How long have you worshiped at Saint Philip’s?
Probably close to 20 years.

Were you raised in a faith tradition?
I was raised in the Lutheran church—baptized and confirmed.

What brought you to the Episcopal church?
So many things. I love the liturgy—the formality of it. I also like receiving Communion every week.

And the Book of Common Prayer is a wonderful bedrock. It doesn’t matter if a parish is high or low, we all recite the same prayers. My favorite is the Prayer of Humble Access which we say as Part of the Rite I liturgy at 7:45am on Sundays.

What about Saint Philip’s appeals to you?
From the very beginning, I’ve felt very welcomed.

What makes you feel like you belong to this community?
Two things: I come regularly and I volunteer.

There are a lot of Sunday mornings when I want to sleep in but I come anyway. And I’m always glad I did.

I also usher. I’ve been doing that for more than 10 years now, and it makes me feel like a part of the community. Plus, I’ve gotten to know a lot of people by doing that.

What do you do professionally?
I’m a prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

How did you get into that?
I had my CPA license and was working as an internal auditor and tax analyst. I really liked doing legal research and thought law school would help me become a wealthy tax attorney. So I went to law school when I was 30 years old.

But then I clerked at the Pima County Attorney’s Office. I watched prosecutors and fell in love with the idea of doing that.

How do you manage the risk of prosecuting someone who is innocent?
I remember that, as much as I serve the United States, I also have to protect the defendant’s rights. I do that by being as transparent as possible. That’s critical.

If there isn’t enough evidence to prove the case, then I have an ethical obligation not to bring a case to court. Prosecutors have an ethical duty to do justice, which includes not charging a case if there insufficient evidence.

Also, even after a case is charged, prosecutors have an ethical duty to seek authorization to dismiss the case if evidence showing that the case cannot be proven becomes known.

What kind of cases do you try?
I started out with violent offenses, including sex crimes. But because of my CPA, I prosecute a lot of white collar crimes. Think fraud. I’m inspired to help crime victims.

The law can be very adversarial. How do you navigate that?
It can be very stressful. I work hard to reconcile my spiritual life with my work life so I maintain my personhood.

If you hadn’t become a lawyer what other career might you have pursued?
I started out as an engineering student so I would have probably done something in astronomy or maybe worked for NASA. I love math.

What do you do to relax?
Right now I like to hike. That’s where I get a smile on my face. I also like to cook and try new recipes.

What’s something you’re proud of?
I’m proud of my career as a prosecutor. I’ve done my best to be fair.

At the beginning of my career a friend of mine visited Alcatraz. A prisoner had written a book and signed it for me. His inscription read, “Be fair.” I’ve always remembered that.

I’m also proud that I’ve been able to work for justice for crime victims.

My family is also a real blessing, and I’m grateful for my partner, Chris. We’ve been together for a long time.

What’s something you’re passionate about?
Family genealogy. A couple years ago I hired a genealogist. When I visited Norway he took me to my great-grandfather’s farm in a valley outside Oslo. I stood on the edge of a little plot of land and was blown away thinking about the history and connection.

What’s something you find challenging?
Taking time for myself.

Is there a decision you made that had a significant impact on your life?
I can honestly say that coming back to church changed my life. Jesus tells us not to be afraid and to have faith. And that gives me hope, and makes me whole.

What’s something you know now that your younger self didn’t?
That there is good in most people. Everyone is a beloved child of God—even when they act like a jerk!

What’s one of your core values?
Work hard. I learned that from my mother.

What’s one of your guiding principles?
Just keep going. There isn’t anything in particular that I tell myself. It’s more that not moving forward is non-negotiable. Failure is very hard for me so I “keep at it.”

What’s one of your super powers?
I can make people laugh. I think we sometimes take ourselves too seriously. Laughter helps keeps things in perspective.

What’s something about you that friends have said they really appreciate?
That I’m a good listener. I think people need someone to listen to them. It’s rarely about wanting advice; people just want to be heard.

Have you done something new recently?
I learned how to change a tire. I might want to do some off-grid exploration so my nephew taught me.

What’s something you’d like to do that you haven’t yet?
I’d like to cruise down the Amazon river. I studied the river in sixth grade and ever since then have wanted to do that. Maybe when I retire.

What might people be surprised to learn about you?
That even though I’m usually the serious prosecutor I love chihuahuas. Little dogs make me melt generally, and chihuahuas draw me in like no other.

What have I not asked that you would like people to know?
That I’m a private person so wasn’t keen on being interviewed. But then I decided to share some of myself with this community that’s so important to me. (And it’s been easier than I expected.)

What’s a fun fact about you?
I once had dinner with the singer, Melissa Etheridge. She was really nice.