SAINT MARK'S
Episcopal Church
Albuquerque, NM

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, I attended VPI (Virginia Tech now), and went to grad school there before finishing my graduate work at Johns Hopkins. I came to Albuquerque for active duty in the Air Force in 1968. Four years later, I separated from the Air Force (as a captain) and took a job at what is now the Air Force Research Laboratory on Kirtland AFB. I retired from the laboratory in 2000 and have continued to work in that laboratory in a variety of arrangements, one of which was as an employee of New Mexico Tech (in Socorro). Today, I have a consulting business with other major tech companies and still work for the Laboratory.

In my first marriage, I had the good fortune to have two sons. When Kristin and I married in 1981, we were blessed again with two sons of our own as well as two wonderful boys from her first marriage. Today, our boys range in age from 30 to 50 years old, and all but the youngest one live outside New Mexico. When I was young, I attended a Methodist, then Lutheran, then Methodist and finally another Lutheran church after finally coming to Albuquerque. When Kristin and I married, we began attending St. John’s Cathedral, where she had been raised. We attended the Cathedral until 1999, at which time we moved to the east mountains near Edgewood, NM. There was no Episcopal church in Edgewood, but a small group of new and old locals were just beginning to foster one. Attending services in the Edgewood Elementary School gymnasium on old Route 66, we eventually built a small, frame/metal building of our own north of town, and so we began to grow Holy Cross Episcopal Church of Edgewood. I had the privilege of being on their vestry during those early (and difficult) years.

A little over ten years ago, we built a townhouse on Candelaria near the nature center and I began looking for a new church. The very first time I came to St Mark’s, I knew that I had found my home and I have been here ever since. A couple of years ago we lost one of our beloved boys, a tragedy that we continue to struggle with now. St Mark’s, Fr. Christopher and many others were our anchor and beacon during those dark days. St Marks is my home. It has been there when we needed it, and I will be there for it. 

I grew up in Colorado Springs with my two sisters - raised by parents who were professors at Colorado College and active members of Grace Church and Stephen's Episcopal Church. My belief that the life of the mind informs and strengthens the life of faith (and that, indeed, they are one) grew, no doubt, through my upbringing on a college campus and a church nearby. This, and a recognition that the strength of any community -be it faith-based or otherwise - flows from the willingness of its members to participate, and to foster the relationships that will help it to grow. It is this commitment to participation and relationships that I hope to bring to the Vestry at St. Mark's.

My wife Brenna and I - and sons Rowan and Malcolm - found our spiritual home at St. Mark's three years ago. We have become "members" week by week - day by day - through worship and conversation and have always felt welcome. Meanwhile, I continue to explore the contours of the life of the mind (and perhaps of life in general) with middle and high school students at Sandia Preparatory School, where I have taught for twenty-one years.

I was raised and confirmed in the Roman Catholic faith, and was received into the Episcopal Church in 1995, at St. Mark’s in Albuquerque. Although my husband Scott and I lived in Albuquerque when we were newlyweds, we were absent from the parish from 1997 to 2017 while we moved around the world for Scott’s military career. During this time, we also raised our two children Emily and John, who are now 22 and 21 years old.

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I have always felt drawn into a closer relationship with God. In every parish we have called home throughout 28 years of marriage, I have volunteered in some capacity or another. I have attended Bible Studies, been a Lector, a Lay Eucharistic Minister, a Vestry member, a stewardship worker and a Sunday school teacher. Now, I feel a strong calling to serve St. Mark’s as a member of the Vestry. I would like to assist in the mission of the clergy and our members as we all strive together to make something beautiful for God in our neighborhood. To me, those are not just words! I think we each have an opportunity to serve Christ in one another. I would like to have a part in helping each member deepen his or her faith and also help our members discover their unique gifts. I think serving on the Vestry would allow me to contribute to our community in a really good way.

Professionally, I have been an attorney for 25 years. I practice family law as a shareholder at Atkinson & Kelsey, PA. Even though it may seem sad, I do enjoy using my abilities to help families in transition and crisis. I also serve as a Commissioner for the New Mexico State Bar Association and am involved as the President of the Women’s State Bar. In my free time, I enjoy camping, hiking, running and spending time with my wonderful partner, Scott. 
 

Dr. Diane Ball is a 27-year veteran Humanities Instructor at the High School and College level. She earned her BA in History & Russian Studies, a MA in Secondary Education and her PhD in Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies from the University of New Mexico. Her academic research is focused on the role of New Mexico in World War II specifically Japanese-American internment, Civil Liberties during wartime, and 20th Century World History. Diane is also a National Board Certified Teacher, Executive Director of the New Mexico Council for the Social Studies and was named New Mexico History Teacher of the Year in 2018.

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Diane has been involved in a variety of philanthropic activities throughout her adult life, most especially through her Masonic affiliations. She currently serves as the Board Secretary of Ashlar #58, International Order of Rainbow for Girls, is an officer in Eastern Star of New Mexico and a Past Queen of Yucca Temple No. 74, Daughters of the Nile. Her work with Nile helped to raise $14,000 this last year to support the tissue bank at Shriner’s Hospital-Galveston.

