Distinguished Women

Canon Cathy Black

Province VIII – Diocese of Arizona

Canon Cathy Black is a cradle Episcopalian and native Arizonan. She is a past president of the ECW at All Saints’ Church and Day School in Phoenix, Arizona.

Currently she is the Canon for Administration in the Bishop’s Office of the Diocese of Arizona where she was also the Bishop’s Assistant until just recently as she is preparing to retire.

She has served faithfully on the bishop’s staff since 2004. Cathy is currently a member of Christ Church of the Ascension in Paradise Valley where she is an active member of the church choir. She has been the heart, memory, and wisdom of the Diocesan Office in Arizona. 

She has been the person people call, turn to, cry with, laugh with, vent to, and ask for help. In all these ways and more, she is a very Distinguished Woman of Arizona!

Betty Morris

Province VII – Diocese of West Texas

Betty is a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, servant and dear sister in Christ.  Betty is ACTIVE in the community, parish and the diocese.

Betty loves Jesus, her family, her parish, her friends, her cat Morris, the deer and other animals that have sanctuary in her beautiful hill country yard. Betty regularly examines her life, seeing God’s hand in her journey.

She understands the importance of sharing her love of Christ with others.  No matter if you’ve known her for 30 minutes or 50 years, Betty graciously offers love, kindness, wisdom, truth and faithful encouragement to everyone who has the opportunity to have a relationship with her.

She is a tireless trailblazer for Christ… “reflecting His glory, being transformed into the image that she reflects in brighter and brighter glory, this is the working of the Lord…” (paraphrased from 2 Corinthians 3:18)

The Rt. Rev. Kai Ryan

Province VII – Diocese of Texas

Kathryn “Kai” McCrossen Ryan was born in Raton, New Mexico and was baptized at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.  Camping ministry, the Happening movement and parish committee work, especially resettling a refugee family, nurtured her faith and her leadership gifts.

Attending Albuquerque public schools, she pursued her fondness for athletics by competing in gymnastics, track and cross-country. She graduated from Sewanee with a BA in Philosophy in 1986. While there she met her husband, Tim. They married in 1989 and have 2 children.

She returned to Albuquerque to gain employment experience before seeking ordination. She received her Master of Divinity from the Seminary of the Southwest, served 20 years in parish ministry – 14 years as rector of Ascension Church in Dallas, learning from brothers and sisters of other cultures how to lead a multi-ethnic community.

As Canon to the Ordinary for the Diocese of Texas 2014-2018, she led the ministry staff as they sought to implement the diocesan vision. Elected Bishop Suffragan at the Diocese of Texas Diocesan Council in February 2019, she   was consecrated by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry on June 1, 2019.

Mary Gail Ruark

Province VII – Diocese of Oklahoma

Mary Gail Ruark has been the backbone of the Diocese of Oklahoma’s Women, as an ECW Diocesan Board Member, and as a member of Diocesan Committees.

Her 50+ years of service to the Diocese is remarkable. Her path began when her mother and mother-in-law volunteered her as regional ECW chair.

Mary Gail worked with talented, busy women giving of their time, talent, and money to promote education, new ideas, existing programs and support women’s inclusion in all areas of the Church, while providing for spiritual enrichment.

Nurtured by new friends who taught her the oral history of the Diocese and ECW, Mary Gail is ever grateful to them for their support. She has served ECW as Regional Chair, Christian Ed Chair, VP for Regional Meetings, Diocesan President, has been a Provincial delegate and officer, was Province 7 Representative on the National Board and member-at-large; involved in her diocese on many levels, she received the Bishop’s award.

Mary Gail deserves this award especially for starting the endowment for the Oklahoma ECW, which today has over $250,000 to award women grants and scholarships!

The Rev. Helen Hoch

Province VII – Diocese of Kansas

Active with our ECW Board for approximately 20 years, Helen Hoch has served multiple terms in multiple positions throughout her ministry.

Though currently serving as Treasurer, Helen has also served on the Diocesan ECW Endowment Fund, on the planning committee and as co-chair for our Diocesan Women’s Summit Events.

In addition, she has worked  on by-law revision, attended numerous National ECW Triennials and mentored many on this board and throughout the diocese.

Helen considers her years of ministry with ECW as an influential part of her spiritual journey. Ordained to the priesthood in 2001 Helen spent about five years as a member of the former five-parish Holy Trinity Regional Ministry team in the Southeast region of Kansas.

