Ken Cowan, Palmer’s Artist-in-Residence and Organist, is Associate Professor and head of the organ program at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. He has also served on the organ faculty of Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey.
Ken has recorded on the Pro Organo, JAV, and Etheral recording labels, and many of his recordings and live performances have been featured on NPR. He received a Master of Music degree and Artist Diploma from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music in New Haven, Connecticut, and his Bachelor of Music degree from the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a church musician, he has held posts as Artist-in-Residence and Organist at Saint Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in New York City and as Assistant Organist at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia.
Mary was assigned to serve at Palmer as Deacon beginning in August 2025. She graduated from the Iona School of Ministry and was ordained in June 2015. Before coming to Palmer she served at Ascension; St Andrews in Pearland and San Romero. She graduated from University of Missouri-St Louis with a BA in English Literature Summa Cum Laude. She has been married to her husband Max for over 55 years, and they have three grown children. For over 45 years she managed her husband’s medical office and enjoyed a rich life of volunteering. She recently retired from working with Houston ReVision for 16 years working with gang affected and adjudicated youth specializing in programing with teen females in lockdown facilities as well as Jubilee Ministries with incarcerated adult women. She loves to needlepoint, quilt and most things related to needles as well as organizing, writing and cooking.