Clergy & Staff
The Rev. Joshua A. Hill, Rector
Josh believes Jesus is the answer for the Church and the World today.
Before coming to St. Alban’s in 2021, Josh served as the Chaplain and Chair of Religious Studies at the Holderness School in New Hampshire. He previously served as Chaplain at the Episcopal School of Knoxville and Priest Associate at St. John's Episcopal Cathedral in his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. Go Vols. After graduating from seminary he was Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in New Canaan, Connecticut. He holds degrees from Emory & Henry College and Yale Divinity School. He holds a Certificate in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and a Certificate in Youth & Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Josh grew up in East Tennessee and was raised in the United Methodist church. He and his wife, Hannah, have 3 children, 2 dogs, and a cat. They enjoy all types of outdoor recreation. jhill@stalbansmaine.org
The Rev. Claudia Wyatt Smith, Priest Associate
Before moving to Portland in 2019, Claudia served as the Rector of St. Francis by the Sea in Blue Hill, ME for 12 years. She came out of retirement to serve as Interim Priest-in-Charge at St. Alban’s prior to Josh’s arrival and made an impact in a short time. Claudia is a fantastic preacher and teacher, and we are grateful for her pastoral wisdom and wit. csmith@stalbansmaine.org
The Rev. George L. Cooper, Deacon
George came to St. Alban’s in June of 2022 following his ordination to the diaconate. His training includes completion of the two-year Province I School for Deacons, followed by a one-year internship at Christ Church in Norway, Maine. George was raised up in the Cathedral of St. Luke, where he was a member for 16 years. He was active in youth spiritual formation, adult education, and served on the Vestry and as Senior Warden.
George spent his career in leadership in nonprofit organizations, retiring in 2020 after eight years as Director of Finance at the Portland Public Library. He holds a BA and an MBA from the University of New Hampshire.
George grew up in Exeter, New Hampshire and was raised Roman Catholic. He and his wife, Leslie, have two grown children who live and work in Maine. Leslie, George and their dog, Leo, live in South Portland. gcooper@stalbansmaine.org
Dr. Hentus Van Rooyen, Director of Music Ministries and Communications Manager
Dr. Hentus van Rooyen, a native of South Africa, is the Director of Music Ministries and Organist at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Cape Elizabeth, ME, and teaches Organ Performance at Bowdoin College. He holds the degrees Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music in organ performance from the University of North Texas. His other degrees in organ performance, pedagogy, and church music were completed at the University of Pretoria and University of South Africa. He studied organ performance with Jesse Eschbach and Wim Viljoen, and baroque repertoire studies with Paul Leenhouts. Before coming to Maine, Hentus served as Assistant Professor of Music, Sacred Music Coordinator and College Organist at Bethany College in Lindsborg KS. He concurrently served as the Director of Music and Organist at Christ Episcopal Cathedral in Salina, KS. hentus@stalbansmaine.org
Amber Burks, Director of Children’s and Teen Ministries
As a child, I remember attending an occasional Roman Catholic mass when my grandparents visited. I always enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and singing the hymns but didn’t become a true churchgoer until my husband, Jason, and I attended a service at St. Paul’s Church in Troy, NY after September 11th. We found our way to St. Alban’s when we moved to Maine in 2007. The thoughtful sermons and infectious energy of the children drew us in. We don’t have any kids of our own, but enjoy sharing our home in Gorham with our two boxers, Ghost & Spirit.
The many opportunities to serve have sustained our involvement at St. Alban’s. For me, it began with a pilgrimage to Haiti in 2009. Then, as a teacher, I have used my personal gifts to organize games at Camp St. Alban’s in the summer, as well as lead the middle school youth group and a youth pilgrimage to Northern Ireland. I also volunteer at the Soup Kitchen and St. Elizabeth’s Essentials Pantry, where I am able to use my French and Spanish language skills when necessary. This past spring, I requested a one-year leave of absence from my teaching job at Falmouth Middle School in order to pursue the opportunity to serve in a greater capacity at St. Alban's. I am excited to serve as the Interim Director of Children's and Teen ministries this year! I look forward to experimenting with creative ideas for formation that will encourage the youth to participate and adults to volunteer as leaders. I am also eager to design opportunities for fellowship between our younger members and all of the adults who will support them, with God's help. amber@stalbansmaine.org
Debbie Fisher, Office Manager
Debbie Fisher is pleased to serve as Office Manager, after 19+ years as the Director of Children’s Ministries. A familiar face in the parish office, Debbie coordinates with the various ministries heads, manages the active parish calendar and serves as a liaison with contractors, among other responsibilities. Debbie cherishes time spent with family and friends as well as cooking, hiking and traveling. dfisher@stalbansmaine.org
Laurie Logan, Bookkeeper
Laurie comes to us with a background in corporate accounting and church administration. She will continue to work part-time in the office at Falmouth Congregational church where she has served for almost 10 years. Lauries works in the offices on Mondays only. bookkeeper@stalbansmaine.org
The Vestry
David Stankeiwicz, Senior Warden
My wife, Sarrah, and I have been members of St. Alban's for over ten years. Our two kids, Renna and Lucy, were baptized here, and we continue to find it a wonderful church home. I was privileged to serve on the Discernment Committee for our new rector and was delighted to recommend Father Josh. Prior to that, I served on vestry. Professionally, I am a professor of English at S.M.C.C. where I teach writing, literature (with a special love for poetry), and ethics. I am honored and humbled by this opportunity to serve the parish as junior warden. I'm very excited to work with Mary Beth, Father Josh, and the rest of the vestry.
