Meet the Search Committee

Carol Penick (Convener)

When George and Carol moved to Mississippi in 1990, the first church they visited was St. Andrew’s, and they never considered another option. She is grateful for the very warm welcome! As a parishioner at St. Andrew’s Carol has served as a Sunday School teacher, Greeter, Meals on Wheels cook, Flower Guild member, Tuesday morning breakfast server, Habitat worker, and a variety of other roles.

Professionally, Carol has worked for many years as a teacher, a fundraiser for non-profits, and for the past ten years as the Executive Director of the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi. In January 2016 she retired. Her husband, George, worked in the world of philanthropy for about 30 years. He has recently retired from his 10-year career as Head of School at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.

George and Carol have two adult children. Their daughter, Holladay, lives in New Orleans and works for General Electric, using her creative and technology skills to improve GE products. Their son, Robert, and his new wife, Anna, live in Nashville where he works for UBS and she is a therapist.

The Penicks have two black labs and a calico cat. With them, they moved last year into Jackson after living in Flora, Mississippi, for 27 years.

Carol says, “For 27 years we’ve seen good times and not-so-good times, and today it feels like we’re entering an exciting period of positive change. I look forward to the next stage in the life of our church – The vestry is strong; the congregation is ready for this search; and the profile for the next Dean will lead us in the right direction. It’s an exciting time to be a member of the St. Andrew’s Cathedral!"

Linda Bass

Linda Bass is a native of Owasso, Oklahoma. Mississippi has been her home since 1972 and she has Member of St. Andrew’s Cathedral since 2009.

At St. Andrew’s, Linda is a member of the Holy Smokers/Smokettes, a server at the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club, a member of the Morning Prayer Chain, an Usher, and has is a former Member of the Vestry.

She has been executive assistant to Leland Speed / EastGroup Properties since 1997 and also has worked in the Disaster Recovery Division of the Mississippi Development Authority since 2004.

Linda and her husband, Johnny Bass, Sr. are the parents of three adult children, Johnny, Jr., Nikki and Stuart. They have five grandchildren – Trey (16), Aidan (12), Lucas (8), Samantha (6) and Jagger (5).

In her spare time Linda enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, reading, sewing, crafting and cutting the grass on their 5 acres! Linda says, “I am excited about the positive future our parish has and being part of it!”

Anne Dulske

Originally from Oklahoma, Anne and her husband Mike moved to Jackson in 1990. She is a cradle Roman Catholic who started coming to St. Andrew’s Cathedral in 2010. Bishop Seage Received Anne earlier this year.

She has been serving as a Verger for a little over four years. As a verger, she often steps in as an Acolyte, a Chalice Bearer and assists with Funerals. In 2014, she began EFfM and just completed the course of study in May. Currently, Anne serves on the Liturgy and Music Commission, the Parish Life Commission, the Stewardship Commission, and is front desk volunteer every other week. She was Co-Chair of the 2018 Stewardship Campaign along with Justin Croft.

Anne and Mike have four children who all graduated from St. Andrew's School: David graduated from Millsaps in 2016, Luke graduated from Rhodes College in 2018, Sarah Chase will graduate from SMU in 2019 while Mary Carol is on track to graduate from NYU in 2021. Mike and Anne will be celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary at the end June.

Anne says, “In a few short years, the St. Andrew's community has transformed me. The spiritual enrichment I have gained through EfM, our Lenten Book Study Group (which meets year round), our weekly services, and various other formation offerings is indescribable. The invaluable friendships I have been fortunate enough to cultivate have created a nurturing, supportive environment for me, personally and spiritually. I truly enjoy the variety of ways I have been able to serve our church community. I’m so thankful this is my church home!”

Missye Martin

Missye Martin is a cradle Episcopalian and grew up at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. She and her family, son Harrison (11) and daughter McNeil (7), returned to St. Andrews three years ago. She has served in the past as Vacation Bible School Chair, Children’s Chapel Volunteer, Lenten Study Group Leader, Small Groups Ministry Administrator, Facilitator, and Facilitator Trainer. Missye is also a Level I trained Catechist.

She has served on the Board of Directors for the Junior League of Jackson as Strategic Planning Director, Community Vice President, Placement Chair and presently as Operations Vice President.

Missye is an attorney serving as Deputy General Counsel for The Mississippi Bar. Her practice focuses on attorney ethics. She routinely handles attorney discipline and incapacity matters.

Missye is grateful that St. Andrew’s is her faith community and honored to serve on the Dean Search Committee.

Pat McNease

Colin A. P. (Pat) McNease was born on June 12, 1939. Pat is a graduate of Murrah High School (1957) and the University of Missouri School of Journalism (1961). He served his country as an officer in the United States Marine Corps (1961-1965). In his professional life, Pat was an Investment Advisor and Branch Office Manager. He is now retired

Pat began attending St. Andrew’s Cathedral in 1967 and was confirmed in 1970. At St. Andrew’s, Pat has served three terms as a member of the Vestry member, several years as a children’s Sunday School teacher, an EYC leader, Every Member Canvass Chairman, Lector, Usher, and a group leader for the Disciples of Christ in Community.

He is married to Susan McNease. Pat and Susan have three adult children – Colin P. McNease, who lives in Long Beach, CA, Catherine Stevens, who lives in Alton, VA and Elizabeth Hays, who lives in Hillsboro, NC.

