It has been my great pleasure to serve as Rector of Saint Alban's since April 2008.  A California native I received my B.A. from  the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1993.  From 1998-2000 I served as a US Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay. I received my Master's of Divinity from Yale Divinity School/Berkeley Divinity School at Yale in 2004.  I served as Curate at Calvary Church Stonington, CT until my arrival at Saint Alban's in April 2008.   When I am not working I enjoy spending time with my family, swimming, hiking and reading.

Since my ordination to the priesthood in January 2015, I have served with gratitude as a priest associate at St. Alban’s. Born and raised in Davenport, Iowa, I migrated to California in 1979 where I completed my engineering degree at U.C. Santa Barbara followed by a long career in defense electronics at Delco Electronics and Raytheon. I also went to law school and after passing the California bar exam in 2003, my husband Dick and I fled the smog and traffic of Los Angeles to live in God’s country here in Humboldt County. I started a small law practice and simultaneously began a small-group seminar study program called Education for Ministry (EfM), a four year distance program out of the University of the South in Sewanee, TN. It was during EfM that I discerned my call to ordained ministry and by 2011, I had entered the formal process toward Holy Orders in the Diocese of Northern California. I acquired my seminary education at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin in their hybrid distance program and earned a Master of Arts in Ministry degree in 2014. My Clinical Pastoral Education was taken at Genesis Medical Center in Iowa. As a seminarian, I trained at St. Alban’s for my field education. Before ordination, I served as a volunteer chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital and as a chaplain intern at Hospice of Humboldt.

In addition to serving St. Alban’s, I also serve the congregations of Semper Virens Deanery and beyond as supply priest. Besides preaching and presiding for services, my primary ministries are focused around liturgy, music, adult Christian formation, evangelism, and mentoring the Semper Virens EfM group, now in its fourth year. When I am not studying theology, I love to read British crime novels, take long walks, do crossword puzzles, play my flute and piano, and pet my adorable brown tabby cats, Mortie and Meeso.

The first eighteen years of my life were spent on the family farm in Nebraska.  I graduated from a four-year college in Iowa, with a B.A. in Religion and shortly after made the grand leap from rural life to urban living by moving to Los Angeles.  California became my new home, where I worked and lived in Los Angeles and Orange County for 35 years.  While living in Southern California, I was introduced to the Episcopal Church through All Saints Pasadena.  Since those early beginnings with the church, I have had a deep commitment to peace and social justice issues.

As deacon, I look forward to listening, learning, and being in ministry with the people of St. Alban’s.  I am also excited to work with compassionate organizations in our local communities that are committed to housing the homeless.   

My partner Kelly and I have been married for over twenty-two years.  We enjoy living in Humboldt County, where we find plenty of home improvement projects to keep us busy.   My favorite past times are gardening, reading, hiking, and cooking.

An English and Theater teacher at Eureka High School, Nanette has been teaching adults and children in various areas of the performing arts for over 15 years. She has music and vocal directed for many local community theaters, including North Coast Repertory Theatre, Ferndale Repertory Theatre, and Main Stage Musicals. Not only does she share her teaching talents with the community, but also she performs regularly in community theatre productions. A cradle Episcopalian, she loves sharing her passion for music and singing with her parish, where she has directed the choir for the last 8 years, challenging them to rise to new musical heights while enhancing the worship experience for the congregation. She is also the proud parent of two delightful girls, Lily and Finneley.