Vestry

Cheri McClanahan, Senior Warden

Cheri grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland where she started attending a local Episcopal church, Church of the Ascension in 1991 and volunteered with the Sunday School program. She moved to Mount Airy in 1997 and attended Grace New Market where she served on the vestry and one term as church auditor. She started attending St. James’ church in 2003. She has served on the vestry with St. James’, on the Rector search committee, and one year as Senior Warden.

Cheri is a recent graduate from FCC with an Associates, Honors in Business Administration degree and works full time for a National Engineering firm in Ashburn, Virginia as an Administrative Manager.

Cheri and Tim have two children Bryce (25) and Trevor (23) and a furry four-legged daughter Flower (5). In her spare time, she enjoys reading and spending time at her getaway in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Bryan Kerr – Co-Junior Warden

Bryan was born in Blacksburg, Va and was raised in the Episcopal Church.  Bryan and family moved to Brookeville, MD when Bryan was about 6 years old.  The family joined St. John’s Church where he joined Sunday School, the affiliated BSA troop,  youth group, and went to Group Workcamps for 14 years from Georgia to Michigan to Tennessee and everywhere in between, setting up a Pumpkin Patch multiple years that sold $30K in pumpkins in 2 weeks, that were supplied from the Navajo Indian ranch. Bryan also participated in numerous youth group fundraising events, multiple service projects including his own Eagle Project for Boys Scouts, and met his long time friend Ryan.

As an adult he served on Vestry and a search committee for a new priest.

Bryan moved to Mount Airy in 2002, to find peace in the country. Bryan and Pamela were married in 2007 at St. John’s Church.  They started attending St. James in early 2012 and found a community instantly.  Their daughters,  McKenzie and Madison were born later in 2012.  Bryan and Pamela went on sabbatical to raise the girls, then all 4 came back on Easter 2023 where they continue to find a community that makes us all grow.  Bryan and family enjoy doing coffee hour, livestream, altar guild, and being a helping hand when needed.  Bryan is excited about another opportunity at vestry.

Bryan graduated from Sherwood High School in 2000 and has continued to find ways to be educated through welding, electrical, home inspector classes at FCC, getting the companies MHIC state license, becoming a firefighter, countless hours of training for landscaping/construction, many hours of professional/mindset development, gaining a CDL A license, becoming a real estate agent, google, YouTube, and an attitude of, ”He will figure it out!”

Bryan currently owns and operates Kerr Landscaping which focuses on building projects that give family and friends places to make memories.  He specializes in outdoor living, drainage, and landscape lighting.

Bryan enjoys watching/coaching McKenzie and Madison in all their sports and activities, hanging out with family and friends, Jeeps, and doing FUN!

Bryan exist to serve by planting goodness!

Gabby Markham – Thrift Shop Liaison

My name is Gabrielle Markham but everyone just calls me Gabby. I am 35 years old and I have an amazing daughter named Abby . I love to crochet and draw and listen to Abby play music. I work at an at home daycare; it’s a job I find it  very rewarding . On Easter in 2019 we attended services at St. James’ and never left. I am so proud to be apart of this spiritual community.

Ashley Conlon

Ashley grew up in Prince George’s county attending St. Mark’s Catholic church and school. After moving to Montgomery county, she attended Our Lady of Good Counsel High School and then The George Washington University. Floral design taught to her at a young age by her grandmother would eventually lead her into the world of flowers followed by Master Gardener training and National Garden Club competitions.

Today, Ashley is an award-winning designer and owner of her own floral design company. She primarily works for clients in the equestrian-sporting world creating landscape & floral designs for hospitality & competition spaces. She has liaised with world-renowned course designers and admits she will always be a student of the craft to which she is so dedicated to. “Botanical Art” is her penultimate focus where one-of-a-kind installations come to life for trade-shows and galas.

Ashley and her husband Ty moved to Mount Airy in 2014 and started attending St. James’ after sending their children to St. James’ Nursery School. They live on farm north of the church and have 5 children; JT (15), Penny (13), Daphne (11), Marshall (9), and Flynn (7) to help tend to the 47+ animals in their menagere. Ashley has served on the Flower Guild since 2015, been chair of the Memorial Garden since its creation, and served 2 terms on the Nursery School Board (holding the position of Secretary for both terms).

Blix Winston – Co-Junior Warden

Blix and Lucy moved from Rockville to Mt. Airy in 1996 and joined St. James’ at that time.  After retiring from the Food & Drug Administration Blix has worked as a regulatory consultant to the medical device industry and taught medical device regulation at Hood College in Frederick.  He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland and graduate degrees from the University of Southern California and Loyola College.  While working for FDA he also worked for fifteen years as a therapist at Affiliated Community Counselors of Rockville.

Blix has served on the Vestry several times in the last 25 years including during both transitions as Rev. Bob Herzog and Rev. Portia Hirschman retired, as well as the time we built the new church building.  For several years he served as the parish’s Diocesan representative and also served on the Diocesan Commission on Ministry.  He enjoys reading, giving primary attention to the Civil War and his expanding Lincoln library, woodworking, outdoor activities including gardening, hunting, fishing and boating and agrees with the sentiment expressed by A. A. Milne: “there are few things as enjoyable as messing around in boats”.  He and Lucy have two daughters; Elizabeth who lives with her family in Olney, and Becky who is with the Lord.

Patty Bullington

Patty grew up in New Carrollton, MD, and moved to Mount Airy in 2001, where she met her husband, Jim. They began attending St. James in 2009 and quickly found a welcoming spiritual community they are grateful to be part of. Over the years, Patty has been active in parish life through the Choir and the Outreach Committee.

Patty holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from UMUC and project management certifications from PMI (PMP and ACP). Recently retired, she spent more than 20 years contributing to commercial and government IT projects. Her career focused on building strong teams, fostering collaboration, and guiding complex initiatives — skills she hopes to bring to the Vestry in service of St. James and its mission.

Howard LeRoux

Howard and Jeanne moved to Mt. Airy with their 3 daughters in 1989. Howard’s career in the automotive industry ranged from mechanic, to body shop manager, to owner of a mobile dent repair business. He managed catering events and maintenance for a local barbeque restaurant. His part time work included extermination, home renovations, and carpet cleaning. And he was deployed as a First Responder for 8 hurricanes over 10 years with a FEMA ambulance company.

Howard and Jeanne came to St. James in 2022. At their previous congregation, Howard served for approximately 25 years with the United Methodist Men, including acting as liaison for the United Methodist Men to the Church Council, mentoring 20 young men through the confirmation process, cooking church-wide meals, and assisting in Vacation Bible School.

Howard enjoys hiking and biking excursions on the weekends. Cooking amazing meals. And spending time with family and friends.