Our Vestry
The Vestry is a council of lay persons, elected by other active members of the parish, who, with the Rector, are servant-leaders of the parish. While they have specific responsibility for the care of church property and the transaction of the business of the congregation, most importantly, they discern, in conversation with their fellow parishioners, where God is calling this faith family and strategically plan that there be an effective response to this calling.
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Rex Tomb
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Thomas Cella
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Domenic BorestaOriginally from Ridgewood, New Jersey, I was raised in the Catholic tradition but I stepped away from attending mass for nearly a decade. I found myself drawn back to the church as I entered a new chapter of life after moving to Washington, D.C. in October 2024. Almost immediately upon discovering the ASA, I felt a sense of belonging—something that felt like home in a new place.
What first captivated me about ASA was the beautiful high Mass worship style. ASA has truly become my spiritual home—one that satisfies both my Catholic history and my connection to others. Outside of church, I own an independent bookshop and play rugby with a local amateur club. However, it’s at ASA where I credit the grounding of my values that shape all other parts of my life! |
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Kent CartwrightKent Cartwright is emeritus professor of English and former chair of the Department of English at the University of Maryland. His scholarly field was Renaissance literature, and he has written various books and articles on Shakespeare and Renaissance drama. He has also served in various positions of academic leadership, including as president of the national Association of Departments of English. He is a former member of Christ Church Georgetown, where he served on the Vestry, and of St. George’s Anglican Church in Venice, Italy, where he was a member of the Chaplaincy Council. He has found the services at ASA moving and meaningful, and is enjoying becoming part of the community.
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William FlanigenBill Flanigen has been a member of the Church of the Ascension and Saint Agnes since early 2024, when his spiritual journey led him to a quiet Mass at Ascension on a Wednesday evening. He is the coordinator of the parish’s Acolyte Guild and can often be seen swinging the thurible on Sundays. Born in North Carolina and raised in Virginia, Bill was baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal Church as a child. He studied history and philosophy here in Washington and manages staff for an intellectual property law firm. He has a passion for nineteenth-century history and has volunteered as a tour guide at the Smithsonian. In his spare time, Bill enjoys baseball, theater, theology, and chess (though he’s no good at it). He lives in the Cleveland Park neighborhood with his wife.
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Susan Love HawfieldI am joyfully retired.
For 22+ years I worked for Rebuilding Together, a not-for-profit specializing in program development, operations and enterprise risk management. Prior to Rebuilding Together I worked at GEICO and Highway Loss Data Institute as a computer programmer and data analyst. I have attended ASA since 1980 when my friend, now husband, brought me to the Easter service. I was enchanted. I spent January of that year in the Soviet Union where I attended a Russian Orthodox service in Zagorsk, the historic Russian city of Sergiyev Posad. It is part of the “Golden Ring” of ancient towns and is famous for the 14th-centruy Trinity Lavra of St. Serius, a major spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox. ASA was stepping back into that awe I felt in worship in Zagorsk. I have had the privilege of serving in many capacities at ASA—altar guild, altar server, Registrar, Treasurer twice, Junior Warden, Senior Warden, taught children’s Sunday School, participated in two ASA mission trips to Nicaragua… it has been an integral part of my life for 45 years. I see my role as primarily providing historical perspective and technical assistance—a helping hand. |
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Donald SkinnerDonald Skinner is a native Washingtonian, joining ASA in 2017. He is a retired logistician with 37 years’ experience with railways, air cargo, and highway transportation. He is a member of the Asbury Foundation Board, the philanthropic arm of Asbury Communities, a leader in senior living in the Northeast U.S. His current efforts encourage incorporating legacy giving into estate planning.
In addition to Don’s background in transportation planning, he has worked in the allied engineering fields of wayfinding and environmental graphics (using signage to navigate through the environment), Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), and historic preservation. He is working on projects with two museums. Don has won awards for project management and procurement. He graduated from the Capitol Page School and worked in the U.S. House of Representatives for six years. He is a cum laude graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, where his studies included government, transportation, and gerontology. His post-graduate work in transportation was in Frankfurt and Mainz, Germany. |
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The Rev. Dominique Peridans
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