Leadership Development Team
As the Director of Leadership Development, Reverend Shannon Stringer draws on more than 25 combined years of leading in education, ministry and staff supervision. Shannon’s personal educational background includes a Master’s in American Government with an emphasis in Constitutional Law and a Masters of Divinity and Ordination in the United Methodist Church. As an educator Shannon was awarded the US Congressional Recognition of Excellence in Education, the Coaching Excellence Award from SCORE, Coach of the Year two different years from the Fontana, CA Chamber. In her pastoral ministry, Shannon served three churches before moving to conference staff. She currently lives in Indianapolis with her husband, Dave, and their two dogs.
Emily Krach is a part of the Leadership Development team, specifically working with emerging leaders. This also includes working closely with adults who support young people.She is a veteran youth leader with a passion for empowering and developing leaders of all ages for the sake of the next generation of the church. She attended Huntington University for her undergrad in Youth Ministry and Indiana Wesleyan University for her Masters in Organizational Leadership. Currently, she is also a mentor for young professional women through the Edge Mentoring program. Emily has been a part of the United Methodist Church all her life and is a native Hoosier now residing in Fort Wayne where she can have her nieces and nephews in her home regularly. She finds great joy in walking her dog (Bear), exploring parks, and sitting near a body of water.
Britt Leslie is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church with about 10 years of pastoral experience, having served in urban and rural congregations. He does not currently serve in a local congregation, but spends his time teaching in adult education. He has a PhD in New Testament, a ThM in bible, a Masters in Theology and a Masters in Divinity. He has taught at Manchester University in North Manchester, IN; at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH; and at South University’s Online Doctor of Ministry program. He has been teaching Bible courses in Course of Study at United Theological Seminary, Methodist School of Theology in Ohio, and the Indiana Extension COS since 2011. He is also the director of Local Pastor Education for the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church since 2018. He lives in Lafayette, IN with his wife, who serves as Sr. Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, and their dog.
Luska came to the United States from Brazil in 1988 with her family. Since that time, she has volunteered at a large number of churches as a music librarian, drama ministry leader, Hispanic ministry church planter and interpreter. She has also taught Sunday school classes to high schoolers, college agers, and women.
Luska has three sons, Thiago, Andre, and Lukas, as well as 10 grandsons. Her daughters-in-love add the right measure of sweetness to the mix of energy and craziness that comes from having a family of 13 guys.
From a very young age, Luska developed an interest and love for foreign languages and cultures, and she is fluent in English, Portuguese (native tongue) and Spanish, with the ability to interpret and translate. She is a member of the American Translators Association (ATA). She has a Bachelor’s and Master ’s degrees in Business Management from Indiana Wesleyan University, and an Education Specialist degree (EdS) from Liberty University. She also completed all the coursework for a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership at Liberty University (dissertation not completed).
Luska enjoys time with family, taking pictures, traveling, writing devotionals, editing, dining out, going to the movies, volunteering, mentoring, teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), networking, knowledge-sharing, writing letters with confetti in them, and teaching her grandchildren about Jesus.
Luska has three sons, Thiago, Andre, and Lukas, as well as 10 grandsons. Her daughters-in-love add the right measure of sweetness to the mix of energy and craziness that comes from having a family of 13 guys.
From a very young age, Luska developed an interest and love for foreign languages and cultures, and she is fluent in English, Portuguese (native tongue) and Spanish, with the ability to interpret and translate. She is a member of the American Translators Association (ATA). She has a Bachelor’s and Master ’s degrees in Business Management from Indiana Wesleyan University, and an Education Specialist degree (EdS) from Liberty University. She also completed all the coursework for a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership at Liberty University (dissertation not completed).
Luska enjoys time with family, taking pictures, traveling, writing devotionals, editing, dining out, going to the movies, volunteering, mentoring, teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), networking, knowledge-sharing, writing letters with confetti in them, and teaching her grandchildren about Jesus.
Michele Phillips is the Associate Director of Leadership Development Ministerial Services. She was born and raised in Indiana and has been a United Methodist from birth. The UMC is where she developed her love for serving God and serving others. Michele graduated from Ball State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Home Economics and brings over 30 years’ experience working in administration and management. She has spent over 20 years working and volunteering in the local church. Michele is a mother of two adult daughters, Mackenzie and Aliza, two grand dogs (Lulu and Tessie) and is soon to be a grandmother. She resides in Fort Wayne with her husband and enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, volunteering at the theatre and spending time outside during the summer months. She has a passion for Health and Wellness and has obtained her certification as a Health and Nutrition Coach which she uses to coach others so that they may live their healthiest life.
Emma Bennett serves as the new intern for the Children Matter Most initiative. She is a senior at Indiana University studying Accounting, Finance, and Law/Ethics. Originally from New Jersey, Emma will be moving out to Chicago in the summer of 2022. Currently Emma volunteers at the Middleway House. Working with children has always been a passion of hers, which is part of why she is so excited to join this team. She look forward to helping with the various goals and initiatives of CMM and hopes to make an impact throughout her time here.
Nick Yarde has a deep connection to the Camping Ministry. It was at Junior High camp that he solidified his faith. While finishing his Master’s degree in Natural Resources Agency Management at Purdue University, Nick served as a youth pastor at Battleground UMC. After brief stays at Lincoln and Turkey Run State Park, Nick returned to full-time ministry as the Director/Manager of Camp Rivervale. Prior to becoming the Association Director of Camp in the North Indiana Conference, Nick and his family were hosted at Camp Indicoso and Camp Lakewood. Currently, Nick serves as the Associate Director of Camps and Retreats Ministries. His wife, Nanette, has served along of him in each role at the various UMC camps while raising their three children.
Before joining the Leadership Development team, Joel Troxell graduated from Tri State (now Trine) University with a double major in Criminal Justice and Psychology. He worked for over 15 years in social services, doing everything from juvenile residential treatment, case management, program administration, information and analysis, and senior-level organizational management. After feeling a call to pastoral ministry, Joel served via Pulpit Supply and as a Licensed Local Pastor for 6 years. He worked to encourage parishioners to connect and commit more deeply to Jesus Christ through Christian spiritual formation and contemplative spirituality. He is married to Ember Troxell, a licensed mental health counselor, and between the two of them they have seven children and three grandchildren.
Katie Starks, M.T.S. joins the IN UMC from the IU School of Medicine where she was an administrative assistant and event planner.
She has a professional background in event management and a Masters of Theological Studies (’17) in Biblical Studies and Languages from Perkins School of Theology at SMU in Dallas, Texas. Her research interests include the Apostle Paul, the Pauline tree, as well as pre-rabbinical interpretations of the Torah.
Prior to graduate school, she worked with undergraduate students at IUPUI in the Center for Research and Learning. She worked to further their research interests and opportunities in addition to planning
campus wide and university wide research events. She believes in doing research at all levels.
Katie lives in Avon, Indiana and loves to travel in her personal life. She attends Calvary UMC in Brownsburg and has a rabbit named Lola.