Monroe Street UMC Staff
Rev. Karen M. Shepler has been the pastor at Monroe Street since 2001 and has been a member of the West Ohio Annual Conference since 1982. She has served the Victory and St. Paul churches in Dayton, was the Director of Church and Community Ministries in the Dayton Districts, and the Urban Ministry Director in the Columbus Districts. From 1999 - 2001, Pastor Karen was the Chaplain and Administrator of Refugio Del Rio Grande in San Benito, TX and was the Director of the VIM Medical Clinic in Nuevo Progreso, Texas. She has taught extensively in Schools of Mission across the country and has served on the North Central Jurisdictional Urban Network, West Ohio Conference Commission on Religion and Race, Board of Congregational and Community Development and its Hispanic/Latino Task Force.
Dena Clark is our part time administrative secretary who just began working for us in February. She is a member of Monroe Street church and sings in the Wesleyan Chorus. She also works part time at the Monroe County Humane Society Shelter and is taking courses in order to apply for acceptance into a Vet Tech program.
Tessie Studer has been the Building Superintendent at Monroe Street since December, 2003. Prior to that she was employed by State Aerial Farm Statistics for 12 years., and more recently by Washington Local Schools for 13 years. While employed there, she attended the Ballard School of Steam Engineers and obtained a Boiler Operator's License, which she has held since 1992. This makes her invaluable here at Monroe Street, tending to and maintaining the boiler as well as the rest of the building. Tessie has three grown children, 4 grandchildren and a husband of 30 years. She loves motorcycling and says that this is the most challenging job she has ever had other than being a mom.
Joseph Zielinski has been our Church administrator since January, 2007. Although not a Toledo native, he has lived in the city since moving to Toledo from Cleveland in 1980. Joe has been an adjunct instructor at Owens Community College since 1995. His business career has included work with Fortune 500 companies, home-based businesses and everything in between. For over twenty years he has been advising and training leaders of owner-managed businesses, especially start ups and early stage companies. His involvement in non-profit activities includes Parents for Public Schools, Friends of the Library, Multi-Faith Council and leadership roles in his own church.
