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Here at PUMC we have a wonderful staff working together in ministry for God and our church.

 

Dave AlbertsPastor Dave AlbertsPastor (Dave) David Alberts, Senior Pastor

Dave previously served at Grace United Methodist and St. Matthew United Methodist Church in Mesa, Arizona, and became senior pastor of PUMC in July 2011. Prior to moving to the Desert Southwest Conference, he served twenty-nine years of ministry in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference. Some of his tenure in Illinois included serving as Program Counselor for the annual conference in the area of missions and higher education.

Pastor Dave received his Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. He also holds a Doctor of Ministry degree, with a specialization in Spirituality and Story, from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

An important part of his life and ministry is Mary, his former high-school sweetheart, and they have been married since 1974. The Alberts have two adult children. Their son, Scott, is a recreational therapist living with his wife and their son (Dave and Mary's first grandchild) in Quincy, Illinois. Their daughter, Lisa, is an occupational therapist who lives with her husband in Pella, Iowa.

 

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kathleenPastor Kathleen StolzRev. Kathleen A. Stolz, Associate Pastor

Kathleen is a 1990 graduate of Drew Theological School (Madison, NJ) and an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church. As a member of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, she served 14 years in the local church setting as Associate Pastor and Minister of Christian Education, followed by 6 years on the Conference program staff as Children, Youth and Young Adult Coordinator for the Greater New Jersey Area. In June 2010, Kathleen transferred her membership to the Desert Southwest Conference.

Kathleen and her husband, Rich, have three adult children, Christian, Allison and Grant, all living in other parts of the world. As “empty nesters” Kathleen and Rich moved to Fountain Hills in 2006. In June 2007, she was appointed to serve The Fountains as Associate Pastor, assisting where needed in worship and providing primary leadership to Stephen Ministry. In July 2010, she added Youth Ministry Coordinator to her part-time position at The Fountains. In July 2011, Kathleen was appointed to serve as the Associate Pastor of Prescott United Methodist Church.

Kathleen is a certified Life on Purpose Coach with a passion for empowering people to clarify his/her divinely inspired life purpose and to live as the person God created him or her to be. Life purpose coaching provides the space to listen to the Holy Spirit with the guidance of a coach to ask the tough questions and offer challenges to grow.

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CaroleCarole Nickerson

Carole Nickerson, Director of Music Ministries

Carole has been the Director of Music Ministries at Prescott United Methodist Church since September, 1993.  Carole received her BME degree from Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri and taught music in the public schools until she and Martin married in Farmington, Missouri in 1968.  Soon afterward Carole accompanied Martin on a twenty-five year Air Force career, until they retired to Prescott in 1992.  In her travels Carole had the chance to teach and direct and play in many places across the United States.  Carole and Martin have two children, Natalie, who lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Robert, who lives in Phoenix, Az.  They have three grandchildren, Garrett, Clayton and Austin.

Carole was raised in a very musical family. Her late father and mother were both proficient musicians. At a young age she played for several churches in Farmington, Missouri and acquired an extensive knowledge of church music. She is an experienced organist, pianist, public school music teacher, and choir
director.  She also gave private music lessons for many years.  In her music ministry here at PUMC she has built the chancel and contemporary choirs, the bell choirs, worked with the children's choirs, started the Saturday night gospel band, and presented the annual original Christmas  cantatas.


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Patti NewtonPatti Newton Patty Newton, Church Organist

Patty grew up in Richfield, Kansas.  She began taking piano lessons when she was 6 years old and by age 9, she became the pianist for the small Methodist Church in Richfield.

Patty and her husband, Ray, moved to Flagstaff in 1973 where Patty taught elementary music, was a member of the NAU Master Chorale, and served as an organist at Trinity Heights Methodist Church, a position she held for 21 years.  Ray retired as an Administrator from NAU after serving 27 years.