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Diane was raised at the Cathedral of St. John’s in Albuquerque and has been a member of St. Mark’s for the past six years, where she currently serves as an usher and an on-going member of the Inquirer’s class. What she can offer to the Vestry and St. Mark’s community is her extensive work with non-profit organizations, hosting conferences and workshops, management of budgets, and community outreach. Her passion is to explore the history of Episcopal Church, never lose the joy of learning, and help to promote the vibrant, inclusive, and community-driven nature of St. Marks.

I was born in Roswell, NM to a Catholic father and a Presbyterian mother who were married in a Methodist church. I have been baptized twice (once as a baby and once as a young Baptist), attended churches in at least a dozen denominations, received a bachelor’s degree from a Church of Christ college and a master’s degree from a Methodist seminary. I have played guitar in worship bands and spoken at Christian summer camps while teaching rappelling and mountain biking. I have been a leader in college ministries and a dissident at an evangelical church.

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Throughout my adult life, I have attended mainly Episcopal churches, being drawn to the physicality of the liturgy and openness to all people. As a seminarian I learned to ask philosophical questions and as a graduate student in philosophy, I taught college students to do the same. When our first child was born, I decided to become a firefighter and paramedic, which has been my profession for ten years now.

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I married Sarah, the love of my life, under the big New Mexico sky in 2003 and we have watched, with awe, as our boys, Jonah (12) and James (7), grow bigger bodies and bigger hearts. I have received grace and am learning how to give it in order to make the world a more just and loving place. For me, the story of my walk with God has been—and continues to be—a way of questioning and doubting, loving and serving, imagination and music. St. Mark’s has been our church home since 2018 and here we have found a community of people with whom we can share this journey of expansive love, honest questions, and open hearts.

Blythe Clark has been a member of St. Mark’s since 2013. She works as a Research & Development Department Manager at Sandia National Labs, managing a dedicated team of mechanical engineers. When she’s not at work, she’s either playing indoor soccer, training for trapeze, or spending time with her family, Andrew, Sadie (12), and Eloise (9). They enjoy traveling, cooking/baking, cycling, skiing, playing Nintendo, and watching movies together. Blythe has been an active member at St. Mark’s, serving 3 years on the vestry from 2016 to 2018, serving as a youth educator for J2A and co-leading a youth pilgrimage to San Francisco in 2019, and playing piano for the Treble Choir and pageant back in the day. She is looking forward to serving St. Mark’s and its amazing congregation again.

I grew up in southwest Missouri, but I've lived in New Mexico since 1987 when I moved to Socorro for college. I didn't grow up in a church, but I began attending St. Mark's in 2003. I was baptized and confirmed here soon after, and I've been a member ever since.

I work as an engineer for a manufacturing plant in Belen, where I do industrial controls and machine design as well as manage capital projects and major maintenance. I'm also a hot air balloon pilot, and I can be found floating through the skies over central New Mexico during Balloon Fiesta and many other weekends throughout the year. I live in Albuquerque with my wife Ashley, and we have three children, aged 20, 19, and 18. 

​I have attended St. Mark’s for many years, volunteering in youth Sunday school and vestry and working in the nursery when Eric was a baby. I have two boys, Eric (15) and Thomas (10) and I am married to a guy named Matt who also appreciates this community because of your care for us, even though he does not attend church. I currently work at Sandia National Laboratories as a line manager. Outside of church, I love to travel with family, run while listening to audiobooks and rock climbing with friends in New Mexico.

My family (Jon (spouse), Zechariah (7) and Almerine (3)) and I have attended St. Marks for the past five years. From the moment we stepped through the doors of St. Mark’s we knew we found our spiritual home. We couldn’t be prouder to raise our children learning God’s grace in such a vibrant and welcoming community. I would be both humbled and honored to serve on the vestry to continue to grow, serve, and develop relationships within the community of St. Marks.

I was raised in the United Methodist Church in the small town of Edgefield, South Carolina where my parents are still very active members. After leaving home, I attended UMC, and Episcopal churches while receiving my higher education and working from coast to coast. I received my bachelors from Clemson University and my M.S. and PhD from the University of Florida. Before becoming enchanted with New Mexico, I visited D.C. regularly and lived in the Bay area of California. After serving the agricultural community for 15 years, I am now a Research Scientist at Sandia National Laboratory. 

Some of my hobbies include discovering the New Mexico landscape by hiking, biking, and floating in the Rio Grande with my family. I also enjoy cooking/baking, and all things gardening and canning related. When I am not busy playing with my children or trying micro brews with my husband, I do enjoy curling up with a good book in the evenings. 

Miranda has been a member of St. Mark’s since 2012 and has served both on the vestry at The Cathedral Church of St. John and as its treasurer. Miranda has also served as a Convention Delegate in the Diocese of the Rio Grande and chaired two stewardship campaigns. She holds a B.S. in Business Information Systems and an M.B.A., both from the University of Colorado.

No bio available at this time.

No bio available at this time.