VESTRY NOMINEES

Every March, members of Redeemer elect new members to the Vestry—our parish's governing body. This year we are electing two new Vestry members. Any member in good standing can be nominated to serve on the vestry.

Take time to read through each profile below to get to know your candidates. If you are a member of Redeemer, you are invited to prayerfully consider which two candidates you will vote for in this year’s vestry election. The ballot opened Sunday, March 8 and will close on Sunday, March 15. All voting will take place online and there will be no physical ballots.

Please remember that you are nominating individuals whom you believe will be best suited for carrying out these responsibilities.

Larisa Aleksandrov

Tell us about yourself.

I moved from Charlottesville to Richmond in 2020 and was immediately drawn to Redeemer as a new church home. Now I’m newly married, and my husband and I have loved beginning our life together in this city and in this church. As for career, I started out with several years in the nonprofit sector. I noticed how they all had admirable missions but all faced their own struggles in how to run sustainable organizations. I pivoted to consulting hoping to learn more about organizational health, and I now work for Booz Allen Hamilton supporting Air Force clients with strategic planning, communications, and project management. I also spend my time playing the piano, running races (Monument Ave 10k day is the most wholesome day of the year), and exploring new cities.

Why do you want to serve on the vestry?

I’ve been grateful for how healthy Redeemer is as a church community, and I know the authority and accountability structures in place (such as the vestry) are a crucial reason for that. I admire that the Anglican tradition values both the Holy Spirit’s leading in prayer as well as God’s leading through people via the wisdom he has given them in their life experiences and faith journeys. I’d be honored to participate in serving the church through prayer, time, and skills to help the body continue to flourish.

Caleb Boyer

Tell us about yourself.

I have had the blessing of knowing Jesus virtually all of my life and hope God uses me to shepherd the brokenhearted to the foot of the Cross that brings Life. I have always had a deep sense of compassion and empathy for others, largely derived from having a sibling with special needs. Experiences of failure, hardship and blessing humble me and continually reveal to me the redeeming power and loving nature of our God. Time and time again, and despite myself, He has shown His favor on me: placing me in offices of leadership, blessing me with a tight-knit family, bringing a merciful and discerning wife as my best friend and blessing me with four remarkable children. I have served on and chaired boards, lead/own multiple business, work in a service-oriented career, value family and the development of young men and believe all things flow from a prayer.

Why do you want to serve on the vestry?

We stumbled into Redeemer almost 7 years ago. Being new to the Anglicanism and a liturgical setting, Michelle and I weren’t convinced this would be our new home. We sensed the Spirit that first Sunday and decided to “give it a month”. We quickly became members and had our four children baptized. The community has been a tremendous blessing across the the many facets of our life, beyond what I can communicate with words. I am ready to serve, if the Lord wills it and the committee feels led to select me. The nomination committee and the Lord know what the makeup of this team needs to be. If my skillsets, experiences, personality, and time available will be of use in this next season of Redeemer, I am enthusiastic to serve; bringing time, treasure and talents to support the vision of our Parish and the Leadership.

Jennifer Killmer

Tell us about yourself.

My family and I have been Redeemer members since 2018. I have taught a few Women's Bible Studies, J-term classes, and summer book clubs through the church. My husband and I have served as PreK teachers with Redeemer Kids since 2019. We currently host a small group, and have hosted or participated in a small group since we started attending in 2017. When we first moved to Richmond, we participated in the Richmond Christian Leaders Initiative to learn more about our new context of Richmond and how we could serve our new community. I work at VCU as a Nurse Case Manager for ICU patients. I'm an avid reader and podcast listener, and can talk endlessly about both! We are raising 3 daughters, and have recently acquired 2 chickens! Most of my energy is spent in my capacity as wife, mom, nurse, church member, reader, and chicken enthusiast.

Why do you want to serve on the vestry?

I feel strongly about the church being a place that creates disciples of Jesus. I have gravitated towards roles that support discipleship through studying God's Word, discussing how our context interacts with God's character, and creating space for people to feel the tension of the "now and not yet." I see serving on the Vestry as an extension of that interest. I am also excited about the new season for our church with the new church building, and I would enthusiastically participate in conversations about how that new space can serve our church family through disciple-making, and serve the wider community surrounding it.

Joe Ruiz

Tell us about yourself.

My wife, Carla, and I have been married for 47 years and in this season of our lives we are deeply grateful to call Redeemer home. Having moved from coast to coast during our marriage, we moved to Richmond in 1995 and have lived here longer than anywhere else. We are thankful to be rooted in this community. I teach at Virginia Commonwealth University and have spent much of my professional life helping others learn, discern, and grow. At Redeemer, I am blessed to serve as a Lay Eucharistic Minister, Prayer Team member, Monitor, and Small Group Leader. I seek to approach both teaching and ministry prayerfully, with humility, wisdom and a desire to support others. I am energized by learning and growing through curiosity, study, creative challenges, and meaningful connections. My wife and I also enjoy traveling, and we treasure time spent with our granddaughters.

Why do you want to serve on the vestry?

