Corporation & Parish Council

Bios | Parish Council

Pat Goodwin | I look forward to serving on Parish Council these next two years. As a long time member of St. Stephen’s, I have served on Parish Council before, and was a member of the search committee while hiring our previous pastor. I enjoyed being a member of Chancel Guild for twenty five years, and made many cherished friendships over the years while a member of the quilt group. I also helped with Inn From the Cold when it first started here at St. Stephen’s. I have attended bible study sessions at the church lead by four clergy, and have found it both enriching and challenging. These days I also am helping out as a greeter. My husband and I both taught for the CSB, and enjoy gardening and indulging our grandsons.

Ladan Kavakebi Asar | Ladan (Ladi) was born in Iran and holds a master’s degree in Soil Chemistry. She worked in environmental laboratories for seven years and later spent six years in the tech sector as a Customer Relations Manager. She has also volunteered with animal shelters and co-founded a “House of Culture and Food,” reflecting her passion for cooking and community. After immigrating to Canada in early 2023, she became involved with Stampede 2023 and volunteered with the Meow Foundation before beginning work as a cook for a Women Emergency Shelter. Since 2024, Ladi and her husband have been members of St. Stephen’s Church, which she chose as her spiritual home and where she was baptized.

Blake Kanewischer | Blake has been part of the St. Stephen’s community for over twenty years and has previously served as a warden and synod delegate. An Education for Ministry graduate, he continues to engage in theological reflection and lifelong learning, and is currently completing a PhD in Management at Saint Mary’s University Halifax, NS), where his work explores equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in complex institutions. In his professional role as Chair of the Math, Engineering, Science, and Philosophy department at SAIT,Blake focuses on governance, stewardship, and creating space for thoughtful, sometimes difficult conversations in service of decolonization and Indigenization.He is a proud citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta and brings a reflective, relational, and systems-aware approach to leadership.

Lisa Jane-Hayfron | My name is Lisa-Jane Hayfron, and I am a Ghanaian-Canadian and Marketing and Communications professional who has called Calgary home for the past seven years. I have been actively involved in my community and was raised in the Anglican Church, which has been a foundational part of my life. Over the past four years, I have been intentionally reconnecting with my faith, and I am eager to deepen that journey through service. I am interested in joining the Parish Council as a way to contribute my skills, support the church’s mission, and help foster an inclusive and welcoming community for those who are reconnecting with or newly discovering their faith. Being part of a community matters deeply to me, and I would be grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside others in supporting our parish.

Meera Nathwani-Crowe | Meera Nathwani-Crowe has been going to St. Stephen’s since marrying Tim Crowe, in 2008. Together, they have 3 kids. As a multi-faith family, Meera appreciates our inclusive and welcoming community and is looking forward to volunteering on Parish Council.

Jesse Traquair | I’ve been a member of St. Stephen’s since moving to Calgary in 2009. I’m trained as a librarian and archivist and I’ve worked for the provincial government for over a decade. St. Stephen’s has played a central role in my life and my kids have grown up in the parish. I feel deeply attached to the church and community and want to give something back.

Oluronke Babatunde | I have been an active member of the parish for just under 2 years now. I have participated by helping out with coffee hour and with facilitating hands-on education sessions on basic life support provision, especially for suspected opioid overdoses. I admire St. Stephen’s beautiful building, the warm and welcoming parishioners, the music and the outreach programs committed to fostering fellowship with neighbouring communities. I am a family physician and work mainly in Calgary. In my free time, I enjoy reading, baking, hiking with my husband and spending time with my family. I am looking forward to contributing my time and talents to help strengthen the mission of St. Stephen’s and further support the growth of the parish.

Janet MacArthur | Janet MacArthur was born and raised in Alberta, mostly in Calgary, returning to Alberta in 2022 after retiring from her career at UBC Okanagan. At the Anglican Cathedral in Kelowna, she was chair of outreach and served on church council. She has two daughters: Clare, 29, and Larissa, 28. She enjoys walking, hiking, reading, travelling, researching, writing, and cooking. In 2021, she and two others published a book titled Okanagan Women’s Voices about relations between Indigenous and settler women in early BC.

Carley Kastelic | A “country girl” raised on a farm NW of Edmonton, who has spent the rest of her life in cities; U of A, Ryerson, U of T, U of C; former teacher and fine arts instructor; occasional painter of watercolours; does needlepoint, a passionate gardener; environmentalist; “news junkie”; constant reader; enjoys writing, including poetry; loves travel in Europe.

