The Rev. Canon Gar Demo came to St. Thomas in 2006 from St. Peter’s in Conway, Arkansas where he was Vicar for four years. From 1998-2002, he was the assistant rector at St. Michael and All Angels in Mission, Kansas, before which he spent a year at St. Margaret’s in Lawrence, Kansas, and at the Kansas Diocese as the youth missioner.
St. Thomas’s depth of relationships, sense of community, and breadth of outreach are what drew Gar to the church and to this day are what he sees as exceptional of the congregation. That sense of community and that all are welcome continues to grow.
Gar attended the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest (ETSS) in Austin, Texas after receiving his BS in Psychology with a minor in Music from Wichita State University in 1994. He was ordained in 1997 and entered the priesthood in Dec. 1997. Gar also earned his MBA from Friends University in 2010. In 2020 Gar was appointed as Canon for Congregational Mission in the Diocese of Kansas where he is a resource for congregational development. Gar met his wife Kelly in his last years of college they were married just prior to attending seminary and she was also ordained in 1997. The two were married in 1994 and have two children–Riley and Asher. Gar enjoys movies, fishing, guitar, and sports.
The Rev. Kelly Demo joined the staff at St. Thomas in March of 2017. However, Mthr. Demo had been serving in a volunteer capacity for ten years before that both at the altar as well as teaching, helping with youth group and children’s ministries, and outreach. Before being on staff at St. Thomas Kelly worked for ten years in the non-profit world working at two international aid organizations as a fundraiser and community builder. She also did youth work for the decade before that.
Mthr. Kelly was ordained in 1997 after attending Seminary of the Southwest. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas where she studied theatre, with a concentration in children’s theatre. It was during that time that she met Gar. They finished up their undergraduate degrees and attended seminary together as newlyweds.
At St. Thomas Kelly serves in ministries with the youth group and women’s ministries, as well as general pastoral care and small group development. Kelly’s first love is spending time with her husband, Gar, and their two kids, Riley and Asher. Even after many miles traveled for her previous job she still loves to travel. She also enjoys reading, needlework, movies, and spending time with friends.
The Rev. Deacon Fran Wheeler is originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, but also lived in Nevada, Virginia, Missouri, and New York before settling in Kansas. Fran and her husband Ray met and married in the Kansas City area in 1986. A former Marine, her husband Ray is currently an IT Audit Manager for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka, and also serves on the Diocesan Council of Trustees.
They are blessed with two teenage sons, Ted and Cole. Fran keeps actively involved with their school activities and is an active member of Preceptor Epsilon Zeta, a local chapter of the women’s international sorority, Beta Sigma Phi. Additionally she has served with various organizations and committees within the Olathe Community and Johnson County.
Fran graduated in 1990 from Marymount College in Tarrytown, NY with a B.S. Major in Fashion Merchandising. She has a previous career background in retail management within the fashion industry, and was a stay at home mom for 17 years. Her love for Christ, a continual growing passion of working in the community, and the inspiration and personal desire to seek, identify, and commit where help is needed is what led her to the calling of the Diaconate. She graduated from the Kansas School of Ministry in 2010 and was ordained to the Diaconate in January 2011. She served her diaconal internship at Trinity Episcopal Church in Atchison, KS with a focus on Pastoral Ministry. She previously attended St. Aidan’s in Olathe, KS for 9 years, where after ordination she served as a deacon for 3 years. Her ministries focused on pastoral care, mission and outreach. In addition to parish activities, Fran currently serves as the Chair for Mission and Outreach for the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, and serves as Vice President for the Diocesan Board of Episcopal Church Women (ECW). She is delighted to be assigned to St. Thomas now and looks forward to the many opportunities to serve and grow with the St. Thomas community.
Rev. Dr. Suzan Olson is the Assistant Rector at St. Thomas. She brings a rich background in psychology, education, healthcare, and pastoral ministry. She currently serves as a faculty member at the University of California San Diego, where she has developed and taught courses in drug development, clinical research, FDA regulation, and applied statistics. Professionally, as founder of MDH Human Factors, LLC, she provided contract research for pharmaceutical and medical device companies across the globe.
Suzan began her professional life as a registered nurse and later was commissioned as a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves, serving at medical centers across the US. She is a board-certified clinical chaplain, having trained at The University of Kansas Medical Center and volunteered with the American Red Cross, local hospices, and international medical missions. With a blend of compassion and expertise, Suzan offers a deeply grounded, holistic approach to ministry and pastoral care.
Suzan is a graduate of Ottawa University, Wichita State University, and the Bishop Kemper School of Ministry. She was ordained as a deacon on June 21st, 2025.
Suzan is developing a more robust pastoral care system at St. Thomas, participates in preaching and leading worship, offers a variety of formation opportunities for adults, and increases our connections to retirement communities and other community organizations.
Julieanne Stapleton joined the St. Thomas staff as Director of Music in the summer of 2023. She is a versatile and accomplished musician with a wealth of experience in choral directing, piano, opera singing, and musical theatre direction. Her journey began at Wichita State University, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and Vocal Performance, alongside performing with The Kansas Opera as the Miller Scholar for Drama and receiving a scholarship from the Miss Kansas Pageant in 1993. Julieanne further honed her skills in vocal pedagogy, choral conducting, and operatic performance at the UMKC Conservatory of Music. Currently, she is in the final stages of completing her Masters in Education as a Teacher of Distinction from Baker University.