Pat is grateful for the opportunity to serve St. Andrew’s Cathedral as a member of the Dean Search Committee.

Ed Oliver

Ed Oliver was reared in the Roman Catholic Church but left when he was twenty years old because, as he says, “I could not reconcile my understanding of a loving and accepting God as revealed in the Gospels with the church's view of my authentic self.” After a self-imposed twenty-year exile from organized religion, Ed was Received by Bishop Gray Jr. at St. Andrew’s Cathedral on May 14th, Mother's Day, of 1991.

Since joining St. Andrew's, Ed has been an active member, which has included serving on several Inquirer's Classes, two Catechumenate sessions, Every Member Canvas, Chalice Bearer, Member of the Vestry, Branches Leader, Human Sexuality Committee Convener, Founding Board Member of Grace House, St. Andrew's AIDS Care Team, Breakfast Club, annual Greening coordinator, and Front Desk Volunteer, and has just become a member of the newly organized Evangelism Commission.

After careers in retail, the hospitality industry, advertising and mental health Ed found himself at a crossroads related to the death of his father and a call to some sort of ministry dealing with life and death issues. In what might be called a “midlife crisis” Ed went to nursing school and eventually found a career at UMMC on a GYN Oncology and Surgery unit. Caring for the sick and in some cases dealing with patients and their families in the midst of the death was rewarding, and in many cases heart breaking. He retired from UMMC in June of last year.

Socially, Ed enjoys a small circle of close friends and many acquaintances from various walks of life and experiences. After several relationships that did not have the longevity he had hoped for Ed currently lives alone, except for my furry four-footed dictator, in Belhaven.

John Sewell

John Sewell was Confirmed at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral in May 1991, John and his wife, Kim, are active members of the Cathedral. He is a Holy Smoker, a past Vestry member, has sung in the Parish Choir, taught in EYC, and helped produce the Gospel Stage at the Cathedral during the Jubilee!JAM music festival in the late 1990s.

John attended the University of Alabama and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Millsaps College.

John currently serves as director of communications and marketing at Millsaps College in Jackson. He brought 25 years of experience in communications, marketing, and government to this role, having previously served as director of corporate communications at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, deputy communications coordinator for Governor Ronnie Musgrove, director of communications for the Mississippi Economic Council, and as a speechwriter for Governor Ray Mabus. John also spent two years in Washington, D.C. as a legislative assistant for Representative Wayne Dowdy and Representative Donald Payne.

Acting on his belief that personal involvement is critical to building stronger communities, John is an active volunteer and currently serves on the boards for Goodwill Industries of Mississippi, the Duncan M. Gray Conference Center, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, and a new advisory board in development for Stewpot Community Ministries. He is a past board member of the Rotary Club of North Jackson, the Mississippi Public Health Institute, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Foundation, New Stage Theatre, American Red Cross, Fondren Renaissance Foundation, Mississippi Opera, and Jubilee!JAM. An active runner, Sewell is a founding member of the production team for the Mississippi Blues Marathon and continues to serve as part of the team.

The Sewells live in Fondren with their three children, Charlie (17), Jack (15), and Maggie (13). John is looking forward serving with others in the search for a Dean.

Alex Sullivan

Alex Sullivan, a member of the Cathedral Choir at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, works as a judicial law clerk at the Mississippi Supreme Court for Presiding Justice Jim Kitchens. He graduated from Mississippi College School of Law and was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 2013. In August 2017, he was sworn in to practice before the United States Supreme Court by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr., in a unique ceremony at the Mississippi Supreme Court during the Chief Justice’s visit, which was in conjunction with the Mississippi Bicentennial.

Alex is a music lover and currently serves as president of the Mississippi Chambre Music Guild, a non-profit organization that presents performances of wonderful local and out-of-state chamber music groups. Alex is particularly fond of the Anglican music tradition and has been privileged to have been a part of the Cathedral Choir under three choirmasters, John Paul, Royce Boyer, and, Jessica Nelson. Alex also plays violin and viola. He performs regularly with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and serves as principal viola for the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, which performs at St. Andrew’s.

When he is not working, singing, or playing violin or viola, Alex enjoys working out, gardening, reading, and antiquing. Alex is honored to have been selected to serve on the St. Andrew's Dean Search Committee.

Katharine Surkin

Katharine Surkin was baptized at St. Christopher’s, Jackson in 1977, and Confirmed at St. Paul’s, Newport, Arkansas in 1990. She has been a member of St. Andrew’s Cathedral since 2001. She is involved with the Holy Smokers/Holy Smokettes, serves as a Chalice Bearer, and recently completed service on the Vestry.

Katharine attended Millsaps College and graduated with a BS in Psychology in 1999. She attended The University of Mississippi Law School and was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 2002. She is also licensed to practice law in Alabama. Katharine is currently the Senior Law Clerk for Presiding Justice Michael K. Randolph of the Mississippi Supreme Court, after working in private practice for ten years.

She is married to Joe Surkin and they have three children, Adam (31), Mary Kate (21), and Joseph (18). Adam is married to Leian and has two daughters Shelby (12) and Evelyn (6). Katharine’s Dad was an Episcopal Priest, serving the dioceses of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama, and would have celebrated his forty-sixth anniversary to the priesthood this past May. Her mom currently lives in Madison, and her sister, Helen, is a social worker with the V.A. in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Katharine looks forward to serving on the committee charged with conducting the process that will lead to the call of a Dean for St. Andrew’s Cathedral.