Our Faculty
Meet the
whole team.
The Rev. Dcn. Missie Bonser
Trainer
Deacon Missie joined the Excellence in Leadership community in 2020 as a participant and fell in love with the intent of the ministry and the heart behind it. She brings decades of experience of leadership development of young people through parish ministry and outdoor ministry. She currently serves as the Executive Director for Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp in Colorado.
The Rev. Kimmy Briggs
Trainer
Pastor Kimmy joined Excellence in Leadership as a participant in 2023 and joined the training team in 2026. Pastor Kimmy is ordained in the PC(USA), and after eleven years serving congregations in Georgia and Montana, Kimmy relocated to Wisconsin and is currently serving as an Associate Director of Mission with The Outreach Foundation.
The Rev. Nic Leither
Trainer
Pastor Nic joined EiL as a participant and became a part of the training team in 2024. His focus and passions are in workshop facilitation and retreats. Pastor Nic is ordained in the ELCA and serves a congregation in Denver, Colorado.
The Rev. Kristin Rice
Trainer
Pastor Kristin began her journey with EiL as a pastor serving a congregation in Arizona, along with members of her congregation. She joined the training team in 2024. Pastor Kristin is ordained in the PCUSA and currently serves a congregation in Texarkana, Texas.
The Rev. Lou Blanchard
Trainer
Rev. Lou has been integral in the creation and ongoing training of Excellence in Leadership, as one of primary writers of our curriculum in the beginning of the ministry. Since 2019, when the first cohort was launched, Lou has been a trainer, a member of the Leadership Team, a curriculum writer, and a mentor to many other trainers. Rev. Lou is ordained in the Episcopal Church and has served both as a priest and as the Canon of Transitions for the Episcopal Church in Colorado.
Dana Anderson
Program Manager, Leadership Team
Dana Anderson joined Excellence in Leadership during its inception, serving as the Program Manager throughout the many iterations the ministry has had since 2019. She was a participant in the first cohort of EiL and practices all she has learned on a regular basis
The Rev. Katie Emery
Executive Director
Pastor Katie is a founding trainer in Excellence in Leadership, joining the ministry while it was still being formed in 2018. Since then, she has served as a trainer, a Leadership Team member, the marketing and promotions chair, and since fall of 2023, the Executive Director. Pastor Katie is also and ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, currently serving as the Pastor-in-Charge at an Episcopal Church in Boulder, Colorado.
The Rev. Dcn. Katie Kline
Leadership Team, Trainer
Deacon Katie has been training in Excellence in Leadership since the first cohort launch in 2019, after returning to the USA from Colombia where she and her spouse worked with ELCA Global Mission. Deacon Katie is ordained in the ELCA and lives with her family in Arizona.
The Rev. Peggy Paugh Leuzinger
Leadership Team, Trainer
Pastor Peggy began her journey with EiL as a participant with other members of the Synod staff in the Montana Synod, ELCA, commissioned in 2022. Since then, she has served as a trainer for several cohorts and as a member of the Leadership Team. Pastor Peggy is ordained in the ELCA, having served many congregations in Montana and beyond and in her final call before retirement as the DEM of the Montana Synod.
The Rev. Will Johnson
Trainer, Leadership Team Member
Pastor Will Johnson began his journey with Excellence in Leadership as a participant in the first cohort and has been serving as a trainer in the ministry since 2020. Pastor Will is ordained in the ELCA and serves as a full time pastor in Commerce City, Colorado
The Rev. Sara Wirth
Leadership Team Member, Trainer
Pastor Sara Wirth was a part of the team which created Excellence in Leadership and has been a part of the training team since 2020. Pastor Sara is ordained in the ELCA and serves as the Synod Minister for Transitions and Healthy Congregations in the Rocky Mountain Synod.
The Rev. Mandy Achterberg
Trainer
Pastor Mandy began her journey with Excellence in Leadership as a participant and was commissioned in 2022. In her time with Excellence in Leadership, she has served as the Program Manager, a Leadership Team member, and a trainer. Pastor Mandy is ordained in the ELCA and serves at a congregation with her spouse in Aurora, Colorado.
Becky Near
Trainer
Becky was introduced to EiL when a group from her congregation in Littleton, CO participated together. After being commissioned, she couldn't get enough and joined the training team in 2022.