Currently the 21-year Vicar at Calvary Episcopal Church in Yates Center, Helen presently is  Chair of the Woodson County Ministerial Alliance, participates with  the Love-Emitting Disciples within the Diocese of Kansas, is on the Board  for the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry  and belongs to  Daughters of the King.

The  mother of three grown children she  is retired from the field of education, grateful to be able to spend time with her family and friends.

The Rev. Joanna Seibert

Province VII – Diocese of Arkansas

The Rev. Dr. Joanna Seibert, a healer of body and soul is the Diocese of Arkansas Distinguished Woman. As a physician, in 1976 she developed the department of pediatric radiology at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church in 2001, she served four congregations – St. Margarets, Trinity Cathedral, St. Luke’s North Little Rock and presently is at St. Marks Little Rock.

Joanna forms  health ministries, grief recovery groups across the state, teaches lay people to become visitors to the sick, is a facilitator at Community of Hope assisting people in recovery, preaches and develops adult education for parishes.

She leads retreats  nationwide both for women seeking a deeper spiritual life in a busy world and men and women in recovery from addiction. Joanna has written for Forward Day by Day, The Living Church and the Anglican Digest, has served in the board of Episcopal National Recovery Ministries, produces a blog called Daily Something and has authored nine books. She and her husband Robert Seibert have three children and six grandchildren.

Valorie Rondell Augustson

Province VI – Diocese of South Dakota

Valorie Rondell Augustson serves as a Senior Catechist at St. James’ Episcopal Church (Sisseton Mission) in Enemy Swim, SD.

Indispensable as a leader of worship and fellowship in her congregation, she provides much of the pastoral care for the people of the area.

Looked up to as an elder, she was instrumental in bringing the Native and white women together in the Diocesan ECW.  Besides holding various offices at St. James’ over the years, Val has also served as President of the Missions Council, as an officer of the local Elderly Board, and is the main outreach person between the mission and the community.

Val is especially appreciated for her work preparing the next generations for lives of service and devotion to God.  Val can be counted on to fulfill any task entrusted to her. Many times, she is the one called to minister at wakes and funerals, which involves a commitment of several days or more.

She is known for her graciousness, compassion, and humility. For her many years of devoted service to all of us, we selected Valorie as the South Dakota ECW Honored Woman and recognized her contributions publicly at our 137th Convention in September, 2021.

Beth Agar

Province VI – Diocese of Nebraska

Beth Agar is an active member of St. Martha’s Church, Papillion, Nebraska, where she serves on the Altar Guild, the Vestry, and helped found the annual “Are-You-Tired-of-Fish-Yet Pasta Night” during Lent. When something needs to be done, Beth is there.

She has been a major force in Nebraska in starting and fostering new chapters of Daughters of the King; she has served the needs of the Commission on Women’s Ministries through many roles, including retreat planning and currently is the co-convener. She served on the National ECW Board during the 2015-2018 triennium. She is the mother of four, grandmother of four and loving wife to her life-partner, Deacon Wes Agar.

Barbara Hopwood

Province VI – Diocese of Minnesota

Barbara’s lifetime work extends from service as a Churchwoman serving in Guilds and other local ministries, diocesan Episcopal Churchwomen and United Thank Offering and councils, the Province 6 ECW Board and  the National United Thank Offering Committee (now known as the Board), and also as the National UTO Finance Officer in charge of awarding and completion of projects sponsored by Ingathering funds.

She and her husband Joe, an Episcopal priest, attend All Saints in Northfield Minnesota.

Dottie Hawthorne

Province V – Diocese of Western Michigan

Within her parish of Emmanuel, Petoskey, Dottie Hawthorne consistently sets an example of faithful service, providing practical support for ministries, and inspiring the parish with new ideas.  The current co-chair of the Outreach Ministry, Dottie was instrumental in implementing the parish’s newly established Soul Food Community Garden.

An active member of Petoskey Interfaith Common Ground, a Thursday Lunch volunteer, and choir member, she has represented Emmanuel at Diocesan Convention and is consistently eager to participate in the diocesan life. Dottie hosts Coffee Hour, chaperones Youth Group events, volunteers with the Northmen Den food pantries, co-facilitates Emmanuel’s book group, and cheerfully helps maintain the church buildings and grounds.

Dottie is passionate about social justice, equality, creation care, and advocacy for the parish neighbors. Within her local community/region, she is an officer of the Petoskey Garden Club, volunteers with the Char-Em County Fair and Friendship Center of Emmet County, and co-chairs the South of Straits Sierra Club.

A retired librarian, she participates in the reading assistance program at Sheridan Elementary School. In all that she does, Dottie embodies love of God and neighbor in her church and the wider community.