St. Mary’s in the Valley Leadership
The Rev. Hannah Wilder
Vicar (priest)
The Rev. Hannah Wilder has served as our vicar since November 2022. She graduated from the San Diego theological training program in 2019 and from Westmont College with an English degree and a writing emphasis. For 13+ years she served as the communications officer for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. A board member for Episcopal Communicators, Vida Joven de Mexico, and Episcopal Community Services, Hannah has a strong network throughout the Episcopal Church. She lives in Julian with her wife, Kathy, the executive director of Camp Stevens, our diocesan camp. They have one son, Owen, who attends university. They have two dogs; Bear and Coco, and one cat called Kitten. In her downtime, she enjoys people, poetry, sewing, knitting and Marco Polo.
Email Mother Hannah
Deb Lewallen
Senior Warden, Musician
Deb Lewallen is a retired therapist and an engaged grandmother.
Virginia Pollack
junior warden, Facilities and Grounds Liaison
Virginia is an excellent golfer.
Jen DeSimone
Bishops committee, Godly Play, ECW
Jennifer DeSimone has been a member at St. Mary’s since 2018. She has been married to Matthew since 1994 and has three wonderful adult children and one teenaged grandson. She is a member of the Godly Play team, Prayers and Squares, ECW co-president, and is very involved in the Craft Ministry. She is also a proud member of the Bishop’s Committee. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, traveling, reading, quilting, and making crafts.
Cindy Dodson
Godly Play leader, Community Garden Liaison, Lay Preacher
Cindy Dodson (she/her/hers) has been a member of St. Mary's in the Valley since 2011. She is involved as a gardener and ministry advisor in the Community Garden, has served several terms on the Bishop's Committee and teaches Godly Play. Cindy also is an organizer toward Social Justice, currently facilitating St. Mary's second Sacred Ground Circle as she continues to learn through Diocesan events such as Local Area Racism Knowledge (LARK). She is a reader and a leader of book studies and is currently completing the coursework to become a Lay Preacher. Cindy's prayer life includes facilitating three Centering Prayer Circles a week. Cindy Shares her love of Icon writing with St. Mary's and two of these Icons can be seen at St. Mary's.
Cindy has a B.A in Sociology and is active in her community serving on the Boards of both The Art Center and Sustainable Ramona.
Laura Myers
Episcopal Church Women Liaison
I was born and raised in San Diego. I called San Diego home until I moved to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB. I graduated with a degree in Psychology, then earned a teaching credential at CSU San Marcos. Shortly later, I met a kind and handsome sailor named Dave Myers. We moved to Escondido, got married, and I landed a teaching position in Ramona. I remember driving up the hill to Ramona for the job interview and wondering "Who would live way out here?!" However, teaching here tied me to this beautiful community and I fell in love with the Ramona people and lifestyle. Along came Hannah (1995) and Patrick (1999), and our family moved to Ramona in 2002. For the next decade, our lives consisted of church, music, scouts, sports, Navy deployments, outdoor adventures, teaching, and friends and family time. After Dave became a nurse our family was stationed to Rota, Spain in 2011. It was a totally different way of living which helped shaped the family we are today. Through travel we were able to step out of our comfort zones and experience many adventures together. We returned home in 2014 and resumed our peaceful Ramona life. Recently, I've retired from full-time teaching. However, I keep busy with substitute teaching, caring for my mom, and volunteering at the San Diego Family Justice Center. I love being with friends and family, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, traveling, gardening, music and cooking. I'm blessed to be a part of our "small but mighty" congregation. St. Mary's is more than a parish to me: it is home, it is family.
Annie “Fern” Smith
Prayers and Squares Liaison
I’ve lived in Ramona since ‘84; my husband and I found St. Mary’s in 2019. I worked as an eligibility technician and supervisor for the department of social services where we assisted people applying for public assistance. I worked in the refugee relocation office, assisting with cash, Medi-Cal and food stamps. There were 25 different languages spoken in our office. It was a privilege to learn about customs in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Somalia, Russia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. I have an associates degree in graphic arts.
I was raised by my grandparents. My sister is a minister in the Church of the Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho. My brother lives in Texas and one brother is deceased. I had the best childhood that included grunion running, attending Aztec football games, fishing, and racing cars in Balboa Park. We played outside until ate at night. We built tree houses and played in the canyon.
I enjoy knitting, crochet, painting, quilting and photography. I have two grandsons who are my greatest joy in life. I was a single mom when I raised my kids, but as a grandmother I could spend time with them and I loved it! We had tie dye days, made jerky, played baseball and we had a BMX course on our property. I love animals and currently have three dogs: Bear, Sophie and Daisy-Mae.
Laurie Collins
office volunteer, crafts
Laurie and her husband Scott have been residents of Ramona since 2013. Coming from Texas, they originally settled in the 4S Ranch area for a few years before discovering the beautiful area and lifestyle in Ramona. The Collinses have four children and two grandchildren. They enjoy spending time with their family and taking care of their many animals! St. Mary’s has become a large and precious part of their lives.