Meet the Team

The staff of First United Methodist Church of Sarasota is dedicated to bringing people to Christ and serving the community and the congregation through worship, mission, and spiritual support. Each person has his or her own role , but all work together to serve the local church and to honor Christ's Holy Church.

Rev. Brett DeHart

Pastor

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Brett DeHart has pastored United Methodist congregations in North Georgia for 20 years. With a passion for reaching new people, churches he has pastored have launched Messy Church, Recovery Church, and Dinner Church.

Brett was recognized with the Harry Denman Evangelism Award in the North Georgia Conference in 2023. While serving at Austell First UMC, his church won the city’s Business of the Year award for its service during the historic flood in 2009.

Brett has served multiple years as the Advisory Board Chair for Venezuela Now, an organization that has provided millions of dollars of food and medicines distributed through the Methodist Church there.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Florida State University and a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.

Brett and his wife, Candy, were high school sweethearts and have been married for over 30 years and have two children (a clinical dietician and flight instructor).

Michael Stuart

Director of Music/Organist

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Michael, a native Floridian, became the Director of Music /Organist in May 2018. His undergraduate and graduate degrees in organ performance are from Baylor University. He has been the Principal Organist for FUMC, Houston, and Associate Organist/Choirmaster at Peachtree Road UMC, Atlanta.

Michael has often performed with Sarasota and state symphonies and orchestras. With both organ and piano talents, he has often appeared as an organ soloist and has toured the British Isles in concert performances. He delights in meeting new people and spending time with his family and daughter Chloe. Michael, the man of daily unique socks, continues to bring innovations to the music program of First United Methodist Church.

Donna Maynard

Director of Ministries

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Donna, born in Virginia and raised in Tennessee, has a degree in English. After moving to Florida to get her Master’s Degree in Education, she taught high school and junior college English for seventeen years, bypassing administration. She has worked for the University of Michigan in survey research, traveling between Ann Arbor and other states. A leader in Methodist churches and the Florida conference, she became a First Church staff member in January 1999.

Her responsibilities fluctuate with the season but include hospitality, new members/sponsors, writing, editing, assisting with worship, organizing, coordinating, and whatever needs to be done. Donna enjoys exercising, traveling, and meets no stranger.

Julie Miller

Director of Finance

and Administration

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Julie Miller is originally from Iowa. She earned a degree in Accounting and Human Resources from the University of Northern Iowa. Since moving to Sarasota, she worked in Accounting for a large HVAC contractor and most recently payroll for a private Payroll Processing firm. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, beach, shopping and cheering for her favorite team: the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Joyce Johnson

Pastoral Care Assistant/

Faith Community Nurse

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Joyce and late husband David both became active members of the church in 1993 after moving to Florida from Indiana and Illinois. Joyce taught at the University of Evansville (Nursing Program). Joyce became the volunteer Faith Community Nurse in 1993 then the Pastoral Care Assistant in 2003. She connects with and watches over untold members of the church family and others who are ill, whether at home, in the hospital or other facility. With her caring heart and vast knowledge, she makes life, sometimes death, much easier to face. She has also been a chaplain at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. She has four children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Her hobbies are reading, knitting, and certainly people.

Tammy Ralston

Director of Communications

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Laura Ross

Director of Kids and Youth

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Laura was born and raised in Durham, NC. She is a cradle Methodist, raised at Resurrection UMC - now Elizabeth Street UMC.

She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from UNC Pembroke, and a Master’s of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. She has worked for both Methodist and Episcopal churches in Georgia, Missouri, and Tennessee.

Her mom, Sue, lives with her and her two cats - Spanx and Norwich - and they are all loving the Florida weather and large screened in porch at their new home.

Children and Youth ministry are Laura’s two deepest passions and she is excited to help grow the ministry here at First UMC.

Marc Nordstrom

Technology Coordinator

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Candy Bell

Director of Early Care Center

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Candy started her career in our Early Care Center in 1993, working as a toddler and lead teacher until she became the ECC Director in 2020. Her credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and a VPS endorsed Director’s Credential (and a big smile). She says the best part of her job is, “The brightness in the children’s eyes as they see me each day.” Candy is from Indiana where she still visits her family. Her hobbies are reading, antiquing, and watching sports. A member of First UMC, she is a frequent volunteer for many projects.

Maria Mossbarger

ECC Office Manager

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Maria has lived most of her life in Florida, even graduated from Sarasota High School. She began her career with children as a teenager working in the nursery of FUMC and has worked with Early Care (ECC) since 1997. She has been the office manager since 1999. A major portion of her work is the financial ins and outs. She also assists with all aspects of the day-to-day operations. Her passions are the children and connecting with their families. Her vacations are mostly spent traveling and hiking in national parks. Her exercise is walking her two dogs. As a member of First United Methodist Church, Maria also serves in a variety of capacities.

Mike Pepe

Sound Engineer

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Mike is a retired special-ed school administrator from Staten Island, NY. He and his wife Gerri moved to Sarasota in 2021. Mike played bass professionally and worked as a recording engineer in a small commercial production studio in NY. Later he earned a BA in Psychology, an MA in Educational Psychology, and an MS in School Administration and Supervision. He worked for the NYC Department of Education, first as a paraprofessional then as a special-ed teacher. He spent the last 15 years of his career as an assistant principal. He has a passion for wildlife and landscape photography.

Kerry Sanders

Custodian

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Kerry moved from NW Illinois in early 1981 to Palm Beach County, FL, and has been in Sarasota since 2016. He had planned on becoming an elementary school teacher in 1994 and attended Florida Atlantic University. When circumstances in his life changed, he put his teaching on hold and went into property maintenance and security. Kerry enjoys creative and uplifting writing, painting images through words, and making abstract sketches and art using color markers. His house has over 15 tapestries of all sizes and bright colors on the walls – even on the ceiling. He has done 12 years of beach drumming in circles around Florida and worked as a security officer at about 250 concerts over a 7-year period, allowing him to listen to reggae, India instrumentals, Native American flute, and late 60’s and 70’s music.

Shelby Smith

Nursery Attendant

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My name is Shelby Smith, I’m originally from Burlington Vermont. Although after 28 years in sunny Florida, I’m definitely a Florida girl. I have two boys, 21 and 2.

The beach and underwater are my mental therapy. I love most water sports including Scuba diving.

After 20 years of being a professional hair stylist I traded the shears for books and cuddles. I’m finally doing what I’ve always wanted to do, teaching little ones.

Rev. Brett DeHart

Michael Stuart

Donna Maynard

Julie Miller

Joyce Johnson

Tammy Ralston

Laura Ross

Marc Nordstrom

Candy Bell

Maria Mossbarger

Mike Pepe

Kerry Sanders

Shelby Smith

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