Vestry
Vestry
Vestry
Faithful leadership to guide us in our mission
Your Cathedral Vestry is the elected lay leadership of Saint Mark's. They lead our efforts to ground the life and work of Saint Mark's in the life and work of God. They help to discern and cast vision for Saint Mark's. They help to organize and align our resources to participate in God's mission. And they thoughtfully reflect, retool, and renew our priorities to remain faithful to God's mission over time. They are elected each January and commit to a shared life of prayer, study, and service on your behalf.
The Vestry generally meets on the third Tuesday of each month. View Vestry meeting minutes and other reports and policies here.
If your interested in being considered for a seat on the vestry complete this form.
Statutes of St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral
The statutes were updated January 15, 2026 and can be viewed here.
Executive Leadership Members
Mike Shepherd
As a grateful member of Saint Mark's, I've had the opportunity over the last few years to worship and serve alongside parishioners who have become wonderful friends. I currently serve on our Vestry, as the chair of our stewardship committee and the work that they do to serve and engage this parish community. During the past two years as your stewardship chair, I've been very proud of the way Saint Markans have embraced an open and transparent dialog about our shared financial commitment to our parish. Our committee is so grateful for your generosity.
I've also been proud to serve with committed Saint Markans over the past three years to organize two of our most important annual events: our Pride celebrations and our participation in Doors Open Minneapolis. These events bring so many visitors from across the Twin Cities and from farther afield together) into our beautiful space, to worship, to learn and to see connection. And that's great news, because I believe community-building and strengthening our relationships with each other and the community we look to serve is one of the most important things we can do together.
In my professional life, I've spent over 30 years in the consulting world, working with all kinds of companies to help them effectively navigate change and deepen the connections between their people and their organizations' hopes for the future. During this season of change and hope at Saint Mark's as we look to what's ahead in 2026, it would be my privilege to bring my experience and desire to more deeply serve this community to the position of Senior Warden on our Vestry.
I'm very grateful for your consideration.
Rachel Babbitt
I am a social worker and community organizer with 20 years of experience working with individuals and communities. I previously worked as the Missioner for Community Engagement with the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, where I assisted faith communities in developing mission partnerships and supported diocesan work around creation care and racial justice. I have been on Vestry since 2024 and have served as the point person for community engagement, outreach, and safety. I am interested in serving as Junior Warden to continue supporting ministry leadership, fundraising, and a healthy Dean leadership transition.
Janet Balej
I have worked as the Director of Finance at the Guthrie Theater for the past 11 years and prior to that for 4 years at Neighborhood Involvement Program, a social services agency for which St. Mark's was a founding member. I have 3 years of public accounting experience as an auditor and completed the CPA license requirements. Most of my career has been spent at non-profit organizations, which also includes the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Emory University and the Carter Center. I believe that my non-profit accounting background would be beneficial to St. Mark's as it continues to try to recover from the many impacts of the covid era, a challenge that is wide-spread across many types of non-profits.. I have served on the Finance Committee for the past year and a half and also served for a period prior to covid. I have a B.A. in music and French from Mount Holyoke College, a graduate diploma in oboe performance from the Australian National University and an M.B.A. in accounting and finance from Georgia Tech. I'm a lifelong member of St. Mark's and I sing in the choir.
Michele Mandrich
I have a 30 year career in health care. I’m trained in Social Work (MSW), but have been in operations management for large health systems for the past twenty years. I currently work full time for Allina Health as an operations manager in the Mental Health and Addiction service line. I live in Minneapolis with my partner, David and our rescue dog Billie. I have been a member of St. Mark’s for a couple of years, but have been a lifelong Episcopalian. I’m looking for new ways to contribute to the community of St. Mark’s.
Other Vestry Members
Paul Anton
Biography
My wife, Nancy, and I have been members of Saint Mark's since 2013. I have served on the Vestry before. I have been on the Property Committee , the Governance Committee, the Stewardship Committee and chaired the Finance Committee. I was Treasurer for two years during the worst of the Pandemic. I have served five years on the Board of the Saint Mark's Foundation; one year as Vice-President and 4 years as President. I also led the Earthkeepers Committee for four years before it was superseded by the Climate Justice Committee and I sing in the Choral Society. I think my experience equips me to make a contribution to the Vestry and, perhaps, to help as a reference to some of the new members, since I understand seven of the nine non-officer positions are being filled in this election.
