Executive Council

What is Executive Council and what does it do?

Executive Council shares primary responsibility for planning and directing the temporal affairs of the diocese with the bishop and the Standing Committee, as provided by the constitution and canons of the diocese and of The Episcopal Church. Council acts for the diocesan convention between its annual meetings to implement the programs, policies and budgets convention approved. Additionally, Council serves as the board of directors of the diocesan corporation, exercising, except where canonically restricted, all the fiduciary responsibilities and powers of such a board under California law governing religious corporations. In consultation with the Department of Finance and the treasurer, Council oversees the management of the operating fund and of investments (including real estate), and develops prudent policies and procedures governing the use of diocesan funds. The bishop is president of Council while the other members are elected to staggered three-year terms: two per deanery (one of whom must be lay), six at large by the Convention; the bishop has the right to appoint up to six members and the chancellor, treasurer, and secretary of the convention are ex officio members. Council officers are chair, vice chair, and secretary; we are elected by Council from among its elected members.

Contact Executive Council at: executivecouncil@diocal.org

	The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus Bishop and President bishopmarc@diocal.org
	2022 Officers
The Rev. Jon Owens Chair	Sherry Lund Vice Chair	Marj Leeds Secretary

	Class of 2022
The Rev. Jon Owens Deanery Representative St. John's, Oakland Alameda Deanery	Marj Leeds Deanery Representative Grace, Martinez Contra Costa Deanery	Tom Matthews Convention Representative St. James, San Francisco San Francisco Deanery
Anna Haight Deanery Representative St. Columba's, Inverness Marin Deanery	The Rev. Kirsten Spalding Convention Representative Church of the Nativity, San Rafael Marin Deanery	Birgit Eschmann Deanery Representative St. John the Evangelist, San Francisco San Francisco Deanery

	Class of 2023
Marj Leeds Deanery Representative Grace, Martinez Contra Costa Deanery	The Rev. Ginger Strickland Convention Representative St. John's, Ross Marin Deanery	Tom Matthews Convention Representative St. James, San Francisco San Francisco Deanery
Anna Haight Deanery Representative St. Columba's, Inverness Marin Deanery	Birgit Eschmann Deanery Representative St. John the Evangelist, San Francisco San Francisco Deanery	The Rev. Jon Owens Deanery Representative St. John's, Oakland Alameda Deanery

	Bishop’s Appointees
Edgar Woo Church of Our Savior Oakland Alameda Deanery	Bruno Peguese St. Cyprian's San Francisco San Francisco Deanery	The Rev. Liz Tichenor Resurrection, Pleasant Hill Contra Costa Deanery

	Ex-Officio Members
The Rev. Br. Richard Helmer Secretary of Convention office@oursaviourmv.org Our Saviour, Mill Valley	Lane Ringlee Treasurer of the Diocese St. Stephen’s Orinda

	Other Attendees
Christopher Hayes, Esq. Chancellor of the Diocese Borowsky & Hayes LLP christopher.hayes@borowsky.com Grace Cathedral, San Francisco	Albe Larsen Standing Committee Representative amlarsen@coastside.net St. Matthew’s, San Mateo

	Diocesan Staff
The Rev. Debra Low-Skinner Canon to the Ordinary dskinner@diocal.org	The Rev. Michele Racusin Chief Financial and Operations Officer micheler@diocal.org	Davey Gerhard Director of Development daveyg@diocal.org