I am honored and humbled to be nominated and would welcome the opportunity to serve on the vestry. My desire is to support Redeemer in the way that best serves our mission, the people of this parish, and our community. I am offering my gifts in obedience and gratitude, trusting in the discernment process. In recent years, I have also felt a growing call to intercessory prayer and a conviction that prayer sustains and guides every dimension of life. If elected, I will bring what I’ve been given – a collaborative spirit, a strategic perspective, a willingness to listen deeply, and what others have generously called wisdom and counsel – in genuine service to our parish and its leadership. I believe my experience and the gifts God has given me are aligned with the role and responsibilities of a vestry member.

Will Watterson

Tell us about yourself.

I have been a part of Redeemer since 2021 and was confirmed as a member last year. A lifelong Richmonder, I grew up on the Southside and currently live in Glen Allen. I grew up in the church and have known Jesus from an early age, but I was first exposed to the Anglican tradition when I started attending Redeemer in 2021. I immediately fell in love with the community at Redeemer and the liturgical form of worship that this tradition offers. My educational background is in accounting and finance, and I currently work for an accounting firm as a corporate tax consultant. When I’m not working or spending time with my church people, I can usually be found visiting my family, playing tabletop games, or swing dancing.

Why do you want to serve on the vestry?

I first started visiting Redeemer during a period of great personal grief and disillusionment in the organized church. It proved to be a safe and welcoming haven for my sorrows and uncertainties. Since I started attending, the people of this church have shown me incredible welcome, hospitality, and grace. I have been so grateful for the opportunity to see Redeemer grow and flourish over the last few years, and it would be an honor to serve the church in the same way that it has served me. I hope that my involvement with the vestry would help Redeemer, as it grows, to remain a safe place for those who are seeking refuge from spiritual hurt. On a more practical note, I think my experience in financial matters may be beneficial as we move into a period of capital-raising and preparation for our transition to 1801 Park Avenue.

Chris White

Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Richmond, and I started coming to Redeemer in January 2022 after my now wife, Rachel, joined the church in 2021. Redeemer is one of the healthiest church communities I have ever attended. I often cite the maturity of our parishioners as a core strength of our church. Since joining Redeemer, I have had the privilege of volunteering on the lay Eucharist team, leading a small group, and serving on the prayer team. Rachel and I also recently opened our home to the prayer team to host a monthly prayer gathering to pray for our church and community. Professionally, I graduated from Virginia Tech in 2008 with a degree in Finance. For the last 12 years, I’ve worked in risk management as a risk adviser by advising and selling commercial insurance. In this role, I help leaders identify, prepare for, and navigate risk facing their organizations while assisting them in purchasing commercial insurance. I’m the third generation in my family in this field of work, and it has shaped the way I think about leadership, stewardship, and long term planning. Richmond, prayer, and my finance and risk management background have all played a meaningful role in who I am and how I seek to serve.

Why do you want to serve on the vestry?

I'm interested in serving on the Vestry because I believe I can offer a practical and steady perspective as our church enters a complex renovation process. My experience managing risk across major projects in our region has taught me how to anticipate challenges, ask the right questions, and help leaders make thoughtful decisions. I’d like to bring that same mindset to Vestry to help our leadership feel empowered to move into the future with confidence and clarity. I’m also deeply committed to strengthening our church’s connection to the wider community. My family has been in Richmond for generations, and I see value in bridging that long-standing history with the energy and vision of our relatively new parish. Through prayer, I hope to reinforce our Vestry’s commitment to listening to the Lord, His direction, and His wisdom as we seek to best employ the finances He has provided our parish, so that through His leadership, we may attain the most fruitful spiritual benefit for our parish and community. Redeemer has become a spiritual home for Rachel and me, and it would be an honor to support and care for this community in a vestry role.

Chaney Widmer

Tell us about yourself.

Originally from Arlington, Virginia, I first made my way to Richmond in 2008 after graduating from Auburn University. My husband and I got reacquainted here after meeting in high school, and married in 2010. Jobs and graduate school pulled us away to DC and Philadelphia, but we had always been eager to return to Richmond one day. God allowed those pieces to come together in 2019 just after our son was born and we joined Redeemer when we arrived. I currently run my interior design business, Mix & Match Design Co., part-time and spend my off-hours caring for our two young kids. I enjoy spending time in community with good friends, reading historical fiction, staying active through running and fitness classes, playing Mahjong, and traveling with my family.

Why do you want to serve on the vestry?

Redeemer has been an incredible gift to our family for the past seven years. I’ve found deep spiritual friendships and grown in my faith particularly through embodied practices. I’ve served as the Volunteer Women’s Ministry Coordinator, a small group leader, a Lay Eucharistic Minister, and Coordinator for Redeemer Kids - all of which have given me opportunities to see how the church operates from many angles - and would be grateful to serve in this new capacity on the Vestry. I am passionate about helping Redeemer steward its resources well, especially in light of the recent building purchase. I believe my gifts in interior design as well as my experience being a small business owner for 10+ years would provide a unique perspective during this pivotal moment. I am eager to join in the good and hard work that God has for us in the next phase of Redeemer’s life.