Aaron was born in Houston, but his childhood took him to Mexico City; Washington, D.C.; Stockholm, Sweden; and Los Angeles, California, before finally settling in his hometown of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
After earning a B.A. magna cum laude in History of Science at Harvard University, Aaron spent two years with an educational non-profit in Kazakhstan. Aaron later worked at Harvard Business School and H.J. Heinz in Pittsburgh.
Garrett was born in West Texas and raised on the Central Coast of California. He holds degrees from Abilene Christian University (BA, Biblical Text), Princeton Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity), and Seminary of the Southwest (Diploma of Anglican Studies).
Before coming to St. Alban’s, Garrett worked for a refugee resettlement agency in Abilene, a dairy farm in New Jersey, and an Episcopal school in Tyler as a lay chaplain. While living in New Jersey, he began discerning a call to ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church. He has served in various lay roles at parishes in New Jersey, Tyler, and Austin. Garrett is married to Rachael.
Please contact Garrett if you are new to St. Alban’s and want to learn more.
Sutton is a native of Lufkin and a graduate of Baylor University, where he met his wife, Marleigh. After graduating from Duke Divinity School in 2023 and being ordained in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, Sutton served as Curate at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in Houston, one of the largest Episcopal congregations in the country. As Assistant Rector for Outreach and Community Life, Sutton will oversees the following ministry areas: Mission and Outreach (Chairing our Mission & Outreach Committee and working with our Ministry Partners), Pastoral Care (including our Lay Eucharistic Visitors), Newcomers, and Small Groups.
Ordained to the Diaconate in June 2015, Al serves as our Deacon, which means he assists the clergy and focuses on outreach and service. He also has a role in coordinating mission and outreach among the three Episcopal parishes in Waco. Most Sundays he is at St. Alban’s, but occasionally serves Holy Spirit and St. Paul’s.
He and his wife Carol have two grown children. Prior to ordination, Al had a distinguished career in law enforcement in Florida, Texas, and Arizona, and served as Waco’s Chief of Police.
Hilary is on the front line at St. Alban’s, serving as office manager, receptionist, and executive assistant to the Rector. Before coming to St. Alban’s, she has worked as an editor, a teacher, and an office manager.
Hilary earned her BA and MA degrees in history. She enjoys reading books on British and American history and also loves traveling, swimming, and shopping. A native of Kansas City, Hilary has lived in San Diego, New Orleans, and now Waco for the past 20 years. She and her family are members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Her husband is a Baylor professor. They have a son who recently got married and is working in Austin.
Stephanie Drum is originally from the Piney Woods of East Texas and grew up in the church with her father, a bi-vocational prison chaplain and pastor, and her mother, a teacher. She has two older brothers both living in the Houston area, with four nieces and one nephew. She studied theology and music at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and moved to Waco in 2009. She studied at George W. Truett Theological Seminary for her Master of Divinity, as well as Baylor University for her Master of Social Work.
Before coming to St. Alban’s, she worked at VOICE, a local non-profit for four and a half years, and has been involved in youth ministry leadership since 2014. Originally hired as the Children. Youth, and Families Minister at St. Alban’s in 2019, she transitioned to working with youth and college/young adults in 2023. She is also the Campus Missioner at the Episcopal Student Center of Waco.
She likes karaoke, coffee shops, art, reading, animals, and traveling.
A native of Texas, Hillary has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Baylor University. She has spent nearly two decades serving in a variety of Christian children’s settings—most recently at a Christian, Classical School. She has over ten years of classroom experience, teaching and discipling young minds and hearts. Hillary is passionate about helping children know and experience the love and grace of God. She brings that sense of calling and depth of experience to every setting she enters. Hillary has been married to Kevin for 17 years and has three children and a lively pack of four rescue dogs. In her free time, she enjoys relaxing with a cozy book and spending time outdoors with her family.
New Zealand-American organist and choral conductor Eugene Lavery is highly sought after as a performer and teacher, having concertized at venues such as St. Paul’s Cathedral, London; St. Ignatius Loyola, New York; and St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney; performed with the American Symphony Orchestra and Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra; and having served on the faculty of Royal School of Church Music courses in the United States, New Zealand, and Nigeria. Eugene has also appeared as an organist for live broadcasts for Television New Zealand and Radio New Zealand.