Julieanne’s choral conducting and vocal pedagogy studies were guided by esteemed educators such as Dr. Michael Denham, Dr. Bud Boughton, Dr. Robert Glasmann, and Robert Shaw. While in Washington DC, Julieanne also served as the Vocal Music Director for the Creating Original Opera (COO) program at the Kennedy Center and George Mason University. Notable directorships include the Hunters Woods Magnet School for the Arts and the St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes Schools in Alexandria, VA, with memorable performances in esteemed venues like the Capitol Building rotunda and Arlington Cemetery.
After relocating to the Kansas City area and embracing parenthood, Julieanne established The KC Kids Music Company, an outreach performance group that collaborated with the Fox 4 Love Fund. Julieanne has directed for numerous organizations, including Music Theatre for Young People, Music Theatre of Kansas City, Stage One Players, Broadway at Baker, Culture House Community Theatre, Trilogy, Olathe Civic Theatre Association (OCTA), and the Depot Theatre in Dodge City. She has also maintained a private vocal and piano studio. Throughout her career, Julieanne has showcased her musical talents as a contemporary worship music leader, serving in various locations.
Barbara McCall has served as the Director of Children and Family Ministries at St. Thomas since August of 2014. In her time at St. Thomas, Barbara has overseen the continued development and expansion of our Godly Play program for children ages 3 through 5th grade, in which she also serves as a Storyteller. Barbara coordinates the staff of our St. Thomas Nursery Ministry and Children’s Church program (where she is also a leader and writes our weekly liturgies) and oversees the Safe Church Training for St. Thomas Staff and volunteer leaders. Her current “big project” is the development and writing of a new, 3-year “Path to Confirmation” program for our Middle School youth. In the summertime, you will find Barbara leading or co-leading our Elementary and Middle School “Reaching Out to the Community” day camps, Vacation Bible Camp and Arts Camp, and she enjoys supporting our High School youth as they prepare each June to take our Vacation Bible Camp on the road to the children of St. John’s Episcopal Parish in Parsons, KS. Barbara has served five times as the Elementary Formation Director for the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas’s Summer “Mega Camp” at Camp Wood YMCA in Elmdale, Kansas.
Barbara is passionate about supporting and networking with fellow lay professionals working in children and youth ministries. In 2024, Barbara was selected as one of 10 new U.S. Trainers for the Godly Play Foundation and began offering training and support to leaders and congregations involved with or interested in Godly Play beginning in January 2025. Barbara engages with other leaders through the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas Children’s Ministry Network, Forma: the Network for Christian Formation, Women in Youth Ministry, Progressive Children’s Ministries, as well as other groups and networks.
Barbara holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and a Master of Arts in Education (with emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction) from Baker University. Barbara was a teacher in the primary grades for 15 years in the Blue Valley School District of suburban Kansas City. She and her husband, John, have been members of St. Thomas since the fall of 2003 shortly after their wedding. They currently live in Olathe with their two sons, Joshua and Jacob, and their dog, Wally.
Lauren Cassat began attending St. Thomas in 2021 and has enjoyed being part of such a vibrant and engaged community. She brings a wide-ranging professional background that includes administrative, coordination, project management, paralegal, and teaching roles across various fields. Her academic work includes degrees in Religion and Mathematics from St. Olaf College, as well as a master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Minnesota, reflecting her unique blend of analytical thinking and creative problem-solving, as well as a broad range of interests.
Outside of work, Lauren enjoys running, biking, reading, spending time in nature, and swing dancing– but most importantly, spending time with her amazing kids. She is excited to grow alongside the St. Thomas community and contribute to supporting the parish in this new role.
The Parish Life Coordinator works to support the staff and lay leadership of St. Thomas with social media and website updates, publicizing worship and outreach, planning and coordinating parish events with our committees and staff, supporting volunteer recruitment, maintaining visual and graphic arts materials, and working with our ministries to increase organization and efficiencies. She will become the main contact for Safe Church and other training as well.
Jill Waits is the Parish Administrator for St Thomas. She oversees daily office operations— managing records and supplies, handling general inquiries, and assisting with basic bookkeeping and meeting preparation. Jill is very organized, has discretion, and has experience in running an office. She studied Business Management at Northeast Missouri State University.
Jill and her husband Rob have three wonderful children: Tyler, Ryan, and Addy. In her free time, when she is not working or attending her daughter’s softball games, she enjoys golfing, playing pickleball, watching the Chiefs, and gardening. She has previously owned a floral shop in Downtown Lee’s Summit and is also a licensed real estate agent.
Meribeth Risebig is responsible for communications such as weekly newsletters, bulletins, posters, booklets, website revisions, etc.
Meribeth is an active free-lance musician in the Kansas City area as an oboist/english hornist. She enjoys swimming laps, gardening, cooking, wine tastings, and watching movies and TV series filmed in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Australia. She has two young cats, Clover and Tutu.
Need to contact the staff?
Please use the form on the Contact page. Thank you!