Clergy & Staff

Jimmy serves as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Prior to coming to Jackson, he was the founder and priest at Thad’s, an emergent Episcopal Church in the Santa Monica, California, in the Diocese of Los Angeles. He has also served as the Campus Missioner at the University of Texas in Austin, at All Saints’ in Austin, Texas, and All Saints’ Parish in Beverly Hills, California. He is a graduate the University of Texas at Austin and Virginia Theological Seminary. Presently, he serves as the Chair of the Board of the Episcopal Evangelism Society, and in years past has worked with Red Bull High Performance teaching athletes spiritual disciplines, with Naval Special Warfare working to create systems for character development within special operations teams, and was a speaker at TEDx, Venice Beach.

Married to Cindy and dad to Jas and Jade, the Bartz family loves to spend time outside mountaineering, skiing, fly-fishing, hunting and surfing. Jimmy is currently writing a book on the spirituality of risk.

Brian grew up in Iowa and has lived in Jackson Hole since 1980. He has three grown children, Adam, Jack, and Lucy, who are the light of his life. An avid bicyclist and skier, he has been a member of St. John's since 2001, and was ordained a priest in December of 2016. After a lifetime of work in the construction industry he looks forward to serving the people of St. John's for many years to come.

Suzanne grew up in the New York area and served several churches in New Jersey before moving to Jackson in l992 with her husband George to “recycle” themselves. She felt spiritually moved by the landscape, sky and the fact that there are more animals than people in Wyoming. Suzanne loves her family (8 grandchildren, including one in heaven) dogs, music, reading, gardening and friends.

Previously at St. James Episcopal Church in Fairhope, Alabama, Margaret and her family moved to Teton Valley in 2005 to began her St. John's career as the Director of Children and Family. She is now the Director of Faith, Care and Action as well as Head of School for Bright Beginnings Episcopal Preschool. With two sons in college, she and her husband Derek have plenty of time to enjoy hiking, fly-fishing, traveling and cooking.

While pianist-conductor-composer Pam Drews Phillips can and has played it all – classical, Broadway, new age, pop – it’s as a jazz performer that she particularly shines. From New York City to her adopted hometown of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, she makes fans and friends with her impeccable taste, towering technique, and an eclecticism born of a genuine love of song.

Kirsten moved to Jackson, Wyoming, from Texas the summer of 2012. Here she discovered her life's callings, motherhood and music. She has performed as lead vocalist for local bands, Calle Mambo and The Electric Bliss, back up vocalist for Zac Brown Band and various local bands. She has been a member of Cathedral Voices Chamber Choir since 2013 and performed with them in Carnegie Hall. Her own experiences serve as a testament to how the power of music can change peoples’ lives. After graduating from Trinity University with a BA in Spanish and International Studies, Kirsten served as Development Coordinator for the Autism Treatment Center of Texas, and later became a Spanish teacher at St. Anthony Catholic High School. She taught Early Literacy ELL students at Teton Literacy Center before becoming a mother to her children, Colton and Coral. She stays busy in the community and uses music as a daily expression of learning, loving and leading.

Robyn was raised in a rural community in Virginia surrounded by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In her mid-twenties, she moved to a small southern suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, where she spent the next twenty years raising her three daughters and working and volunteering in an inter-denominational church as the Administrative Director in their media department. In 2011, her heart stirred for a change and to get back to the mountains. She went big and moved West to Jackson Hole and the majesty of the Tetons! She now lives in Star Valley Ranch with her husband, Jim. She enjoys hiking and exploring the hills that surround her, photography, cooking, and spending as much time as she can with her daughters and two amazing granddaughters.

Pam moved to Jackson in 1984 after graduating from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, with a B.S. in Forestry. After briefly working for the Forest Service in Jackson, she went back to her true passion, dancing. Pam taught and danced at Dancers' Workshop for 18 years. She then received her Pilates Certification from The Pilates Center in Boulder, CO and opened The Pilates Place studio in 2001. In October 2014, she began working at St. John's as the Parish Life Coordinator. The daughter of a Lutheran pastor, she feels her dad would love that she now works for the church! She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, skiing, hiking, biking and doing all that this incredible place has to offer.