After 30 years of teaching, Patty retired and in 1996, she and Ray moved to Prescott.
She sang with the Prescott Master Chorale and performs with the Prescott Pop Symphony.
She started playing the organ at PUMC in 1998, sharing the position with Wanda Hedrick and then with Evelyn Moore.  If you get the opportunity to secure a seat near the organ, you’ll be mesmerized by how effortlessly she seems to make such beautiful music.  

Patty and Ray have two daughters and four grandchildren, all who live in Arizona, except for one granddaughter who is an Air Force nurse at Travis Air Force Base in California.

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Karen JonesKaren Allbright Jones

Karen Allbright Jones, Pastoral Counselor

Karen received a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2001 from Bethel Seminary (Baptist) in St. Paul, Minnesota.  She then worked as a therapist at Family and Children’s Service, at Hazelden Center for Youth and Families in Minneapolis and in private practice both in Minnesota and in Prescott, AZ.

Karen was active at Colonial (Congregational) Church of Edina , Minnesota as a Lay Counseling volunteer, as a founder, facilitator and trainer of the Edina Coalition for Grief Support, and as a Deacon and Chair of the Deacon Board, and was involved in a healing prayer ministry, Prayer Ventures.

Moving to Prescott in 2009, Karen and her husband of 31 years, Jim, have loved hiking and biking and getting to know the friendly town of Prescott at work and at play. Here in Prescott, Karen has served as Chair of Prescott Christian Women’s Connection for a two year term.  Jim and Karen’s young adult children, Ryan, Andrew and his wife Kristen, and Caroline are here visiting often and Karen has many family members living in the Phoenix area. As a Pastoral Counselor at PUMC since October of 2010, Karen sees individuals, couples, and families to help with life issues such as grief, relationship problems, anxiety, depression and resolving past trauma.


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SallySally Valeruis Sally Valerius, Pastoral Assistant

Sally was born and raised in the small town of Reed City, Michigan.  She attended Hurley Hospital School of Nursing in Flint, Michigan and became a registered nurse.

She and her husband, Wayne, moved to California with their three children in 1967.  Wayne is a mechanical engineer and Sally continued working as a registered nurse in Obstetrics and Newborn Nursery.

When their children were out of the nest in 1982, Sally and Wayne opened a gift and decorator shop in Valencia, California.  They ran it until 2006 when they retired and moved to Prescott.

All three of their grown children are married and live in California.  They also have 4 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Sally has attended the Methodist Church all her life.  She and Wayne have been members of PUMC for 5 years.  Sally has been Pastoral Assistant for 3 ½ years.  She is also a Stephen Minister and a Stephen Leader.

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Patti BPatty Blackwood

Patti Blackwood, Pastoral Assistant

Patti received a Master of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology in 2010 and is in the ordination process to become Deacon in the United Methodist Church.  Since graduation, she has assisted clergy at Prescott United Methodist Church by teaching, participating in baptism and communions, preaching, and providing pastoral care.  In addition, Patti established an adult grief group and continues to facilitate grief groups that minister to church and community members.  She is in the process of becoming certified as a grief counselor.

Patti and her husband, Dan, lived in Phoenix and attended First UMC, Phoenix, for twenty-three years before moving to Prescott in 1999.  During their years in Phoenix, she worked as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for Maricopa County.  She retired from nursing when they moved to Prescott.  She then worked in retail until her call to ministry.

Patti and Dan have a married daughter and a nine-year-old grandson.  To the delight of Dan and Patti, they, too, live in Prescott.


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BethBeth Williams

Beth Williams, Children and Families Coordinator.

Beth started working with PUMC in August, 2010. She and her husband, Matt, with their children Lindsay and Dylan, moved to Prescott in July of 1997 and joined the church soon after.  Lindsay is presently attending NAU and Dylan attends Prescott High School.

