Nicki Taylor serves as Pastor of Seminole Heights United Methodist.  Born in Kentucky, she and her husband (Travis) moved to Florida after graduating college.  They spent a brief year closer to home, but are excited to be returning to the Florida Conference and living and serving in Tampa.  Pastor Nicki is an ordained Elder in the Florida Conference, having previously served churches in Tampa, Lakeland and Boonville Indiana.  She and her husband have one son, Wyatt and two dogs, and live in Seminole Heights.

Christine Messer has been working for our church since 2000 as the Treasurer and since 2004 as the Preschool Director. She retired as Preschool Director at the end of December 2021. A lifelong Christian, wife, mother of two amazing daughters, a former registered nurse, and a local, county and state level PTA  leader and trainer, she has always been a strong advocate for children and their parents. One of her favorite Bible verses is Romans 15:13 which reads "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." 

Waleska Morales has over 22 years of experience working with young children. A graduate of the University of Puerto Rico with a BA in Science in Biology and a Minor in Microbiology, she spent 7 years working as a professor teaching Microbiology, Genetics, and Physiology in Puerto Rico before she moved to Tampa in 2001 and began her career in Early Childhood Education. In 2010, she came to Seminole Heights United Methodist Preschool (SHUMPS) as a two-year-old teacher and in 2012 was promoted to Assistant Director of SHUMPS. She was promoted to Director of the Preschool in 2023.

Waleska has been married to her husband Hamilton since 1995 and has two adult boys and one teenage daughter. Waleska says, "I’m thankful that I get to be a part of children’s lives and their first step in learning. I am blessed beyond measure to be given this opportunity to serve SHUMPS’s children and families."

As a native Floridian, Brianna was raised in Plant City, Florida, but now resides in Brandon, Florida. She has a Bachelors degree from Florida Southern College and an Associate Degree from Hillsborough Community College both in Religious Studies. She began in ministry working with children as a childcare worker at First United Methodist Church of Lakeland. She also completed an adult ministry internship with a concentration in young adults and college students at First UMC Lakeland. While she is dedicated to and passionate about ministry she also enjoys spending time with her friends and family members. 

​Susan Harwood is a native of Kentucky and studied Piano Pedagogy and Performance under Carolyn Spitler of The Cincinnati Music Conservatory and Theatre and Vocal Performance under Glory Kissel Heyde. She has worked as Worship Director for many churches in Kentucky and Indiana as well as a guest interim in The West Midlands Methodist Circuit in The United Kingdom. Susan also accompanies opera singers in the Tampa Bay area and has been teaching piano and voice going on 20 years.

She is the daughter of a United States Naval Officer, U.C.C. Pastor and Ky Colonel and a Daughter of the American Revolution Tampa Chapter. In her free time Susan enjoys classical music, reading, culinary arts and theological studies.