I am a professional economist. My graduate training began at M.I.T and Harvard before I transferred to the University of Minnesota to work with my advisor, Thomas Sargent, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2011. He and I co-authored two research papers in the Journal of Monetary Economics. I completed the coursework and written and oral exams for the Ph.D. but I took a job in industry before completing my dissertation. I was a Research Economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and Director of Economics at what is now USBank before i founded my own consulting firm.
I am almost completely retired, though I continue to serve on the Council Economic Advisors for the State of Minnesota where I am the longest-tenured member, having served 41 years.
Jacob Buchen
Biography
My wife, Nancy, and I have been members of Saint Mark's since 2013. I have served on the Vestry before. I have been on the Property Committee , the Governance Committee, the Stewardship Committee and chaired the Finance Committee. I was Treasurer for two years during the worst of the Pandemic. I have served five years on the Board of the Saint Mark's Foundation; one year as Vice-President and 4 years as President. I also led the Earthkeepers Committee for four years before it was superseded by the Climate Justice Committee and I sing in the Choral Society. I think my experience equips me to make a contribution to the Vestry and, perhaps, to help as a reference to some of the new members, since I understand seven of the nine non-officer positions are being filled in this election.
I am a professional economist. My graduate training began at M.I.T and Harvard before I transferred to the University of Minnesota to work with my advisor, Thomas Sargent, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2011. He and I co-authored two research papers in the Journal of Monetary Economics. I completed the coursework and written and oral exams for the Ph.D. but I took a job in industry before completing my dissertation. I was a Research Economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and Director of Economics at what is now USBank before i founded my own consulting firm.
I am almost completely retired, though I continue to serve on the Council Economic Advisors for the State of Minnesota where I am the longest-tenured member, having served 41 years.
Brandon Lorge
Vestry
Biography
I'm Brandon Lorge and I've been at Saint Mark's for five years. I attend the Rite I/early service. I'm an I.T. manager. When I'm not working I like to learn new things, work in my garden, and read. My partner and I are also active in the dog rescue community fostering and rescuing Great Danes. I'm running for vestry again since my original term started during the special election and I would like to continue the work on Governance committee, and Transform commission that I have already started.
Vivien Smith
Vestry
Biography
I have been an interim member of the vestry for the past couple of months, and would be delighted to serve the cathedral as a regular vestry member. I have been a member of St Mark's for over 30 years, helping out in Sunday school, nativities, and lectors, and most recently as a member of the Women’s Group and as the Master Gardener for the Pollinator Garden.
I was thrilled with the response to the garden at the 2025 Pride event, thanks to the efforts of Dana Dickson and his cathedral volunteers and the Hennepin Master Gardeners group. I look forward to helping connect the garden even more strongly to the Cathedral goals (Bishop Loya did say we should pollinate the prairie :-)), the congregation, and to the neighborhood.
Prior to retirement I spent my career at 3M, being involved in many aspects of global R&D, especially in UK, Italy, Japan and US. I have also just become President of Needlework Guild of MN, so if anyone wants to find out more about the therapeutic aspects of stitching, let me know.
Joe Ward
Biography
Many of us have been around St Marks for a long time.
JoAnn and I have been here since 1980. Some of you much longer, and a growing number are new. I’m a retired 3M person, then a successful startup tech business owner.
I’ve been involved in a lot of things here… Choir, Wells Board, Stewardship, Vestry, Finance, Climate Justice, Property. But what I love most is our community.
I remember the Arts Festivals, David Willcocks guest conducting our Choir.
I remember the Formal Dickens Dinners when we moved all the pews from the nave, brought our own China and served each other.
I remember Diocesan Youth sleepovers, Pride Festivals.
Sunday and Monday night Suppers, Warm Space, Small Groups, and more...
I remember community - Where “All are welcome”.
These are times when we are in the midst of chaos and division.
The best antidote to all this for me, is to take action. Standing up for our values. our Marks of Mission, Peace, and Justice for all people. To me, it’s about responding to God’s Love. If we’re “all in” for building our St Marks Community and supporting our neighbors, and answering God’s call to love to serve, we’ll be all right.
Since my election to St Mark Vestry in 2024, I’m serving as our Property Committee Chair.
I’m looking forward to supporting our new Dean, and all our community neighbors.