Eugene currently serves as Organist and Director of Music at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Waco, TX where he directs the semi-professional adult choir, the St. Alban’s Chorister Program, and a vibrant concert series. Eugene has also recently overseen the design and installation of a new world-class organ, Schoenstein Op. 180.
Previous church positions in the United States include Organist and Director of Music at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Louisville, KY and Artistic Director of the Cathedral Choir School of Delaware, one of the most prominent Episcopal chorister programs in the United States.
Born in New Zealand, Eugene received his Bachelor of Music with First Class Honors from the University of Auckland while also serving as Organ Scholar and then Assistant Organist at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland, New Zealand. In 2007 Eugene relocated to New York after gaining entry to the prestigious Master of Music program at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Paul Jacobs.
Eugene is married to fellow Juilliard-graduate Dr. Sharon Lavery, and together they raise two boys, Ryan and Adam.
Sharon is already familiar to many of you as she has sung in the choir and assisted with various aspects of the music program over the past 7 years. In her role as Music Associate, Dr. Sharon Lavery assists with various aspects of the music program with a focus on the children’s music ministry. Sharon had a history of music ministry leadership, serving over a decade as Director of Music of the Presbyterian Church of Upper Montclair, New Jersey.
A solo and collaborative pianist, soprano, and conductor, Sharon earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin College Conservatory, a Master’s from The Manhattan School of Music, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School. She has been employed to prepare over 100 operas in companies from New York City Opera to San Diego Opera, and she has served on the music faculties of Bard College Conservatory, McLennan Community College, and Baylor University. Proverbs 22:29 says a diligent and skilled worker will appear before kings, and Sharon has indeed performed for the Louisville visit of King Charles III and has taught piano to actor Kevin Kline. After spending the 2023-24 performance season as Chorus Director and Opera Assistant Conductor for Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, she has returned to Texas full-time for a shorter commute to an opera faculty position at the University of North Texas in Denton.
Lonnie is a designer and creative director with more than 25 years of experience helping businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations bring their ideas to life. His background includes work at three advertising agencies, his own independent design studio, and a role as Creative Director of the Wacoan Magazine. His award-winning work spans branding, publication design, and websites.
He sees design as a way to solve problems and connect people, and values the relationships built through working together. He brings that same thoughtful, collaborative approach to his role at St. Alban’s.
Lonnie and his wife, Sharon, have four grown children and four grandchildren, who keep life full and give them plenty to smile about.
Australian-born Will Vaszocz spent his formative years on the beaches of Hobart, Tasmania. Before coming to St. Alban’s, Will worked for the security service at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, where he became a trained locksmith. Once in the United States, Will worked as a firefighter/paramedic, and most recently worked for many years as a maintenance engineer for a national hotel chain. Will is currently studying for a degree in paramedicine. Will has been married to Taran for 10 years and enjoys restoring vintage electronic equipment and machinery.
Kenneth Schwarz, a Waco native and Baylor University graduate in Management and Management Information Systems, is passionate about optimizing IT operations and using technology to support people and organizations. As an Audio/Visual Assistant with St. Alban’s, Kenneth will work with other AV volunteers and staff to ensure high-quality livestream services for those who view St. Alban’s online. In his free time, Kenneth enjoys helping others with technology, playing video games, staying active in his community, and spending time with loved ones.
Michael is entering his sophomore year at Baylor University where he is studying for a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance under the tutelage of Dr. Jens Korndörfer. Michael comes from Waltham, MA and grew up as a chorister at St. Paul’s Choir School in Cambridge, MA where he discovered his passion for the organ. In his role as Organ Scholar, Michael will serve as primary accompanist for the St. Alban’s Choir and will assist with the teaching of our Choristers and Cherub Choir.
Allan is a recent graduate of University High School and currently attends McLennan Community College. Allan plans to study interior design and enjoys painting in his free time. St. Alban’s is fortunate to have such a dedicated young man on staff, who helps maintain our beautiful church campus and ensures St. Alban’s remains a clean and welcoming place for everyone to enjoy.
