Leadership

	Rector The Rev. Lori Walton Email: lori@saintj.com Lori grew up breathing the coastal air and hearing the ocean waves in Pacifica, California, the place she continues to return when seeking a sense of God’s expansiveness and beauty. Coming from an Irish-Italian family, her religious roots began in the Roman Catholic Church. She wandered into an Episcopal Church as an adult, and fell in love with its ancient rituals, welcoming community, and sense of deep joy within the gathered assembly. Lori soon realized that the Episcopal mindset towards equality, justice, and individual agency were a perfect match for her own belief that all of God’s creation is oriented towards wholeness. Through the Episcopal Church, the proclaimed Word is that equality trumps inequity, that social and institutional structures are called to seek the common good, and that each person has a responsibility to a lived faith in God. Lori attended seminary and received a Master of Divinity at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California. She was ordained a deacon in June of 2004 and a priest in December of the same year at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Lori has served churches in Brentwood and Palo Alto, and became the rector of St. James’ on October 1, 2010. She is passionate about helping others develop a relationship with Jesus Christ and with others. She has a love of community and worship, and feels strongly about ensuring that every person is welcomed into cultivating their relationship with God through the Church. Lori is married to a warm and compassionate man named Ron, is privileged to be mother to a beautiful daughter named Megan and spends much of her time caring for two high-maintenance and slightly neurotic dogs.
	Children & Youth Minister Jan Scrutton Email: jan@saintj.com Jan brings a lifelong dedication to children and young people to her role at St. James’ of Children’s Minister. Growing up in England, Jan felt a strong call to train as a teacher, leading to work in the elementary classroom. When she left regular work in schools with the birth of her two children, she continued to bring her dedication and love for children to the leadership of activities at her church where she led summer holiday clubs, and taught in Sunday School and in youth group. On arrival in California in 2007 the Scrutton family settled at St. James’ where Jan has led St.J. Youth, worked in Sunday School, began an outreach program to under-served children and written and led Vacation Bible School. In her spare time she enjoys quilting, volunteering at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, tide pooling and, most importantly, time with her family and cats. Jan believes the best thing we can teach our children is that they are loved, by God and by their church family, and that the church welcomes them. She is thrilled to be working at St. James’ as part of an enthusiastic and dedicated team who feel that children are at the heart of our Christian community.
	Seminarian Karla Koon Email: karla@saintj.com Karla is a Postulant for Holy Orders to the Priesthood for the Diocese of Olympia. Fall 2023 will be the start of her second year of seminary at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, CA. Her permanent residence is in Seattle and her family (brother and sister-in-law) live in Vancouver, WA. Prior to going to seminary, Karla worked for Catholic Community Services of Western WA (Catholic Charities) for 28 years. She had a variety of positions during that time, including work as an in-home caregiver, all aspects of human resources, and corporate operations. Her last held position for the organization was as the Director of HR Operations where she had responsibility for compensation, benefits, workers comp, process and systems improvement, and employee training. Additionally, she has an extensive dance background, working professionally as a performer, choreographer, and dance instructor. For fun, Karla loves being outdoors for walks, hikes, kayaking, or just sitting and people watching. She loves sports and is a big fan of all the local Seattle teams. She enjoys going to the theater to see ballet and modern dance productions, as well as plays and musical theater. Karla loves to hang out with friends and explore new foods and restaurants.
	Music Director Jennifer Ravera Email: music@saintj.com Jennifer has been the Music Director at St. James since 2011. A graduate of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, Jennifer has 21 years experience in directing choirs and is an accomplished vocalist and keyboardist. She currently works as the Choir Director at Cesar Chavez Middle School in Union City, and is also a member of the Mission Peak Chamber Singers in Fremont. Jennifer has two children, Joey and Olivia, and two dogs named Miguel and Hannah.
	Parish Administrator Ron Cook Email: admin@saintj.com Ron is a parishioner at All Saints, San Leandro and has a background in technology and administration. Born in Rochester, NY, but not having seen it since kindergarten, he grew up in the southeast – primarily South Carolina. Raised in the Presbyterian Church, graduating from Furman University with a BA in Philosophy, he went on to spend the first decade of his post-college years serving with the international Christian drama ministry, Covenant Players. During this work in Europe, he met and got to know his future wife, Amy, who now serves the Episcopal Diocese of California as the Canon for Faith Formation. Before they left the road, they served together in France, northern Europe, and Ontario and Québec provinces of Canada. Prior to relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area they spent twenty-one years in eastern Massachusetts, where they were confirmed in the Episcopal Church by Bishop Barbara C. Harris. Over the course of these years, Ron served as Junior and Senior Wardens, Treasurer, Convention Delegate, Deanery Representative, Co-Teacher of Confirmation Classes, Children’s Chapel Leader, and Chair of a Discernment Committee. Currently he serves as Treasurer at All Saints, sings in their choir, and supports a few other Bay Area ministries as their bookkeeper.