Kim Wissman, Director
Kim has been at GUMC Preschool since 2002. She became the Preschool Director in 2017 after teaching for 15 years. Having earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Maryland, Kim is also a certified teacher through MSDE. She is a professional member of NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children), and has earned the Maryland Child Care Credential Level 4. Married to her husband Patrick for 38 years, she is the mother of four sons. Kim enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends. In her spare time, you can also find her reading, doing yoga, or watching Netflix with her husband and cat. She is a member of Glenelg United Methodist Church where she enjoys being active in the UMW (United Methodist Women), Bible study, book club and volunteering in VBS. “Miss Kim” considers herself blessed to work at GUMC, where she can live out her passion for the education of young children by nurturing the lifelong joy of learning and the love of God!

Emily Herzing, Administrative Assistant
Emily lives in Sykesville with her husband, Ryan, and their two sons.  She is a graduate of Penn State University, where she earned her BS in Hospitality Management and a minor in Spanish. She spent most of her career working in restaurant and health club management.  She then switched gears and worked as an Administrative Assistant at T. Rowe Price. After the birth of her first son, Emily took on the role of a full time stay-at-home parent.  In 2020, she became the owner of Workout Mamas, where she teaches mommy-and-me fitness classes.  She enjoys spending time outdoors with her boys, traveling, cooking, taking Peloton classes, and entertaining friends and family.  She is thrilled to support the staff and students at GUMC in the office and in the classroom when needed!

Julie Brogan, 3's & Pre-K Assistant Teacher
Julie lives in Woodbine with her husband, Shawn, their three children, Amelia, Kaylee and Mason, and two dogs, Kismet and Finley. They belong to GUMC, where Julie is part of the Fellowship Committee and UMW (United Methodist Women) and an assistant youth leader. She and her family recently purchased a new property to start a small farm where they raise Hereford Cattle.  In her spare time, she spends countless hours on sports fields, spending time with family and friends and volunteering. She also enjoys reading, movies, gardening and working on 4-H projects with her kids. She enjoys being part of the GUMC Preschool Family!

Cindy Coon, Pre-K Teacher
​Cindy lives with her husband Dan. They have two adult children. Danielle lives with her husband in North Carolina, and Bradley lives in Maryland.  She attended Montgomery College where she majored in Handicap Assistance then transferred to University of Maryland where she majored in Therapeutic Recreation. She obtained her 90 hour Early Childhood Certification from Howard County Community College. Cindy has been teaching in day cares and preschools since 1990 and has been at GUMC Preschool since 2002. She considers teaching at GUMC a gift from God. In her spare time, Cindy enjoys taking morning walks, cooking, baking, and taking yoga classes.

Val Rickett, ​2's & 3's Assistant Teacher
Val lives in Frederick with her husband, Jeff, and 2 adorable golden doodles.  She has 2 adult children, Samuel and Amanda; and a very precious grandson, Malaki. She loves her title as Grammy! 
Val earned her BA in Social Work with an Elementary Education Certificate from Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College).  Val  received her 90 Hour Early Childhood Certification from Howard Community College.  She loves working with young children and looks forward to working with the 2’s and 3’s classes this year at GUMC.  Val enjoys fostering the children’s enthusiasm and wonder of all of God’s creation surrounding them.  Val enjoys snuggling with her grandson, walking with her husband and dogs, and spending time with family and friends. 

Mary Stubs, Pre-K Assistant Teacher
Mary lives in Dayton, Maryland with her husband, Mike. They have three daughters. Sage is married and lives in Hawaii with her husband and two young  sons. Shannon lives in Maryland, and Josie attends Towson University. Mary received her 90 Hour Early Childhood Certification from Howard Community College. Mary worked with GUMC Preschool previously as an Assistant Teacher. More recently she has been doing office work for her husband’s business.  Mary loves spending time with her family and traveling.

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Colleen Ryland, Pre-K Teacher
Colleen lives in Dayton, Maryland with her husband, three children, and dog. Colleen attended Loyola University Maryland, where she earned a BA in Elementary Education and minor in Special Education. She went on to earn her Masters Degree in Reading Education from Towson University and worked for Baltimore County Public Schools for over ten years as a classroom teacher, reading specialist and instructional coach. Colleen first joined the GUMC Preschool Community as a parent and was excited for the opportunity to support the school as a substitute teacher during the 2021-2022 school year. She is passionate about early childhood literacy, and believes that preschool should be a fun and engaging first learning experience for ALL children. In her free time, Colleen enjoys trying out new recipes, cheering on her kids from the sidelines, and spending time with family and friends. 

