Staff
A list of staff members at FUMC, along with their office phone numbers, email addresses and brief biographies.
Author: First Church Published: January 5th, 2013
Rev. Donna Pritchard
dpritchard@fumcpdx.org
Senior Minister
503/228-3195 ext. 226
Rev. Jeremy Smith
jsmith@fumcpdx.org
Minister of Discipleship
503/228-3195 ext. 224
Rev. Dick Storment
dstorment@fumcpdx.org
Minister of Pastoral Care
503/228-3195 ext. 233
Megan Jones
mjones@fumcpdx.org
Director of Child, Youth & Family Ministries
503/228-3195 et.227
Jonas Nordwall
jnordwall@fumcpdx.org
Artistic Director of Music and Organist
503/228-3195 ext. 218
Kelly Qualls
kqualls@fumcpdx.org
Executive Director of Music
503/228-3195 ext. 235
Mark Ohlson
mohlson@fumcpdx.org
Coordinator of Volunteers, Hospitality, and Outreach
503/228-3195 ext. 220
Christine Meyer
cmeyer@fumcpdx.org
Church Administrator
503/228-3195 ext. 222
David Jenkins
djenkins@fumcpdx.org
Administrative Assistant
503/228-3195 ext. 221
Dwight Dragoo
ddragoo@fumcpdx.org
Facilities Manager
503/228-3195 ext. 205
Shirley Blalock
sblalock@fumcpdx.org
Bookkeeper
503/228-3195 ext. 225
Category Staff |
Author: First Church Published: December 31st, 2012
Shirley Blalock, First Church bookkeeper, has shared her considerable skills with First Church for over 12 years and is retiring from her position. She has been our dependable, exacting, and pleasant “money-keeper.” We will be honoring Shirley for her many years of service on Sunday, January 6, 2013 during Coffee Hour in Collins Hall. If you would like to leave a card and/or a monetary gift expressing your appreciation for Shirley’s many years of dedicated service, drop it by the church office.
Shirley has always gone above her normal duties and has been an integral part of our church office. “Shirley will be missed after she retires. She has always been an asset on the church staff and was always flexible and knowledgeable in her job,” says Christine Meyer, Church Administrator. Many will miss Shirley’s smile and pleasant greeting in the office, but she will be among us, worshipping and participating in the service opportunities at First Church. Shirley was elected as the Treasurer of UMW this past year and will continue to participate and serve. We are so pleased that we can have this opportunity on January 6th to formally thank her for a job well done!
Category Congregational Life, Staff |
Author: web manager Published: March 7th, 2012
Christine Meyer has been at First UMC for almost six years. As the Church Administrator she is responsible for the day to day operations of the church facilities and oversees approximately seven employees, including the church custodial staff, facilities manager, administrative assistant and the church bookkeeper.
The Trustees appreciate her skills at managing our “bricks and mortar.” Over fifty community groups reap the benefit of our outreach into local ministries by using our facilities. We have a community group using our building every day of the week, including our Goose Hollow Shelter for families, Youngset Preschool, the bridge club, language schools, twelve step programs, and many more.
Christine has been working for the non-profit community for over 20 years and last served the Oregon Historical Society prior to coming to work for First UMC. She is a member of the local chapter of the National Association of Church Business Administrators and has helped us to keep current with our employee practices.
Her favorite part of her job is the people of the church that she works for. If she could change anything it would be to solidify First UMC’s funding so as to ensure that our many missions have a solid foundation.
Christine hails from the other Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is thrilled to be a part of First Church. She is engaged to be married in May. If you do not know Christine, stop by the office during the week to say “Hi” and offer her your congratulations on the upcoming nuptials.
Category Staff, Staff-Parish Relations Committee |
Author: First Church Published: February 8th, 2012
Kelly Qualls has been our Executive Director of Music for the past eight years. She was born in Kansas, but has called the Portland area her home since 1982 which is when she joined First UMC and began singing in the Chancel Choir. Kelly taught elementary, middle school and high school general music, choral music, band, remedial reading and math for 28 years in various schools in both Washington and Oregon.
Kelly is very proud of the music program at First Church and strives to keep it one of excellence in all areas. She supervises the musicians that comprise our music staff. The musicians range in age from three-year-olds (Cherub Choir) up through octagenerians in the Chancel Choir. She schedules when each of the music groups and soloists sing or play in the worship services.
Additionally, Kelly takes care of the music budgets (music purchases for each of the choirs, payroll, having pianos tuned and organs repaired), sits on a committee to interview and audition candidates for music staff positions, administers the Nordwall Education Program, and contracts with musicians to play at special times such as Easter or weddings or memorial sevices. She coordinates with the Senior Pastor and other program and administrative staff regularly.
Kelly is married to David Qualls, a retired optometrist. They make their home in Gresham.
Category Staff, Staff-Parish Relations Committee |
Author: First Church Published: July 1st, 2011
Rev. Donna Pritchard
dpritchard@fumcpdx.org
Senior Minister
503/228-3195 ext. 226
Immediately prior to coming to First Church as our senior pastor, Rev. Donna Pritchard served as Assistant to the Bishop for the Southern District and as the Dean of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference Cabinet.
She is an ordained Elder and full member of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference, who has served in a variety of roles and settings throughout her ministry.
Prior to being on the Cabinet, Donna was the pastor of churches in Albany, Silverton, Mountain Home, Newberg, and Cave Junction/Wilderville. She has also served the church at both the general and jurisdictional level, being elected as the clergy delegate to the 2008 General Conference and serving as a member of the General Commission on General Conference. Donna is also the Chair of the Western Jurisdiction Leadership Team and a member of the Mission Cabinet for the region.
Donna graduated from Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. She has two adult daughters.
Category Staff |