Born and raised in the North Georgia mountains, Haley and her family moved to Jackson Hole after experiencing an eye-opening 1.5-hour massage in the Tetons. She is a passionate marketing professional and an event planner at heart that excels in details. She maintains multiple projects simultaneously, but isn't multi-tasking proven unsuccessful now?!

Her specialties include excellent written and verbal communications, a knack for team-leadership, adaptability, decision-making (well, sometimes!), stress tolerance (namaste), collaboration (two heads are better than one), and web content management. She has recently started taking RAW images in a goal to beef up her photography skills and is trying to learn Lightroom.

Liz graduated from Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition. After devoting a year to nutrition counseling, she took a position as a Legislative Assistant to State Representative Jennifer Mann in Allentown, PA. She worked in politics and volunteered on many political campaigns throughout Pennsylvania. When she got the call to work on a sailboat in France, Liz decided to take some time to travel. From France to Wyoming, Liz settled in Jackson and met her husband Derek at Friess Associates. They have two children, Greer and Tell, and are avid outdoor enthusiasts. Oftentimes, Liz recalls her family adventures in the Wind River Range or the Sawtooths of Idaho. When the snow falls, it doesn't stop them from winter camping, too! Liz and her family have been members of St. John's since 2012.

Born and raised in Colorado, Lonnie has been in the retail/customer service industry most of his professional life. Lonnie and his wife Michelle enjoy raising their daughter and two sons together. He is passionate about family, the outdoors, and is involved in the Boy Scouts of America.

Blakeney (pronounced "Blake-Knee”) grew up in Rome, Georgia. She moved to Jackson 6.5 years ago after graduating from the University of Georgia with a B.S. in Journalism and a double minor in Spanish and Political Science. Blakeney has been with Bright Beginnings since its inception in 2012. She loves to float the river, cook, read, and see live music.

Sarah grew up in Columbus, Georgia. She recently moved to Jackson after spending summers here for the past 8 years. Sarah graduated from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!) with a B.S. in Family and Consumer Science with an emphasis in Child and Family Development. She was a Pre-K teacher for 5 years in Atlanta, Georgia, and has completed training in Zoophonics, Everyday Mathematics, Handwriting Without Tears, Orton-Gillingham, Early Literacy Development, and Sensory Motor Success. Sarah loves to hike, fly fish, and raft!

Francien was born in the Netherlands, but moved to Jackson 10 years ago to work on a ranch. She has a degree in Elementary Education and has been with Bright Beginnings for 3 years. She lives with her partner, Neal, and their two children, Jolien and Tristan, and a bunch of animals! Francien loves horses and riding, camping, hiking, and cross-country skiing.

Julie is excited to be teaching our youngest learners! A recent move to Grand Teton National Park from Maryland brought Julie here with her husband, John, and 2 sons, Jack and James. She has a degree in Early Childhood & Elementary Education. Julie is excited to incorporate lots of literacy, music, and play into the Cubs’ routine and has experience as a former children’s librarian. She enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, exploring, and reading (especially children’s books).

Brandi and her husband, Fred, both graduated from Jackson Hole High School. They have 5 grown children: Heather, Lindsey, Kyle, Casandra, and Mackenzie. Their blended family has brought them 11 grandchildren. Brandi ran her own daycare in Jackson for 10 years and spent 4 years working at another large center in town. She loves watching children grow and is proud to be a part of their journey. She enjoys camping, fishing, riding motorcycles, and spending time with her family (especially her puppy)!

Caroline grew up in California and moved to Jackson in 1994. She has been with Bright Beginnings for 2½ years. She has a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Berkeley and a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from University of Nevada-Reno. Caroline spends winters at her second home in Maui and loves surfing, biking, swimming, hiking and, backpacking. She has 3 daughters, Annalise, Noelle and Leilani.