Phil Walsh, Junior Warden
In my personal life, I am fortunate to be a resident of Cape Elizabeth since 2011, together with my wife, Emily Cooke, a partner at Pierce Atwood; three daughters: Liv (13), Lily (11), Ilsa (8); Juno the dog and a brood of chickens. In my professional life, I am the executive director of Maine Initiatives, a foundation based in Portland that works to advance social, economic, and environmental justice in Maine. I also serve on the Board of the Maine Philanthropy Center, Maine Youth Justice, Safe Space Radio, and as co-chair of the Maine Immigrant & Refugee Funders Collaborative. Prior to arriving in Maine, I worked for more than 15 years in Central America and Mexico in different roles at the Inter‐American Foundation, The Synergos Institute, and Mercy Corps. I am a graduate of James Madison University and earned a master's degree from Georgetown University.Vestry Members
Jeff Cain: born and raised a Hoosier (from Indiana), but a Maine resident for the past 25 years, may be familiar from St. Alban's first-Sunday-of-the-month parish breakfasts, sporting an apron along with his enthusiastic kitchen team. Jeff is also an Usher at the 9:30 services with the recent title of what we now call a "zerger" (zoom usher) during Covid times. Note, Jeff brings his extensive computer experience to the latter position, and we are not sure where he got his cooking skills, but God works in mysterious ways. Jeff was introduced to St. Albans through his son, Jack Sands, who discovered St. Alban’s through his best friends, Zach Merrill and Ben Payson, when he participated in youth group with them. Months later, Jeff and his wife Brenda, decided they should probably show up to see what this St. Albans thing was all about—and what an amazing gift Jack had led them to. Jeff and his family have now been active members of St. Alban's Church for the past 8 years, and Jeff is ready to continue his spiritual growth and service and would be honored to serve on St. Alban's Vestry.
Lisa Leighton: I was born and raised in Maine, left for a few years to live in North Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area, and then came back. I’ve lived in Cape Elizabeth since 2008 with my husband, Chip, and our children, Matthew (18) and Laura (14). I graduated from Bowdoin College and earned my J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law. For several years I’ve worked as an independent contractor for LexisNexis, providing case law and legislative updates for some of their publications. We’ve been active members of St. Alban’s since 2008 and I most recently served as co-chair of the Discernment Committee to hire our new Rector. I’m also a board member with the Thomas Memorial Library Foundation and Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation. When not transporting kids to music and sports activities, I can be found at the gym, the beach, walking with friends, or enjoying Portland’s restaurant scene.
Anne Sedlack: I discovered St. Albans several years ago when I was searching for a spiritual place to land after attending the University of Vermont. I began attending at the Celtic Eventide service and have recently started going to the 8:00 a.m. service (I am shocked that I wake up in time!). Beyond the Sunday life, I help with the High School Youth Group, I was a delegate for two state-wide Episcopal conventions, and I served on the Discernment Committee. I am so excited about the opportunity to work with Josh+ more; I think he is an enthusiastic and faithful leader who has already brought a lot of joy to our community. Outside of St. Albans, I live in the Willard Beach area, I am an attorney at Preti Flaherty, and I love taking wheel thrown pottery classes at Maine College of Art and Design.
Chris Callaway: My wife (Beth) and I came to Maine in 2007 when I joined the Philosophy Department at St. Joseph's College. We had become Episcopalians a few years earlier, and our search for a new Episcopal church took us to St. Alban's, where we quickly felt at home. Since then, our family has grown (you may have come across our sons, Ben and Ned) and St. Alban's has continued to welcome and support us. It's also given us endless opportunities for involvement and service. I have been a lay reader, eucharistic minister, chalice bearer, Sunday School teacher, and St. Francis of Assisi Impersonator. The high points in my involvement at our parish have been serving on the Discernment Committee that brought Fr. Tim and singing in the Chancel Choir. The Callaways are truly blessed to have a church like St. Alban's, and I'm excited to serve on the Vestry.
Elise Seavey: For me, my mother discovering St. Albans, while visiting from Florida, is one of the greatest gifts she ever could’ve given me. That was the summer of 2000. And, almost immediately, fell in love with the service. From the hymns, to the readings and prayers, and, of course, the sermons, it all clicked. I felt it filling a void within myself I didn’t know existed. And so, my journey of faith had begun. I joined the handbell choir when it started…and, not knowing anything about reading music Dr. Strand was very patient! It is such a joy to be a part of this group. More recently, I have been a part of the Flower Guild and find great satisfaction creating arrangements with the wonderful beauty that surrounds us each season. I have lived in South Portland for 40 years and have two adult children that, also, live in South Portland. For that I am extremely grateful and blessed.
