2025 Convention Nominees

The Reverend Stephanie (Steph) Clayville was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and now lives in Snow Hill.  She has been married to her husband Brooks for 19 years and just got a new puppy names Luna.  She earned a B.A. in Organizational Management and then obtained her Master’s in Business Administration in Technology.  Rev. Steph worked in the technology sector, having a successful career for over 25 years before her Ordination to the Priesthood.  Over the course of her ministry Rev. Steph co-founded Snow Hill Ecumenical Food Pantry which has since served 1000s of people in need in her community and she also became the 1st women member and president of the Snow Hill Lions Club.  She was recently appointed to serve on the Board of Della’s Closet, a non-profit serving underprivileged and foster children in Worcester and Somerset Counties. Rev. Steph attended the newly formed School of the Diaconal in Easton. From 2018-2020 while working full-time, she attended school and interned at St. Peter’s in Salisbury for a year in 2020.  Upon Ordination to the Diaconal, Rev. Steph was placed at St. Mary the Virgin in Pocomoke City where she has served over the last four years as Deacon Vicar and responded to her call to the Priesthood.  While working full time, she ran the parish, and she attended the newly formed IONA Eastern Shore Seminary. She graduated in June 2024 and presently serves at St. Mary’s as their Rector.  She currently serves on the Personnel and Compensation Committee and is looking forward to serving and forwarding the mission of the Diocese of Easton on Diocesan Council.

My name is Ruth Vietri-Green and I’m a teacher in Easton, MD. I’ve been a member of Christ Church Easton since 2021. I’m part of the Children’s Church Sunday School team and a member of our Vestry. I also am privileged to be our volunteer coordinator for Talbot Interfaith Shelter. With so much good energy doing Christ’s work in our local communities, I look forward to getting more involved at the Diocesan level.

I am a cradle Episcopalian and was baptized almost at birth. My husband, Doug and I, have been married for over 54 years and are blessed to have three children, their spouses, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren with one on the way. We live in a multi-generational family home; our daughter and her husband, along with their three sons, reside with us in Middletown, DE.  

In my adult life, I have enjoyed many careers, among them administrative assistant for a family physician/county coroner, business manager at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Newark, DE under the Diocese of Delaware, general manager for The Kitty Knight House Restaurant and B&B, The Anchorage B&B, loans tax analyst for Citibank, N.A., from which I retired in 2018. I am currently the owner of Rebecca’s Nanny, LLC, a sewing business and teach sewing to children and adults at a local sewing store.  

Volunteering has been a large part of my adult years, whether teaching Right to Read to adults, being a homeroom mom, a Girl and Boy Scout leader, or seamstress for high school band and color guard. I have also served as secretary and president of Diamond State Stitchers and secretary, vice president of membership, vice president of operations and two years as the national president of The Smocking Arts Guild of America.  I have served on the vestry of St. Thomas, taught in Sunday School, and have been the Educational Director.  I serve as the Diocesan Nominating Committee chair person. At Augustine Parish, I have served on the Vestry and as the Senior Warden for the last seven years, four-and-a-half years of which we only had supply clergy on Sundays. I currently serve as the treasurer of St. Monica’s Guild and chair the Altar and Flower Guilds. I believe that my diverse careers and volunteer opportunities have more than prepared me to serve on the Diocesan Council.

I am running for Middle Convocation Rep to Diocesan Council. As we begin a time of transition, it is doubly important to have experienced leaders across diocesan offices. My resume of service includes: Christ Church, Denton, since ‘91 (Vestry; choir; lector; EM; Worship Leader; diocon delegate; Pride Fest; Senior Warden); DoE, since ‘92 (Standing Committee/Ecclesiastical Authority; Commission on Ministry; Nominating Committee Chair; Diocesan Council, three terms/four bishops; Integrity; Cathedral Chapter); Province 3, since ‘97 (Executive Committee; P3 Council; Synod Rep; Nominating Committee; Resolutions Committee); General Convention Deputation, since ‘97 (Legislative Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations, ‘03-‘24; Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations, ‘09-‘15; Joint Standing Committee on Nominations, ‘22-‘24; Senior Deputy; Deputation Chair, ‘15-‘22). Just as weekly worship services, Vestry meetings, General Convention, Executive Council, Diocesan Convention, and House of Bishops, etc, have all resumed as in person gatherings, so should Diocesan Council, Convocation meetings, Standing Committee meetings, Clericus, and the entirety of Easton’s annual conventions. It is essential that we be present, with, to, and for, one another. In person. Sharing meals, parliamentary procedure, resolutions, debates, nominations from the floor, elections w/ write-ins, exhibits, decisions, and fellowship. And, in our particular case, relearning how to agree to disagree without being disagreeable. No more name-calling. No more demonizing. No more petulance. I will work hard, with others, to return this diocese to its former identity as nine counties of proud, observant, and faithful, 21st-Century Episcopalians. Thank you.

