Parish Staff
The Rev. Richard Wall, Rector
Father Wall has been Rector of St. Paul’s since 2015. Prior to coming to St. Paul’s, Fr. Wall served as Rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, State College, in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania from 2009-2015. He was born in South Staffordshire, England, and did his undergraduate and seminary work at Oxford, studying at Christ Church and St. Stephen’s House, respectively. Sponsored for ordination by the Diocese of Liverpool, he was ordained in Chelmsford Cathedral in 2002, and served as Curate for nearly three years in commuter-belt Essex. In response to a call from S. Clement’s, Philadelphia, he ‘crossed the pond’ on Valentine’s Day, 2005; he served as their Curate for four years.
Michael Fili, Director of Music & Choirmaster
Michael was named St. Paul’s Director of Music & Choirmaster in 2026 after fourteen years of involvement in the parish’s music program, first as a Staff Singer and later as Composer in Residence. In addition to his work as a church musician, Michael maintains an active career as a composer, conductor, singer, and teacher. His compositions, consisting largely of sacred music intended for liturgical use, are regularly performed throughout North America and Europe and have received awards from nationally recognized choirs and choral music organizations.
Committed to supporting the work of living composers, Michael co-founded the professional new music ensemble StageFree in 2016 and served as its Artistic Director until 2023. In its six seasons, StageFree performed music by over three-dozen composers with ties to the Washington, DC region. Michael’s work as a professional choral singer spans nearly twenty years and includes performances with many of the world’s leading conductors and orchestras in some of the East Coast’s most prominent venues. Michael holds degrees from Westminster Choir College (BM), Carnegie Mellon University (MM), and the University of Maryland (DMA). He is on faculty at Howard University, where he coordinates the Composition and Music Theory programs. More information about Michael’s work is available at michaelfili.com.
Isabella Isza Wu, Assistant Director of Music & Organist
Isabella Isza (EYE-sa) Wu comes to St. Paul's from Philadelphia, where she served as organ scholar at St. Clement's Church and St. Mark's, Locust St, respectively. An active concert organist and pianist, Isabella performs broadly across the US, with a particular emphasis on
writing transcriptions for large organs of the east coast. She has served as Assistant Organist at Macy's Wanamaker Organ, and held performances at Longwood Gardens, Boardwalk Hall, and Ocean Grove Auditorium. Recent appearances include the Brevard Music Festival, Chamber Music Festival of the Black Hills, and the Organ Historical Society. Isabella brings over a decade of experience in choral singing and accompanying, music education, and arts engagement, most recently leading a weekly music outreach program at the Penn Memory Center at the University of Pennsylvania. She holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music (MM in Organ Performance) and Northwestern University (BM in Piano Performance and BA in Communication Studies). More information about Isabella is available at isabellaiszawu.com.
Shannon Taylor-Heflin, Parish Administrator
Shannon first came St. Paul’s K Street with her husband in December 2024. She was baptized at the Easter Vigil in 2025, and was appointed as the Parish Administrator in April of 2026.
Shannon originally comes from an academic background, holding degrees from Christopher Newport (B.A. in Communication Studies and French) and George Mason University (M.A. in Health Communication). Much of her previous work has revolved around identifying and tailoring communication strategies in various contexts, such as child development and parent-child relationships, patient advocacy, and social marketing. Shannon co-authored a journal article for developing communication-oriented curriculum in universities, published in Communication Education, and has had her work presented at numerous conferences, including the 72nd Annual ICA Conference in Paris, France, and the 107th and 108th NCA Conventions in Seattle, WA, and New Orleans, LA, respectively.
Shannon's work has also brought her to various administrative settings; she served as a Graduate Coordinator for George Mason University’s Communication Center and as the Program Manager of a national veterinary blood bank. She developed a passion for organizational leadership and administration, which she is thrilled to bring together with her love of St. Paul’s.
