The Ruth Jenkins Award and the John D. Verdery Award are the National Association of Episcopal Schools’ highest honors and recognize and celebrate the outstanding service of individuals to Episcopal schools and NAES. The awards are bestowed at the discretion of the Governing Board and are presented during ceremonies at NAES Biennial Conference.

Jump to:

• Verdery Award Recipient: The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor
• Jenkins Award Recipient: Alley Michaelson
• Jenkins Award Recipient: Jennifer F. Tolbert
• About John D. Verdery & Ruth Jenkins

The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor

John D. Verdery Award Recipient

The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor recently retired as the seventh bishop diocesan of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the 1,101st bishop in The Episcopal Church. His election took place on December 3, 2016, during the diocese’s 121st annual meeting, paving the way for his consecration as bishop coadjutor on July 8 at a vibrant “grand fiesta” that celebrated the region’s rich cultural diversity and mission-driven spirit. He officially stepped into his role as diocesan bishop in 2017. Prior to his episcopal election, Taylor spent years in parish leadership as the vicar of St. John Chrysostom Episcopal Church and School in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. He also 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 and historical preservation. A native of Detroit and the son of journalists, he developed a deep passion for the written word early on, eventually becoming a published novelist. His work in public life prominently included serving as an aide and chief of staff to former U.S. President Richard Nixon. Taylor went on to direct the privately owned Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace, skillfully leading the institution through its transition into the federal presidential library system to become the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, while also serving as Executive Director of the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace Foundation. It was also during his time in public service that he met Kathleen Hannigan O’Connor, a fellow former Nixon aide, whom he married in 2002.

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Alley Michaelson

Ruth Jenkins Award Recipient

Alley Michaelson ’02  has been Head of School at St. Matthew’s Parish School in Pacific Palisades, CA since 2023. She is the ninth Head of School and the first alumna to assume the role. During her time at St. Matthew’s, Alley has been integral in expanding both curriculum and secondary school outplacement, growing enrollment by adding a 2 year old program to St. Matthew’s Early Childhood division, and implementing an Associate Teacher program in Lower School, designed to cultivate young teaching talent and build a pipeline of excellent educators. 

Following the devastating 2025 Palisades Fire, Alley guided St. Matthew’s through an emotional transition, from temporary offsite campuses in 2025 to the reopening of the School’s Pacific Palisades campus in September of 2026, a mere 21 months since the fire ripped through the School buildings and community. Alley has been active in local recovery efforts in Pacific Palisades, including serving on the Pacific Palisades Community Council. She also took on her best role yet, current parent at St. Matthew’s where her son began in the Little Falcons 2-year-olds program last fall. 

Alley came to St. Matthew’s from New Lebanon Elementary School in Greenwich, CT, where she served as Principal starting in 2019. Under her leadership, New Lebanon School was recognized as a Connecticut State School of Distinction, and she was awarded the Anne Firestone Ball Family Champion Award from Family Centers of Fairfield County. Before her tenure at New Lebanon, Mrs. Michaelson was Assistant Principal and Principal, respectively, at Anderson & McGrath Elementary School in Grand Blanc, MI. 

After graduating 8th grade at St. Matthew’s, Mrs. Michaelson attended Marymount High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan. She holds an M.A. in Teaching, Special Education from National Louis University and a Master’s in Education with a focus in School Leadership from Harvard University. Mrs. Michaelson began her career as a Teach For America Corps member in the Chicago Public Schools, where she progressed from Learning Specialist to Special Education College Counselor to Dean of Specialized Instruction. She has continued her commitment to Teach For America as a volunteer, Recruitment Manager, and Associate Board Member.

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Jennifer F. Tolbert

Ruth Jenkins Award Recipient

Jennifer Foley Tolbert 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 several administrative roles, including middle school director at Polytechnic School in Pasadena, associate director of admissions at Campbell Hall School in North Hollywood, and director of diversity and middle school director at the Gordon School in East Providence, Rhode Island. A leader in independent schools, she has served on several boards, including the California Association of Independent Schools, the Center for Education, and currently the National Association of Episcopal Schools.

For Jennifer, Saint Mark’s has always been more than a school. It is a community, a family, and a place where children are known, loved, challenged, and encouraged to become the very best versions of themselves.

As head of school, Jennifer leads with heart, faith, and a deep belief in the power of community. She is passionate about creating an environment where every child feels a sense of belonging and where academic excellence is matched by compassion, curiosity, character, and service to others.

That commitment took on new meaning after the Eaton Fire destroyed the historic Saint Mark’s campus. In a matter of hours, the physical place generations of families had called home was gone. But Jennifer knew that Saint Mark’s itself had not been lost.

In the days and months that followed, she helped hold the school community together—supporting students, families, faculty, and staff while ensuring that learning continued and the traditions and spirit of Saint Mark’s endured. During a time of extraordinary uncertainty, Jennifer has led with determination and hope, reminding the community that a school is ultimately defined not by its buildings, but by its people.

Today, Jennifer is helping lead Saint Mark’s back home to Altadena.

The effort to rebuild is deeply personal. It is an opportunity to honor the history and traditions of Saint Mark’s while creating a resilient, welcoming campus for the generations of children who will follow. Throughout that journey, Jennifer has embraced a powerful biblical principle: walking by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

She believes the rebuilding of Saint Mark’s represents something larger than the restoration of a school. It is part of Altadena’s own story of recovery, resilience, and renewal—and a promise to children and families that the community they love will endure.

For Jennifer, the goal is not simply to rebuild what was lost. It is to carry forward everything that could never be destroyed: the relationships, traditions, faith, joy, and sense of belonging that make Saint Mark’s home.

And when the doors of the new Saint Mark’s campus finally open, it will represent far more than a return to a building. It will be a homecoming.