PUMC has been fortunate to have Beth teaching our Sunday School since January 1998, starting with preschools, and now teaching older elementary kids with Matt.  For the past 6 years, Beth has been in charge of the Fall All-Church camp for PUMC families.  She is also in charge of the Vacation Bible School program for the children each summer.

Beth has been working in various supervisory positions in the food service organizations for the past 30 years, and decided a change was needed. She is now studying for her Medical Coding certificate at Yavapai College.

Beth and Matt have loved raising their children in Prescott and feel very blessed with such a warm church home.


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KayKay PriceKay Price, Office Manager

Kay was born Lewistown, Montana. She graduated from Nebraska Christian College in Norfolk, Nebraska, receiving a Bachelor’s in Christian Education. She began her ministry working in a local church as Director of Christian Education, later going back to her alma mater where she served first as Assistant to the Director of Development and later as secretary to the college’s President.

She and her husband were married while Jim was employed at Deaf Missions, Inc. Jim came to the marriage with a 3-year-old son and a few years later, while living in Lincoln, Nebraska, they adopted their daughter from India. In 1979 they moved to Prescott, where their 3rd child, a son, was born. Since Jim was a pastor, Kay served in variety of capacities in each of their pastorates. She began with PUMC in 1995 as the Office Manager, the position she has held ever since, a job she thoroughly enjoys. In addition she volunteers as part of the Saturday night Praise Team. She hastens to add that she is the proud grandmother of 8 grandchildren.

 

 

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kathleenGena SoileauGena Soileau (pronounced “swallow”), PUMC’s Office Assistant.

Gena and her husband Jim moved to Prescott from Escondido, CA in July, 2011. Jim’s retirement from Northrop Grumman brought them to Prescott where they’ve quickly become a part of our community.  Gena enjoys singing and being involved in our choirs.

They both grew up in Slidell, Louisiana (just outside of New Orleans) and have known each other since grade school.  They have one son, Bradley, who lives in La Mesa, California with his wife, Renee and their daughter, Leyla.    

Having worked in administration for over 30 years, Gena definitely honed the skills she needs for her position here at PUMC.  Not only does she multi-task and organize the front office, she works closely with Office Manager Kay Price, our two pastors and staff, all our various committees and just about anyone who walks through our front doors.  She has an infectious smile, a fun-loving and caring personality and a Louisiana accent that isn’t heard very often in this neck of the woods.

As Gena & Jim like to say, “Even though our roots are from Louisiana, we truly feel this is home.”

 

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Jim SoileauJim SoileauJim Soileau, Sound Booth Manager

Jim was born and raised in south Louisiana. He enlisted in the USAF in 1973, and he and his wife, Gena, were married soon thereafter. After 9 ½ years in the Air Force, they returned to their hometown, Slidell, Louisiana. From there, it was on to Orlando, FL, then to Warner Robins, GA, out to San Diego, CA and finally to Prescott in 2011 when he retired from Northrop Grumman as Director of Quality Assurance.

Jim has a background in electronics, production management, and Quality Control from his years in the workforce. Jim enjoys golfing, gardening, and Louisiana State University (LSU) sports.

Jim & Gena have one son, Bradley, who lives in La Mesa, CA with his wife Renée and their daughter, Leyla.

Jim is not one to "sit around the house" so if you see him around the church during the week, he's probably working on a project!


 

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Larry-KeeterLarry KeeterLarry Keeter, Custodian

Larry is originally from San Diego, California. He has 2 grown daughters, Sarah and Sheelah and a teenage son, Jacob. He and his wife, Helen, have been married 17 years and live in Paulden. For 10 years Larry was a commercial tuna fisherman and traveled all over the world. He previously owned a plumbing business for 14 years in Yuma, Arizona prior to moving to the Chino Valley area. So as you can see, Larry is not afraid of hard work.

Larry enjoys playing and coaching softball, loves the outdoors and has been camping and visiting the Prescott area for the past 10 years. We are very happy to have Larry as a part of our church staff.

 

 

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