Our Team

pastorsue​@millplainumc.org

Pastor Sue Ostrom has been at Mill Plain since 2016. She grew up in Pullman, WA, graduating from WSU. She holds a Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH and a Doctor of Ministry from George Fox Evangelical Seminary in Portland, OR. She has served a variety of churches in the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church and is delighted to be at Mill Plain.

“Mill Plain’s passion for hands-on mission and engagement in the community, even during a pandemic, delight me,” she says. “I see God daily in the lives of this congregation, their friendliness to new people and openness to new ideas.”

Sue walks to work each day, enjoys working in her garden, and doing crossword puzzles. She is married to Doug Wood and they share their home with their cats, Marbles and Willie.

preschool​@millplainumc.org

My name is Kathy Dailey, I am the Preschool Director here at Mill Plain United Methodist Preschool. This is my seventh year at MPUMP and my ninth year teaching. I was a parent of the preschool for two years prior to joining the team, I have been truly grateful since. I love what I do here at the preschool and I look forward to coming to work every day. I am a mother of girls, 16 and 12. They are my greatest joy. They keep me very busy. Fortunately we like to do the same things. In our time off from school and work we enjoy traveling, hiking, digging fossils, rockhounding, riding horses and riding four wheelers. One of my most favorite things to do is collect children’s bibles and faith based story books. My oldest daughter and I like to search out small business bookstores in our area and go look for them. God’s plan for me has been a blessing and I look forward to my future.

Chester​@millplainumc.org

How are you, my friends?! I’m so glad to be here at MPUMC. God has taken me all over the west coast it seems. I got to study theology in Pasadena California and in Canby Oregon, but I finally ended up studying Christian Apologetics in Vancouver British Columbia.

As much as I love theology/Apologetics I believe that the gospel is more than just study tool. Its people, its nature and its food.

In my many years of working in churches and youth ministry, I’ve found that yes God is revealed in study, but he is also revealed in a great meal with friends and family as well. I hope we get to study together but I also really hope we can share a plate of tacos too!

It’s great to be here. I’m looking forward to hearing about what Jesus is doing in your life.

secretary@millplainumc.org

Debi Woods is our Executive Administrator/Secretary.

Debi has many years of volunteer leadership with Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. She has had years as a trainer for the Girl Scouts as well. She has also been a Center Director for a surgical center.

She says it has been a blessing to come back to the Methodist church to serve as Church Secretary and brings back memories of her youth where she was very involved in the Methodist church. Debi enjoys many different arts and crafts, including painting, embroidery and paper arts. She shares her home with her Husband Scott, her blue fronted amazon parrot named Louder, and her dog named Lola. You might find Lola at the church office, she is in charge of cute and loves everyone who comes by. Debi also loves spending time with her family and her 9 grandchildren.

frank​@millplainumc.org

Frank grew up in Springfield, Illinois attending church every Sunday. Being an active member of youth groups, he enjoyed talking to the choir director after church but never dreamed he would become a church band leader. Frank says he is grateful for the opportunity to serve God and the church in this role and is confident that it is where God wants him to be.

I believe in the power of music. It can elevate the Pastor’s message and inspire the congregation to feel the presence of God.

Professionally, Frank is musically fluent in jazz, rock, blues, R&B and country. Before relocating to Oregon, he operated a storefront in downtown Springfield where he taught private guitar to adults and children—including those with disabilities. Frank has also worked as an adjunct professor of Jazz Guitar Studies at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois and worked in schools with younger children, as well.  He has shared the stage with many performers including Clark Terry, John Pizzarelli, Asia, POCO,  Bad Company, John Waite and Paul Reed Smith.

Frank is the proud father of four children, the two youngest still in middle and high school. All four enjoy music, and at times have been his greatest teachers, reminding him to keep learning, to see the world through new eyes and to have fun.

krnjuarez8@gmail.com

Karen, born in Kansas, grew up in Albuquerque, NM which she still calls home. Blessed with a musical and Christian home, she has sung and played instruments her whole life. She sang in college choirs, including ensembles like Women’s Sextet and Chamber Singers. She met Jerry in NM, raised 3 boys, and moved to Nebraska where she performed as the Witch in “Into the Woods.” They moved to Texas where she finished her Masters degree. Her teaching career included several fields, beginning and ending with music. She has taken and taught private lessons.

In TX, she sang with the worship choir and was a leader in the Hispanic worship band. She sang with a select choir in Fort Worth. They moved back to NM, to a southern village adjacent to Mexico to teach music. She added Mariachi and other styles there. She led community musical events and launched the “Border Birds” band in the village.

Back to Texas, she retired from teaching music and followed her husband and 7 Portland grandkids up here. She taught music at Cornerstone Christian Academy, sang with Bravo and was an adjunct conductor of Blueprint Ensemble Arts. Having led our choir since June 2022, she loves her role and raves about the warm people at MPUMC. Her message to you today: “Come sing with us. Everyone is welcome!”

Andrea has been at Mill Plain UMC since 2017, accompanying the choir and playing for worship services. For over 25 years Andrea has been a collaborative pianist for numerous choral, instrumental and vocal recitals and competitions across the Northwest.

She holds a Master’s degree in Teaching Music from Portland State University, where she taught class piano and collaborated with the Opera program. Her Bachelor of Arts degree is in Piano Performance from ORU in Tulsa, OK. She has studied classical piano with Donald Ryan, Robert Durso, Mary Kogen, Harold Gray, and jazz piano with Mary Field.

Kat Walsh joined MPUMC in 2022 as the nursery supervisor, but she’s been working with children since 2013 when she joined Big Brothers Big Sisters. She grew up on a cattle farm in the small town of Rainier, Oregon, and moved to Vancouver to work in electronics manufacturing. She has traveled to many countries, graduated as high school valedictorian, earned a B.S. in history from Portland State, and climbed the corporate ladder. Now she’s a stay-at-home mom and has homeschooling in her future plans. Hobbies include reading comic books, cooking, and financial planning.

treasurer​@millplainumc.org

As Treasurer at Mill Plain United Methodist Church, Peter performs the various bookkeeping and accounting functions of the church and assists church leaders in the financial aspects of their callings and positions. He has served in the position since 2016.

Prior to his work with Mill Plain UMC, Peter worked in different accounting and finance positions, primarily in various financial controller positions, until his retirement in 2015.

He earned a degree in Sociology from the University of Arizona and worked with troubled youth for four years before returning to school to pursue an accounting degree.

Having raised five sons and one daughter with his wife, Peter is proud to say they each turned out better than him.

jeremiah​@millplainumc.org

Jeremiah is the Audio/Visual Technician for Mill Plain United Methodist Church and has been with the church since February of 2023 when he moved to Vancouver from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jeremiah has an Audio Engineering Diploma from Milwaukee Area Technical College. He has worked in various live entertainment roles for the Milwaukee IATSE Local Union since 2019 and is currently an AV Tech II at Ilani Casino & Resort in Ridgefield. Personally, Jeremiah is passionate about producing and writing music.