Heather VanDeventer is the Interim Associate Rector for Faith Formation and Evangelism. Previously, she served three years as Assistant Chaplain and Teacher of Religion at Episcopal High School, Alexandria where she taught Biblical Theology to tenth graders, regularly led and preached in chapel services, and co-led the Girls Christian Fellowship. Prior to EHS, she was priest associate at St. Paul's, San Rafael, California and St. Mark's, Berkeley, California while being a stay-at-home-mom for her daughters. During this time, she trained in church planting and redevelopment, and conducted community study to test feasibility for starting a new church. Heather began her ordained ministry as Associate Rector of St. Augustine's, Wilmette, Illinois where for six years, she shared leadership across areas of ministry, directed Christian formation for children and youth (including children's chapel and Journey to Adulthood), and fostered and expanded the parish's community-based social action. Heather began her journey toward ordained ministry during college. She has served as a diocesan camp counselor, a homeless shelter volunteer, a hospital on-call chaplain, a coordinator and liaison for community social justice initiatives, and an insurance legal/compliance assistant.

Heather graduated from Yale University with a BA in history (focus in medieval history) and received her M. Div. from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary.

She is married to the Rev. Dr. David Gortner, Director of the Doctor of Ministry programs and Professor of Evangelism and Congregational Leadership at Virginia Theological Seminary. She serves that community as chaplain to the spouses and partners of seminary students. Heather and David have two daughters, Cassie and Miriam, both attending Douglas MacArthur Elementary. Heather is a self-professed Sci-Fi junkie.  She enjoys baking and cooking, watering and working (but not weeding!) in the community garden hosted in their front yard, learning to play the piano along with the girls, and getting to the mountains when she can.