Maureen Simpson, 2's & 3's Teacher
Maureen lives in West Friendship with her husband, three children, and two dogs. Maureen earned a degree in Elementary Education and Special Education from St. Bonaventure University, where she was on their collegiate diving team.  She went on to earn her masters degree in school counseling at Loyola University and worked as a School Counselor in Baltimore County for five years.  Maureen then stayed home to raise her three children.  During the 2020-2021 school year, Maureen substituted at GUMC and earned her 90 hour Early Childhood Certification from Howard County Community College.  Maureen loves working with children, and has a passion for social-emotional learning.  Maureen feels very blessed and excited for this new chapter in her life!  In her spare time, Maureen enjoys walking her dogs, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Maureen also has a passion for fitness, and you may see her running the streets of Western Howard County! 

Amy Story, Music Teacher
Amy lives in Ellicott City with her husband and their three kids, Emma Grace, Judah, and Luke.  She studied music at Christopher Newport University and earned both her Bachelors of Music and Master of Arts in Teaching in Music Education.  Her music degrees have allowed her to do a lot of fun jobs! She’s been a middle school choir director, worked with inner city beginning music students, worked in many facets of church worship, and had her own private piano studio.  But she is probably more excited about this GUMC job than any she has ever had.  This is her very favorite age group to teach, and she loves the preschool music curriculum! When she’s not doing something music related you can find her snuggling with her kids, taking a walk in the woods behind her house, drinking coffee, laughing at her own jokes, and crafting.  ​

Pam Sumpter, 2's & 3's Assistant Teacher
Pam and her husband live in Glenwood.  They have three sons, Tim, Evan and Braedon, and a daughter, Alyssa.  Pam received her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland and taught first grade for many years. She left teaching after eight years to raise her family. In 1995, she moved to Glenwood, and all of her children attended GUMC preschool. After her youngest started kindergarten, Pam returned to work, subbing for the Howard County Public School System. She enjoyed doing that for nine years, but was excited to return to the GUMC family in 2017.  Pam enjoys working with the GUMC children, and the school holds a special place in her heart!

Karen Welsh, Pre-K Assistant Teacher
Karen lives in Eldersburg with her husband Ben, and their four children.  She graduated from Towson University with a BS degree in Business with concentrations in Management and Marketing.  She has worked in a variety of different fields; her favorite positions were working with and helping others.  She stayed at home to raise her children, while volunteering at their schools and Saint Joseph’s Catholic Community Church.  Karen previously worked in the public school system, encouraging and helping students with daily tasks and assignments.  She enjoys watching her daughters perform in the marching band  and cheering for her son at his baseball games.  She also enjoys being with her family, reading books, and hiking/walking on trails.  She is really excited to continue her career at GUMC as an assistant teacher in the Pre-K classroom.

Emily Wofford, 2's and 3's Teacher
Emily lives in Jessup with her husband, Rodney.  They have two grown children, Xavier and Olivia.  Emily earned her BA in American Studies from Marlboro College in Vermont. She was a teaching assistant at Christ Memorial Christian Preschool for four years. Emily then completed the 90 Hour Early Childhood Certification at Howard Community College and taught Pre-K as lead teacher for two years. Emily began working as an assistant teacher at GUMC and has been a lead teacher in the 2’s and 3’s classes since 2017. She also holds a Level Three Maryland Child Care Credential. Emily enjoys traveling to visit family and friends, outdoor walks and playing with her dog, Rocky and Olivia's cat, Milo. She is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia. Emily feels blessed to have the opportunity to teach at GUMC.

Angie Woolverton, 3's and Pre-K Teacher
Angie is thrilled to be returning to GUMC Preschool this year. Angie is beginning her second year at GUMC, but she is not new to the world of preschool education with 12 years of experience. She earned her BA in Sociology, as well as an Early Childhood Education teaching certificate from UMBC. Angie and her husband of 32 years, Michael, live in Columbia with their 3 adult children and 4 rescue cats. Angie and her family are also blessed to have her mom residing with them. 
Angie is a Maryland girl and enjoys reading, listening to music, an excellent cup of coffee, watching YouTube and Netflix shows, spending time with family and friends on their deck and a good crab feast. Angie's love for Monarch Butterflies inspired her to plant a Monarch butterfly garden in 2020. She has her Christmas tree up all year round because she LOVES Christmas. She loves pizza and a good steak. Angie and her family currently attend Bridgeway Community Church.  One of Angie's favorite quotes is by Scott Hayden:
"Teachers have three loves:  love of learning, love of learners, and bringing the first two loves together."