Awards recognize lifetime service, dedication, and extraordinary leadership in the wake of Los Angeles wildfires.
The National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2026 John D. Verdery and Ruth Jenkins Awards. Bestowed at the discretion of the Governing Board and presented during ceremonies at Biennial Conference, these awards are NAES’s highest honors and recognize and celebrate the outstanding service of individuals to Episcopal schools and NAES.
The 2026 award recipients all share strong ties to the Los Angeles area. The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor (John D. Verdery Award) recently retired as seventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles after years of steadfast leadership and faithful service to Episcopal schools. Alley Michaelson and Jennifer F. Tolbert (Ruth Jenkins Award) are two heads of school who have demonstrated extraordinary courage and resilience in guiding their communities through the destruction caused by the recent Los Angeles wildfires.
Expressing the significance of these honors, the Rev. David A. Madison, D.Min., NAES executive director, said: “It is an immense honor to present the John D. Verdery and Ruth Jenkins Awards to these remarkable Episcopal church and school leaders. Their exceptional resilience during times of adversity and unwavering commitment to their communities embody the highest ideals of our Association.”
This 2026 awards will be presented during the Awards Luncheon at NAES Biennial Conference in Los Angeles, California on Thursday, November 19.
Award Recipients
The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor, recipient of the John D. Verdery Award, recently retired as the seventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the 1,101st bishop in The Episcopal Church. Prior to his episcopal election, Taylor spent years in parish ministry as the vicar of St. John Chrysostom Episcopal Church and School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, and served on the governing board of the National Association of Episcopal Schools from 2010 to 2016. Before his ordination, Taylor established a distinguished career in public service, serving as chief of staff to former U.S. president Richard Nixon and directing the Richard Nixon Presidential Library.
Alley Michaelson, co-recipient of the Ruth Jenkins Award, has been head of school at St. Matthew’s Parish School in Pacific Palisades, California, since 2023, serving as the ninth head of school and the first alumna to assume the role. Following the devastating 2025 Palisades Fire, Alley guided St. Matthew’s through an emotional transition to the reopening of the school’s Pacific Palisades campus in September 2026. She came to St. Matthew’s from New Lebanon Elementary School in Greenwich, Connecticut, where she served as principal starting in 2019, and previously held administrator roles in Michigan. Ms. Michaelson began her career as a Teach For America corps member in Chicago Public Schools and holds degrees from the University of Michigan, National Louis University, and Harvard University.
Jennifer F. Tolbert, co-recipient of the Ruth Jenkins Award, has served as head of school at Saint Mark’s School in Altadena, California, since 2015. Prior to coming to Saint Mark’s, she held administrative roles at Polytechnic School, Campbell Hall School, and the Gordon School, and currently serves on the board of the National Association of Episcopal Schools. As head of school, Jennifer leads with heart, faith, and a deep belief in the power of community. Following the Eaton Fire that destroyed the historic campus, she helped hold the school community together—supporting students, families, faculty, and staff while ensuring that learning continued and helping lead Saint Mark’s back home to Altadena.
About the Awards
The Ruth Jenkins Award honors a founder of NAES who was head of Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma, Washington, and the Bishop’s School in La Jolla, California. An advocate for women’s leadership in the Episcopal Church, Dr. Jenkins was elected in 1949 as a deputy to the Church’s General Convention but refused her seat. She subsequently participated in the “Joint Commission to Consider the Problems of Giving the Women of the Church a Voice in the Legislation of the General Convention” (1951) and later served as a deputy. Jenkins also spearheaded school desegregation efforts, culminating in a non-discrimination clause being requisite for membership of the Episcopal Schools Association (the precursor to NAES) in 1963—directly barring segregated schools from membership.
The John D. Verdery Award is named in honor of the long-term headmaster (1942–76) of Wooster School in Danbury, Connecticut. A co-founder of NAES, Mr. Verdery, an Episcopal priest, was an articulate advocate for the value of Episcopal education and the religious identity of our schools. As president of the NAES Governing Board, he was instrumental in nurturing NAES as an organization through his hands-on leadership at critical points during the Association’s early years.
About NAES
The National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) is an independently incorporated, voluntary membership organization that supports, serves, and advocates for the vital work and ministry of those who serve approximately 800 Episcopal schools and early childhood education programs throughout the Episcopal Church, as well as school establishment efforts. Chartered in 1965, with historic roots dating to the 1930s, NAES is the only pre-collegiate educational association that is both national in scope and Episcopal in character. The Association advances Episcopal education and strengthens Episcopal schools through essential services, resources, conferences, and networking opportunities on Episcopal school identity, leadership, and governance, and on the spiritual and professional development of school leaders.
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