Bios | Corporation

The Rev. Nicole Janelle (Rector) | The Rector is called by the parish and appointed by the Bishop for an unlimited term to the Corporation. St. Stephen’s, in keeping with broader practices within the Diocese of Calgary, has historically offered a voice on Corporation to associate clergy.

I am honoured to serve as the 13th Rector of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, having arrived in 2021. I grew up in Maine (US) and served as an Episcopal priest in California for 17 years before coming to Calgary. I have experience in parish, campus and farm-based ministry, and have served as a hospice/palliative care chaplain. I’m passionate about transformative social, economic and ecological justice work, and most recently am a co-founder of Palestinian Anglicans and Clergy Allies and Proud Anglican Voices of Alberta.

I love brainstorming with church and community members about new ways St. Stephen’s can be a welcoming and nurturing presence in the Beltline, as well as a spiritual home for Progressive Anglicans living across Calgary. I enjoy cooking, hiking the magnificent nearby mountains and walking/biking around the city. I’m a graduate of Northwestern University (BA), Union Theological Seminary (MDiv) and the University of California, Berkeley (MPH).

Adapted from www.ststephenyyc.com/rector-the-rev-nicole-janelle/

Neil Miller (Rector’s Warden) | The Rector’s Warden is appointed by the Rector for a term of 3 years. Neil is entering his second year on Corporation.

Neil and his family been part of the St. Stephen’s community since moving to Calgary from southwestern Ontario in the fall of 2005. Neil previously served as Rector’s Warden from 2012-2014. Although trained as a chemical engineer, Neil now works as a commercial agreement negotiator for Imperial Oil, and volunteers extensively with Scouts Canada in Calgary. He spends the rest of his free time skiing, curling, and cycling. Neil and Pam are very proud of their children Ryan and Paige, who are studying engineering at universities outside Alberta, and whose spiritual formation was nurtured at St. Stephen’s.

Sheena Issac (Deputy Rector’s Warden) | The Deputy Rector’s Warden is appointed by the Rector. Sheena has completed one year on Corporation and has the option to serve an additional 1 or 2 years, as she stepped in to complete the previous Deputy Rector’s Warden term.

I am a seasoned licensed real estate professional with 20 years of international experience, specializing in rental markets and property management. Beyond my career in real estate, I have been actively involved in community service, particularly in my role as a Parish Council member and Corporation member for the last 3 years. I cherished the opportunity to engage with church members, especially through the greeter service and church activities. I am excited to continue my service as the Deputy Rector’s Warden at St. Stephen’s. My vision for my new role is to portray St. Stephen’s as a welcoming and spiritually nurturing space for all, creating a place of acceptance for those seeking a deeper connection with their faith.

Bob Beaty (People’s Warden) | The People’s Warden is elected by the Parish for a term of three years. Bob is entering his third year on Corporation.

I’m one of the four Wardens, ironically a junior member on that group in a 76-year-old body. Outside St. Stephen’s I was a print journalist, mostly at The Herald where for much of that time I worked as an investigative journalist. I must say – with tongue firmly planted in cheek – that having a truck try to push my car off an isolated country road while doing some research and surviving a blown rear tire at high speed after it was slashed my someone who didn’t want me snooping around left me some handy skills to deal with church politics. Seriously, though, the sanctuary St. Stephen’s uniquely provides helped me endure those moments and all the other challenges life provides. It’s one of my essential bedrocks.

Todd Hirsch | The Deputy People’s Warden is elected by the Parish for a term of three years. Todd is entering his first year on Corporation.

Todd Hirsch has been a member of St Stephen’s for nearly 20 years. He has been an active participant in the ministries of the church, particularly in the music program and choir. He served as a member of Corporation (2015-2019), is currently a Litanist, and has also served on various ad hoc committees, such as the Stewardship Committee. One of Todd’s favourite “quirky” ministries is coming up with humorous messages for the lawn sign in front of the church.

Apart from his participation in the ministry of St. Stephen’s, Todd is a professional speaker, author and economist. He speaks at conferences across the country on navigating economic chaos, and building human connection. He’s had a career of more than 30 years, working for organizations such as the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Bank of Canada, and as a sessional instructor at the University of Calgary. For more than 15 years, he served as Vice President and Chief Economist of ATB Financial. He has written four books, served on the board of governors of the University of Calgary, and on the board of directors of Alberta Ballet and Glenbow Museum.

In his private life, Todd lives with his partner Jason McKay and their dogs Piper and Luna. Originally from Edmonton, he has called Calgary home since 1989. His hobbies include choir, reading, growing orchids and cooking.