Rev. Suz Southern has served as the Priest-in-Charge of St. Paul’s Berlin since April 2024 and as Assistant Priest since July 2023 (Assistant to the Interim Rector, Rev. Carl Mosely).

Excited to be back on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and in the Diocese of Easton, Suz+ was baptized, confirmed, married, and ordained as a deacon all at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury. She has been married to her husband Dave for five years, also an Eastern shore native. Dave is a professional woodworker by trade, owning his own business: David Southern Designs, specializing in custom furniture and historic restoration. Suz+ graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland Baltimore County with a BA in Environmental Studies/Gender and Women’s Studies, and a minor in music. She completed her Masters of Divinity at the School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and was ordained to the priesthood in June 2023. She is also an alumna of the Episcopal Service Corps where she served for a program year in Baltimore, MD. 

Suz+ believes that serving at the diocesan level is a way to give back to a community which formed her as a Christian and now as an ordained person and she is excited to have the opportunity to run for Diocesan Council. Particularly, in a time of transition with an upcoming bishop search and discernment period, Suz+ is passionate about coming together with others to rally around a cause – where all can come to the table with their experiences, knowledge, and expertise to do the work that God has called us to do. Go in peace and thank you for voting! 

I have been a priest in the Diocese of Easton for the past twenty two years. I have served several parishes in that time, but the last twenty have been at St. Paul’s Marion Station.

I have served two terms on the Diocesan Council and am the current chair of the Diocesan Property Committee. I feel that my service on the Standing Committee of the Diocese would fit with the skill set needed to take us forward into a new future.

I stand ready to move us forward.

I was a lifelong member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Trappe, where I served on the Vestry and as Senior Warden. This wonderful parish sponsored me on my incredible journey towards ordination. I graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in May of 2024 and was ordained to the priesthood in June.  While I am new to the ordained ministry, I am not new to providing a leadership ministry in the Diocese of Easton.  I have served as our UTO Coordinator for many years, a liaison for our Diocesan ECW, and am also Chair of our Diocesan Fund for Grant Initiatives. I will soon complete an intensive course on Transition Ministry while continuing my current work as Curate and Assistant Priest Wye Parish.

Deb Dragone is a cradle Episcopalian and has attended Saint Clement’s Church in Massey since Baptism.  She has contributed to the congregation in many areas:  Senior Warden, Registrar, Treasurer, Vestry member, and Bible School teacher- notwithstanding being the organist since the age of 12! 

She has been active at the diocesan level for decades, beginning as delegate of convention and as teller during the episcopate of Bishop Martin Townsend.  She has been secretary to annual convention, finance chair and has served two terms on Diocesan Council.  She is currently the Fund Administrator for Easton Episcopal Funds and has been a member of the Board of Managers for several terms. Over the past few years, she has also been a member of the Committee for Resolutions for Debate.  She has supported Camp Wright ministry as an advisory board member and helped with their bookkeeping and finances during those years.

Deb is an active CPA licensed in Maryland with a BS in Math and MS in Accounting.  After many years in the private sector in both managerial and financial positions culminating as president in a small company, she transitioned to giving back by teaching 20 years in the Accounting & MIS Department at the University of Delaware.  She retired in September as Associate Chair and Senior Instructor.  Retired but still giving back, she continues to teach a course each spring developed by her called Community Audits.  Ten accounting sophomores will perform the annual financial audits for up to 20 parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware this spring and summer.  (Up from 13 last year!) During the fall she co-teaches a survey accounting course to guide sophomores in their career search.

My calling is to give back each day for the bounty and grace God has given me. At this juncture in my life, I’m serving and facilitating in the Diocese of Delaware and loving the interaction with our Latino congregation at St. Clement’s.  I believe that I would be an asset to Standing Committee with my past managerial experience, my financial acumen and the years spent serving in the diocese and experience with small parish ministry.  Ultimately, we are here to serve Christ in our congregations and communities to the fullest of our means.

Deb is married to John for 40 plus years and currently has two Golden Retrievers “Gretl” and “Hamish” with hardy genes and good Eastern Shore lineage!!

Diane is a Senior Vice President at Federated Hermès Inc, a money manager based in Pittsburgh, Pa. Diane joined Federated in 2004 after working at First Pennsylvania Bank, Corestates, SEI, PNC Bank and Maxwell Consulting. Diane lives on the water in Cambridge, Maryland and is a member of Christ Episcopal Church. She has an MBA from the Fox School at Temple University and graduate from Mt. Holyoke College, where she majored in Latin.

Education: BS, Economics, University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School); MBA, Finance, University of Virginia (Darden School). Military: Officer, U.S. Coast Guard, 3½ years active duty. Professional Experience: Investment Manager, over course of 40 years served as portfolio manager for institutional investment accounts such as those of Fortune 500 companies, state and local government retirement systems, endowments, mutual funds and private accounts.