We will be voting our new class of Vestry members at our Annual Meeting being held in the sanctuary between the services on Sunday, January 30th. 

Here is the slate of nominees, with their bios, for your consideration. 

Thank you, as always, for your attention to matters of importance to the church. 
Betsy Blair

Betsy Blair has a family history at St. James’s dating back to her great grandparents. Betsy and her son, Cliff, were baptized at St. James’s, where Betsy’s been a member since 1994. Her deep appreciation for music, combined with her appreciation of the leadership of Mark and Virginia Whitmire, led her to join the Parish Choir from 2010 to 2016.
 
Betsy has been to Honduras and the Sudan twice with St. James’s mission outreach. She currently is in Year 4 of Education for Ministry ( EfM), and is on the Steering Committee of Becoming a Beloved Community, following her participation in the Sacred Ground educational forum. Betsy is a Registered Nurse, semi retired, having served at the bedside of Intensive Care settings, and administratively as a Chief Nursing and Chief Operating Officer. Betsy served on the Corporate Board at Westminster Canterbury Richmond from 2013-2016.
George Booth

George Booth is a Vice President for USI Insurance Services in Richmond, VA. He is a client team leader, consultant and broker responsible for client service delivery and the design, marketing and placement of commercial property and casualty insurance programs. George has experience in many different enterprises including government, healthcare, hospitality, retail, manufacturing, financial services and construction.
 
Prior to joining the company in 2000, George was Vice President, Team Leader and Broker for Johnson & Higgins of Virginia (and Marsh) for 14 years. Prior to that, he was Casualty underwriter with USF&G for five years.  He attended Washington & Lee University and received a B. S. in Business Administration – 1980
 
George has been a member of St. James’s since 1994. His wife Rixey is also a long time St. James'ser. Their sons, Robert (24) and Lea (26) were both baptized at St. James’s as Christ’s own forever.
 
George served as the Vestry – Finance Chair 2005 to 2007 and St. James’s Children’s Center Board - Finance Chair – 2017 to 2021. He’s a member of Parish Choir, a Caritas volunteer and involved in Newcomers.
Jennifer Pollard

I was born and raised in Bloomington, MN, and lived there till my family moved to Mobile, AL, my senior year in High School. After three years in Mobile, I moved to Washington, DC, to work for my congressman, and spent the next seven years working on Capitol Hill. During that time I graduated from George Washington University and began law school at George Mason. I attended law school at night and worked full time days.

From 1986 to 2006 I was a state court prosecutor (Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney) in Alexandria, and then in King George County for about nine years. In 2017 I moved to Richmond, and from 2017 to 2020 I represented indigent criminal defendants in the City of Richmond and Henrico County.
 
My two children are Tyler, 33, who lives here in Richmond (and made me a grandmother about a year ago), and Madison, 28, an artist who recently moved to San Diego.
 
Retirement has been busy and joyful, with participation in St. James’s offerings, including Altar Guild, Outreach Committee, Tuesday Readers Book Club, Sacred Ground, and IWC Committee (although I greatly miss our pre-covid jazz mass and Wednesday dinner
programs). I have enjoyed volunteering at CARITAS and the Real Life organization, babysitting my grandson, playing pickle ball, running, reading, and hearing live music at Richmond’s many venues.
Cheryl Redmond

Cheryl Weber Redmond joined St. James’s in 2008. She has since then participated in several mission trips and served on the Mission Committee, taught Sunday School and more recently Confirmation, and currently is a member of the West Gallery Choir.
 
Cheryl is a registered Nurse and is a member of the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps and has given hundreds of vaccines during the recent health crisis. She is a 2nd grade classroom assistant at Anna Julia Cooper School. Most importantly, she is married to Scott Redmond and mother to Anastasia (19) Mary Stewart (18) and Robbie (13).
Harry Turton

Harry and his family have been members of St. James’s since 2001. He has served (separately) as 9 am & 11:15 am Usher Chief since 2007. 
 
Harry has worked in the Richmond banking industry since graduating from Florida State University in 1987. He started with Central Fidelity Bank as a trainee, moved to First Market Bank in 2003 and Union Bank and Trust (by merger) in 2010. In 2021 he was named Commercial Real Estate Group President of Atlantic Union Bank (successor to Union Bank and Trust).
 
He has enjoyed serving his community during his professional career, working with organizations like Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, Bon Secours Health System, Richmond LISC, Freedom House, United Way, Venture Richmond, Rebuilding Together and Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, in board and other capacities.
 
Harry and his wife Heather were wed in 1996. They have twin 17-year-old daughters – Hampton and Hadley. Harry enjoys tennis, golf, time with family in Hot Springs and White Stone, VA, and FSU Football.
 
Harry received his M.B.A. from VCU in 1999. He is also a 2001 graduate of Leadership Metro Richmond, Center for Creative Leadership 2007, and LEAD Virginia 2016.
Shelton Way

Shelton Way and her then-fiancé Lawton joined St James’s in 2010. Shelton was baptized and confirmed at St. James’s, and then the couple was married here in 2011. They have since welcomed and baptized three children: Ford (7), Margaret (6) and CeCe (3). Shelton has participated in Pilgrims Path, taught Sunday School, helped to organize Womankind, co-chaired the Feast of St James, volunteered in the nursery, and has served on the Annual Giving committee. She has loved welcoming her children into the St James’s community and is thankful for the wonderful friendships that she has made here.
 
Work-wise: Shelton studied architecture at UVA & Savannah College of Art and Design. After graduation, Shelton worked as an architectural intern/designer at a firm in Williamsburg (Guernsey Tingle Architects) until she had the kids. Now Shelton works for them as a food supplier/stuff hauler/laundry folder/virtual school manager/bus driver/scheduler.
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