The Ethical Society of St. Louis is a Humanist congregation, a place where people come together to explore the biggest questions of life without reference to scripture, religion, or God. We meet on Sunday mornings at 11am for Platform (our equivalent of a church service), and have many other programs throughout the week. We welcome Humanists, agnostics and atheists, as well as people from various religious backgrounds. We come together to celebrate our journey through life and affirm our ability to live ethical lives without traditional religious beliefs.
Louise Jett (she/her) is an Ethical Humanist Leader, educator, and creative strategist committed to building communities rooted in dignity, belonging, and ethical action. She advances Humanist values through leadership development, community programming, and storytelling.
Jim Jordan has been a member of the Ethical Society of St. Louis for 17 years. He chaired the Accessibility Committee and has led sessions focusing on people of all abilities and people-first language. Jim is a retired environmental and STEM educator and his graduate research focused on responsible environmental behaviors and issues. Jim joined the D&B Team to bring a voice for people of different abilities.
Ari Wynn (they/she) is a newer member of the Ethical Society and is active on the Dignity and Belonging Team as well as the Visitor Connect Team. Most recently, they became the leader of Being Queer Together, a new LGBTQIA+ affinity group at ESSL. Professionally, they teach statistics and research methods courses online through Missouri State University and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.
Violinist Hannah Frey is a freelance musician and educator in St. Louis. She is first violinist of the Perseid Quartet, and plays regularly with various shows at the Fox Theater, The Metropolitan Orchestra of Saint Louis and The St. Louis Chamber Soloists. She was concertmaster of Winter Opera St Louis for over a decade and has performed with many other area groups including the St. Louis Symphony, Opera Theatre Saint Louis and the Muny Orchestra. She teaches violin and chamber music at Washington University and maintains a large private studio at her home. Hannah received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music with Linda Cerone and William Preucil.
Mc Kayla Talasek performs on both viola and violin as an orchestral and freelance musician in St. Louis. She currently performs on a “Wojtyszyn” viola from 1978 and a “Talasek” violin from 2014. Since 2011, she has performed for orchestras located in Texas, Nevada, California, Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri. Currently, she is a member of The Reno Philharmonic, Reno Chamber Orchestra, and The Missouri Symphony Orchestra; regularly performing with St. Louis Symphony, The Metropolitan Orchestra of Saint Louis, and St. Louis Chamber Soloists, too. Mc Kayla holds a full private home studio and also teaches at these St. Louis organizations: Webster University: Community Music School; Kirkwood School District: Beginner Violin; Gateway Music Outreach, MStrong Studio; and Forsyth School. When she is not performing or teaching, she enjoys attending concerts, finding new places to enjoy tasty cuisines, and taking her daily walks in Forest Park with her dog and cat, Hana and Peaches.
Tara Santiago Anello is a teacher and freelancer in St. Louis. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music from New England Conservatory, where she studied with Natasha Brofsky and Cleveland Quartet cellist Paul Katz. Originally from Wisconsin, she has performed as a guest soloist with the Milwaukee, Fox Valley, and Sheboygan Symphonies. Prior to moving to St. Louis, she was a member of the Florida Grand Opera. She now teaches Suzuki cello at Webster University’s Community Music School and performs and records regularly with singer Erin Bode.
