Staff & Council
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Pastor Carolyn sellers Rizzo
Pastor Carolyn has been with Kingo for 7 years now, and she enjoys serving the Kingo community because Kingo is curious about where the Holy Spirit is moving us. Grounded in a faith that is rooted to Christ’s grace, Kingo celebrates the diversity of God’s people and gifts. Pastor Carolyn graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before working as a violinist-teacher and graphic designer. She attended Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Pastor Carolyn is married to her wife Char. Together, they enjoy gardening, kayaking, and walking the shoreline of Lake Michigan. They live with an adopted rescue cat named Luna who has graciously accepted them as her staff.
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Nate Irvine
Parish Administrator
Nate, our newest staff member, began working at Kingo in October of 2022! Nate and his wife have been married for 12 years, and they have a 5 year old son named Judah. Nate really loves making and playing music (he's mostly a drummer!), sports (Cubs and Bucks mainly; strange, he knows), rock climbing, theology and church stuff, and really good food. His family attends St. Luke’s Episcopal church in Bay View. He has a BA in Biblical Studies from Trinity International University (Deerfield, IL), and an MA in Christian Ministry from North Park Theological Seminary (Chicago, IL). He was born in Canada, but has spent most of his life in Chicago. Previous to Kingo, he spent 15 years doing ministry in The Salvation Army.
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Allison Grassel
Creative communications storyteller
Allison began working at Kingo in August of 2022 after moving to Milwaukee from De Pere, Wisconsin. Her favorite part of her position is getting to present Kingo's mission and beliefs in a fun, creative way, as well as getting to know the Kingo Community! Allison is currently working towards her Master's degree at Marquette University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and she hopes to be a Mental Health Counselor when she graduates in Spring of 2024. During her free time, Allison enjoys reading, thrifting, hiking, and trying out new restaurants!
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jonathon Gideon
minister of music
Jonathon started at Kingo in August 2017 while still a student at Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon. He has since graduated with a BA in music, minoring in theater. Jonathon lives in Franklin with his wife, Jen, and their dog, Sadie. He loves sports and has an extensive bobblehead collection. In addition to his work at Kingo, Jonathon works in the Milwaukee area as an actor, singer, music director, and composer. He has worked with First Stage, Renaissance Theaterworks, Milwaukee Entertainment Group, and Kohl's Wild Theater, as well as other various theater companies and schools in the area. Jonathon can also be seen as a game show host at Game Show Battle Rooms in Brookfield. For information on upcoming shows and projects, visit jonathongideon.com.
For Music: E-mail Jonathon -
Maria Koester
pianist and Organist
We are incredibly blessed by Maria's talents at accompanying congregational music. Whether it's a jazz piece, a traditional African hymn, a Latin processional song, or any of a host of other musical styles, Maria makes our church's song better.
She and her husband, Tom, have been longtime residents of the Shorewood community. (You may have even seen the familiar sight of them walking their dog, Ruby.)
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Susan McCormick
Financial administrator
Susan has been with Kingo for almost a year and a half. What she enjoys most about being Kingo's Financial Administrator is working with and getting to know many different individuals. During her free time, Susan loves to spend time with her family. She is also an avid gardener, and she admits that she is often what people would classify as a “Crazy Cat Lady”!
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Jim Hooten
MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN
Jim’s world is filled with gratitude and care for God’s creation. Recently retired from
full-time employment, Jim brings a long history of caring for places to Kingo. Whether volunteering with the Caledonia Conservancy or the Dept. of Natural Resources, building and repairing America’s beautiful spaces with the Sierra Club, or completing his Master Gardener certification, Jim is a Mr. Fix It with a natural curiosity about how things work.
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Congregational Council
2021-2022
President: Dennis Larsen
President Elect: Kerry Ammann
Secretary: Becca Herbert-Morrison
Members-at-Large:
Melissa McCorkle
Isabella Busby
Rick Cole
Pam Wronski