Parish Council Members 2024 - 2025
Katie Dwyer
Katie is a Washington, D.C. native and is a licensed real estate agent serving clients in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. She was born in Alexandria, graduated from Marymount University, and currently resides in the Kalorama neighborhood. When it comes to her approach to real estate she focuses her attention on her relationships with her clients. Katie's local expertise, passion for her work, attention to detail and communication help her to create an unforgettable experience and life long connection with the clients she serves. She is looking forward to bringing this skill set to serve on the Pastoral Council. Katie is also passionate about serving her community, you can find her volunteering every week with Community of Hope, an organization that provides stable housing and healthcare to the most vulnerable families in the district. Katie has been a St. Matthew's Cathedral parishioner for 10 years and helps the Social Justice Committee with the Monday Morning Ministry program helping to feed and clothe unhoused members of the community.
Kathy Lester
Kathy Lester, JD, MPH, is the founder of Lester Health Law, PLLC, where she practices public health law working with clients at the legislative, administrative, and judicial levels of the federal government. Her practice includes privacy law, Medicare coverage and reimbursement, emergency preparedness, and health care quality and measure development. Prior to that she was at Patton Boggs, where she was an equity partner for 7 of her 14 years at the firm. She received her JD from Georgetown University (cum laude), her MPH from The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, and her BA from DePauw University (magna cum laude). She clerked for The Honorable Michael S. Kanne on the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, served as staff to The Honorable Senator Richard G. Lugar (IN), and worked at the Department of Health and Human Services. Kathy is married and has two children. She has been a parishioner at St. Matthew's for the past 20 years.
Grace Lutfy
Grace Lutfy is originally from the Metro Detroit area and has been living in Washington, DC, since late 2016. She joined St. Matthew's during the pandemic and is happily involved in the Social Justice and Community Service Committee, the Lector Ministry, and the Pastoral Council. It's been a blessing, an honor, and a privilege for her to serve God in so many ways, and she looks forward to many more.
Miguel Ángel Martínez, Jr.
Perhaps fitting for a tax lawyer, Miguel first came to Saint Matthew's after being invited by a law school friend to attend mass on Easter in 2005. He enjoyed it so much that he started regularly attending mass at the Cathedral ever since. He and his wife, Margarita, are active parishioners in the Hispanic Ministry and often volunteer with Faith Formation programs. On their first date, Miguel and Margarita were surprised to learn that they were both parishioners and had never met so it was fitting that they were married at Saint Matthew's in 2020 in a mass presided by Padre John Benson. Miguel works at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), and he also serves on the Board of Directors for Ayuda, a nonprofit organization that provides legal, social, and language services to immigrants in the DC area.
John Barrows
John is a grateful husband, proud father of two sons, and grandfather to three energetic grandchildren. He’s a retired Air Force Security Forces Chief with over 40 years of military and civil service. John enjoys downhill skiing and cycling scenic trails, embracing life and service to our Parish with gratitude and passion.
Carlos F. Sánchez
Carlos has been blessed to be a parishioner at St. Matthew’s Cathedral since September 2021. Currently, Carlos works as a Systems Director for Great Minds, a K-12 curriculum provider that believes “every child is capable of greatness”. Prior to Great Minds, Carlos helped clients around the world navigate people-centric digital transformation initiatives as a consultant at IBM and Accenture. Originally born in Venezuela, Carlos grew up in South Florida and completed a B.A. in Economics at Princeton University in New Jersey. In addition to volunteering at St. Matthew’s, Carlos loves to read, study foreign languages, hit the gym, and travel during his spare time. He is thrilled to put his “faith in action” as part of the Cathedral’s parish council.
Jonathon Smith
Jonathan has been a parishioner of St. Matthew’s Cathedral for 15 years, since moving to DC. He volunteered as an EMC prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and since then as an usher. Jonathon was born and raised in the Midwest where he attended Catholic elementary and high schools before entering the US Air Force. After serving for 4 years, he attended the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University, receiving a BA in International Relations & Economics. He married Hiroko Otsu and together they moved to New York City where Jonathon received an MBA from New York University. They then moved to Los Angeles where he worked in marketing management for a variety of firms, travelling throughout the US and several other countries. Now retired, Jonathon and Hiroko enjoy traveling and attending classical concerts and other events. They have been fortunate to visit Rome twice as well as the Holy Land. Jonathon is a member of Serra International, a lay apostolate organization that supports vocations, priests and seminarians. He also serves on the Development & Marketing Committee for the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine in Emmitsburg, MD.
Margarita Valdez Martinez
Margarita Valdez Martínez is the Director of Policy and Advocacy for the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT), the primary professional membership organization for gene and cell therapy. The mission of ASGCT is to advance knowledge, awareness, and education leading to the discovery and clinical application of genetic and cellular therapies to alleviate human disease. Through her work at ASGCT, Margarita seeks to advance the Society’s priorities in policy development amongst legislators, providers, patient advocates, coalitions, and other stakeholders. Valdez Martínez earned her undergraduate degree at Michigan State University, she is Chair of the Public Policy Committee for the American Society of Association Executives. She currently lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, Miguel.
Adria Vargas
Adria was born in the Dominican Republic part of the island of Hispaniola. She migrated to the U. S. under a cultural exchange program to attend college, completing a BA in International Business in 2004. She moved to Washington DC in 2005 to work at the Inter-American Development Bank. In 2006 she joined the World Bank Group where she currently works on development projects, principally in Eastern and Southern Africa, West Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2012 Adria completed an MA in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University. At St. Matthew's she found a home, enjoying the homilies of Jesuit guest Mass celebrants that remind her of the Ignatian faith formation she received in high school. Adria is multilingual, and loves children, helping those in need, loving and caring for nature, sharing life experiences with others, taking pictures of sunsets and clouds, and eating as healthy as possible. Some of her hobbies are hiking, dancing, listening to music and podcasts, and making jewelry, knitting, and sewing.