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Betty Cochran, Administrative Assistant 
Betty is administrative assistant in the Paradise Valley United Methodist
Church office. She works closely with the Senior Pastor and all aspects of the
church's lay ministry. Betty has worked at the church since 1988, and can field
any question ably and with a smile.
When she's not at her desk, Betty enjoys traveling with her husband, Dale, to
visit their children and four grandchildren.
Quint Harris, Music Ministries Director
Quint Harris holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of
Mississippi and a Master of Music Education from the University of Alabama. He
has been teaching in the public schools for 12 years in both Alabama and
Mississippi. Quint has been directing music ministry in the United Methodist
Church for 10 years as well as being an active member of First United Methodist
in Tupelo Mississippi. Quint is a current member of American Choral Directors
Association (ACDA) and The National Association for Music Education (MENC). He
is Level 1 Orff certified as well as certified by NAMM/GAMMA to teach guitar.
Quint and his wife, Paige, have three children, Colin, age 6; Sarah Beth, age 3
and Nathan, age 1. Quint enjoys playing golf and most other sporting activities
as well as spending time with his family.
John Kouns, Youth Director
John joined our staff as the Director of Youth Ministries in the spring of
2004. Prior to becoming full-time lay staff, John was a volunteer adult youth
worker at PVUMC.
John holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of South Carolina with a
minor in Cultural Religion. He is excited about his call of full-time ministry
after working in telecommunications for several years and is currently
exploring the possibility of a Master’s degree in counseling and ordination
within the United Methodist Church. John is also involved with several other
organizations and mission outreach opportunities, including our very own Open
Table.
In his free time, John and his wife Kathrine, a high school choral director,
enjoy music, sailing, camping, playing with their dogs, and hanging out with
teenagers.
Karen McFarland, Lay Ministries Administrator
Karen has been on staff at Paradise Valley United Methodist Church since 1995.
Previously, she worked for four years at St. Luke’s UMC in Indianapolis. Karen
is the staff member who guides the Lay Ministry Team, Welcoming, New Members
and Nominations. Karen is also the Lay Leader for the Central East District
working with Rev. Sharon Ragland, District Superintendent. In her role she
attends many district church conferences and works with individual church lay
leaders throughout the district. By virtue of her position as Central East
District Lay Leader she is also a member of the Conference Covenant Council and
may attend many other committees. "I’m following my passion by being a
part of the Conference’s New Faith Ministry Team and the Faith Team as my
schedule permits. I’m grateful to be able to share ministry from Paradise
Valley United Methodist Church, realizing that my first priority is with our
church."
Karen and her husband enjoy movies, dining out, travel and visiting with their
three adult children.
Mickey Price, Church Administrator
Mickey, our Church Administrator, has a Bachelor of Business in Accountancy and
Information Science from Western Illinois University, as well as an MBA from
the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. He joined the
Paradise Valley United Methodist Church staff in August of 2002, bringing with
him 25 years of accounting and management experience. He oversees day-to-day
operations of the administrative staff and our church property and works
closely with the Trustees and Finance Ministry team.
Father of 2 college students, Mickey enjoys his volunteer work with Boy
Scouts and PTA.
Mindy Sobraske, Preschool Director
Known as "Teacher Mindy," Mindy is director of the Paradise Valley
United Methodist Church Preschool. She has taught
at the school since 1986 and has also taught parenting classes through various
community organizations. Mindy holds a B.A. in Education and Special Education
and has done graduate work toward a Master's Degree in Elementary Education,
including work in Family Studies and Child Development. Since 1978, Mindy has
been certified by the Arizona State Department of Education in Elementary and
Special Education. Since 1992, she has been a validator for the National
Academy of Early Childhood Programs and National Association for the Education
of Young Children.
When Mindy is not teaching young children, she enjoys working with the National
Charity League, gardening, reading, biking, doing needlepoint or working with
her Arabian horses.
Wally Athey, Communications Director
Most recently Wally served as the Associate Executive Director at Wesley Community Center in Phoenix.
Prior to his position at Wesley, Wally was the Director of Communications for the Desert Southwest
Conference. While there he wrote, edited, photographed, and did the layout for the conference newsletter
and other publications. A certified "Igniting Ministry" trainer, Wally teaches on Welcoming, Inviting,
Evangelizing, and Marketing.
A graduate of the University of Houston, Wally began his nearly 30 year broadcast news career at
KHOU-TV (CBS) as a news photographer. He worked for KPNX-TV (NBC) for 16 years and as News
Operations Manager at KSAZ-TV (FOX).
Wally is married to Associate Pastor Kathleen Athey. Daughter, Susan, and son-in-law, Dave Weedman,
and their three children complete the immediate family.
Tawn Watkins, Caring Ministries Director
Tawn is certified as a Stephen Ministry Leader and is the staff member who
guides Caring Ministries at Paradise Valley
United Methodist Church. Tawn works with volunteers, staff and pastors to
ensure that members of the Paradise Valley United Methodist Church community
are cared for as needs arise. She has worked at our church since 1990 in a
variety of capacities.
Tawn has a general business background and has completed continuing education
in the areas of Stephen Ministry, Grief and Bereavement care. In her free time,
she enjoys hiking and other outdoor activities, as well as travel and reading.
Matthew Bogart, Organist/Assistant Director of Music
Matthew holds Bachelor Degrees in Pipe Organ Performance and Music Education from the University of Michigan. He also earned a Master of Pipe Organ Performance from Arizona State University
where he studied with Kimberly Marshall. As a third-generation musician, Matthew began playing for church services as a child and has given a life-long dedication to the Christian faith
through music-ministries. Matthew also aims to add spiritually-driven creativity to all worship with his formal studies in music improvisation and composition.
When away from PVUMC, Matthew runs a private teaching studio for organ, piano and strings. He is an avid runner and enjoys working on his 1920’s historic home in the Willo District of downtown Phoenix.
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