native of WNY, I have lived in Yountville for nearly 20 years and am happy to call it home. I have been a parishioner of St. Mary’s for over a decade. Currently I am serving my second term on the Vestry where I am chairman of the Pastoral Care Committee .I have completed the Education for Ministry course. I am a Stephen Leader, a Lay Eucharistic Visitor, and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Diocese. Unfortunately, my husband, Will, passed away in 2022.

My wife and I joined St. Mary’s in October, 2019 and immediately became regular attendees and contributors. Our previous church was St. Patrick’s in Kenwood where I served on the Vestry as Senior Warden and chaired the Stewardship and Applicant Review Committees.

My business career was with PepsiCo International and as a Consultant to major Consumer Products Firms, in Marketing, Strategy and Innovation. My retirement work has consisted mainly in working with our entrepreneurial children, helping them to plan and grow their businesses. That background, combined with my years working with churches, enables me to be of useful service to St. Mary’s.

Susan Key and her husband Michael Pratt joined St. Mary's in 2019. She has since been active in all things musical at St. Mary's, including the choir, our Saturday night services, and as head of Friends of Music. Susan has also been an active member of the Invite Welcome Connect ministry.

Susan holds a PhD in historical musicology and has had a distinguished academic career teaching at the University of Maryland, the College of William and Mary, Stanford University, and Chapman University. She has served on several boards and has developed programs for the San Francisco Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

My wife Jennifer and I have been members of St. Mary’s for a little over 20 years. We have two sons, Josephe and Henry, who are also active in the church. This is my second term on vestry. The first was from 2011 to 2014 where I served on special events and as Senior Warden. I work in property and project management and have had the opportunity to be in leadership positions while serving on other boards. While on vestry I will actively participate as well as sit back and listen. Thank you for trusting me with the responsibility of being part of your vestry!

I have been a member of St. Mary's since July, 2019, and I am honored to be part of the vestry this year. The first time I attended a service at St. Mary's, the usher looked me in the eyes and warmly greeted me. I was blown away. I felt "seen" and embraced--what a novel feeling. I want anyone who walks through the doors of St. Mary's Church to feel the same way, so as lead of the Fellowship/Events Ministry, my goal is to let everyone know that they belong and they matter.

I was born in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States when I was nine years old, along with four siblings. I grew up in San Francisco and moved to Napa in 2001 with my husband to raise our four children. I work as a Registered Nurse.

As a boy I lived several places in the US and abroad. After obtaining a BA in history at Yale, I spent a year at Harvard Divinity School where I met my wife, Barbara. Not called to the ministry, I spent my career in high tech at IBM and a succession of smaller companies, including two stints as CEO. We retired to Napa in 2002 and joined St. Mary’s and the choir. I have been deeply engaged in St. Mary’s since I attended Cursillo in 2013 and currently serve on the Vestry and am the Ministry Leader for Invite Welcome Connect.

Julie is a wife, designer and small business owner who loves to serve our community. She and John have four grown sons, four daughters-in-law and three grandchildren with two more on the way!

She founded Blue Okra, a sustainable baby blanket and sleepwear company focusing on American made and also Fair Trade high quality products that she designs and hand dyes here in Napa. Blue Okra gives her a chance to design and also to put her values into practice. She believes that we honor God by living out our beliefs.

I grew up in Napa and recently retired from over a 37-year career as a Clinical Lab Scientist and Technical Manager at Adventist Health St. Helena Hospital. I was confirmed as an Episcopalian in November of 2010 at St. Mary’s, and I currently serve as a lector and usher. I enjoy hiking, photography, building WWII airplane models, and being a volunteer for the CHP – But my most important role is being the human of a Bombay feline by the name of Roscoe. It is an honor to serve my Lord and Savior and my church family.

Julia and her wife Tammy Smith moved to Napa and joined St. Mary’s 10 years ago from Wisconsin. She grew up attending several Protestant churches in Chattanooga, TN before transitioning to the Catholic faith in Memphis via the RCIA process in 1985. She was a member of Parish Council, Ushered and a Eucharistic Minister while living in TN, WI and OK. In 2007, she and Tammy joined All Saints Episcopal Church in Appleton, WI. Since joining St. Mary’s, Julia has participated in the Foundation and Finance Committee, led the Stewardship campaign for several years, Clerked, served on the Vestry and is currently Senior Warden.

She enjoys the outdoors, golfing and traveling with friends and family while continuing to work in a supply chain role at a winery. Belle (yellow lab) is the sweetheart of the Smith household.

My name is W. Don Turner. My wife Kathi and I moved to Napa in 1983 after selling our Santa Barbara-based restaurant company. I have been in the hospitality and consulting business throughout my career and serve on several Boards.

We raised our children here, sending them to St. Apollinaris and Justin Siena. We attended St. A’s during those years.

We became parishioners at St. Mary’s 6 years ago and have found our involvement to be rewarding on both a spiritual and community level. I currently serve on the Vestry and am grateful to be a part of St. Mary’s and to serve our wonderful church.