Rachel Arnold: I was born and raised near Princeton, New Jersey where I grew up in the Episcopal Church. In 2013 I moved to Portland and didn't have friends or family in the area so finding a spiritual home that felt right was extremely important to me. It didn't take long for me to find St. Alban’s and I haven't looked back! It's my favorite place to give my prayers a home. My husband, David Arnold, and I were married at St. Alban's in 2016 and are overjoyed to be joined at church by our two young children, Freddy and Zinnia. We live in the Meetinghouse Hill neighborhood of South Portland, where David grew up. I graduated from Hamilton College and received my MBA from the University of Southern Maine where I attended night classes while working in Marketing at L.L. Bean. I currently work on Strategy & Innovation for Hannaford Supermarkets. I am thrilled to be a part of a church community that takes seriously God's love for all.
Ward Graffam: A lawyer by profession, has served in numerous capacities for several corporations over a long and storied career. In addition to being an expert in national and international insurance and corporate governance issues with over 40 years at UNUM (where he led their European expansion efforts while based in London), he served as “Counsel” to the law firm of Harmon, Jones & Sanford. He also served as COO for Young America, New York Yacht Club’s challenger for the 2000 America’s Cup in New Zealand. He and his wife Linda discovered St. Alban’s over twenty years ago, when they were looking for more involvement than in their prior Congregational Church. At the urging of their daughter, Kristen King, and good friends Bob & Kathy Crispin, they attended their first service when Jim Adams was the Priest. After a short stint at the Cathedral, they are pleased to be back at St. Alban’s, and Ward is honored to serve on the vestry. He and Linda live in Portland.
Liza Little: I am a psychologist and nurse who has worked in the mental health field for 40 years. I am also a tenured professor and have served in the role of clinical director of several prominent Maine organizations in the last 20 years. I currently work part time at the University of Southern Maine as a senior staff psychologist caring for students with serious mental health concerns. I live in Knightville with my partner Arthur and our two cats. I have lived in Maine since 2005. I have family nearby and will be a grandmother this May. I walk a lot and pray a lot and read a lot. I do rounds on some of our homeless folks in our neighborhood and check-in when I can. I look after my family with deep love. I first started attending the Celtic Eventide services at St. Alban’s back in 2019 and just stopped by to attend a service on a whim. I was impressed that St. Alban’s had a service where lay people could participate and engage at a deeper level and it spurred me to learn how to write a reflection and try to articulate my spiritual journey. I was impressed that there was time for contemplation in our service, I was impressed that communion was offered weekly and that the singing and music were made simple and easy to savor. I found myself singing our Celtic tunes on my own, on my walks, I found myself cutting out poems and prayers and saving them to reread. I found myself joining groups and actually reading recommended texts. I fell in love with our church, so here I am.
Tom McLaughlin: After visiting Maine for 30 years, my wife Jolyn and I were thrilled to officially relocate here in the summer of 2023. We were so fortunate to find a home in Cape Elizabeth, in part so that we could be proximate to a thriving parish like St. Alban's. I earned my undergraduate degrees at Benedictine College and then completed graduate degrees in Theology and School Leadership at Boston College. Jolyn and I are lifelong educators and have primarily worked in independent schools. As a Head of School, I have had the opportunity to serve K-12 schools in a variety of states. In all the places we have lived, we have been active in parish and diocesan life, most recently at Holy Family in Houston, Texas. We are proud parents of three adult children, all of whom reside in the Northeast and come to Maine regularly. Professionally, I have shifted away from guiding a single school to lead LearningWorks, a vibrant non-profit organization, that offers a range of educational opportunities to students across Southern Maine. I am humbled to serve St. Alban's and am eager to nourish all the ways this faith community carries God's unconditional love into the world.
Nancy Pezzulo: Saint Alban’s has been a part of my life in Maine since Chris and I moved into our first home in Cape Elizabeth in the winter of 1994. For the first 10 years, Saint Alban’s was the church on the corner that we passed making our way to and from home in the abutting neighborhood. It was familiar. In 2004, we ventured in, first attending a vigil and subsequent memorial for comfort after a tragic loss in our small community and then engaging in non-traditional worship offered to all-comers at the St. Lawrence theater on the east end of Portland. Since that time, Saint Alban’s has been our church home. I was born and raised on Long Island (NY) and met Chris as an undergrad in college. We moved to Maine (for Chris to attend med school) after marrying in 1989, and never looked back. Together, we raised our children Andrew (32) and Anna (29) in Cape Elizabeth, moved to South Portland in 2019, and now live close enough to walk to church. I work as a hospice nurse for Hospice of Southern Maine and am honored and privileged to do this sacred work which is very much grounded in and guided by my faith. When I’m not working, I love to spend time with family and friends, to grow veggies and cook good food, to practice yoga and stay caught up with the events of the world. I like to travel to and explore both new and familiar places and am also just as happy to be at home appreciating life’s many blessings on the beautiful coast of Maine. Thank you for the opportunity to be part of your vestry and to share in the good work of our parish.
To contact a member of the vestry, email: vestry@stalbansmaine.org.
To read the Vestry minutes from 2020, 2021, and 2022 click here.