Staff

Meet Our Team

Pastor Michael was appointed to The UMC of Danbury in 2023 after serving churches in six different appointments in New York and Connecticut. He is passionate about ministries of justice and inclusion, and enjoys bringing his entrepreneurial experiences and enthusiasm for various pop culture fandoms into ministry.

Before recognizing his call to ministry, Michael worked in business communications, focusing on public relations and branding for financial companies ranging from startups to managing public relations and marketing for two business units of a major international energy company. His nonprofit professional work has included advocacy for homeless and immigrant populations with the Association for Religious Communities (ARC), and working for sexual justice and education in faith communities and in society with the Religious Institute. Other nonprofit work has included the National Black Justice Coalition advocating for African-American LGBT civil rights, plus diverse consulting positions.

Erika Panzarino

Erika Panzarino

Administrative Assistant
Pronouns: she, her, hers
erika@umcdanbury.org

Erika is a long time resident of Somers NY. She has degrees from Adelphi University and Pace University and also serves as the Program Coordinator for the New York Annual Conference Board of Church and Society. She is also a member of the Methodists In New Directions Steering Committee, and loves to sing with the church choir. 

Her hobbies include working at and attending renaissance faires, reading, writing, and attending live theatre. She is a self-professed “church nerd” who loves bible study and learning the history of Methodism. Erika also volunteers with the Somers Historical Society and the Renaissance Catastrophic Emergency Assistance Fund, where she can put her love of spreadsheets and color coding to good use in service to her community.