First United Methodist Church of Germantown
SERVING GERMANTOWN SINCE 1796
Meet the Staff
Alisa Lasater Wailoo | Senior Pastor
Alisa, an ordained elder in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, served as Lead Pastor at Capitol Hill UMC in Washington DC for 13 years. She’s previously served as the Protestant Chaplain at Georgetown Law Center, and Minister of Local Missions and Young Adults at Myers Park UMC. An On-call Chaplain for the US House of Representatives, she offers prayer to Congress regularly. She is equally passionate about sharing prayer with unhoused neighbors living on the street and working together for affordable housing. A graduate of Duke Divinity School and the University of Kansas, she loves God, first, and, then, college basketball.
Stephen Heilakka | Interim Pastor of Spiritual Connection
Rev. Stephan M. Heilakka serves as Interim Pastor of Spiritual Connection at FUMCOG, where he supports worship, small groups, and communal prayer. A graduate of Duke Divinity School, Steph served as a pastor for over a decade before continuing his ministry as a therapist, director of a halfway house, and educational consultant to at-risk youth. He is also the founding pastor of Sacred Paths Community, a gathering for those healing from harm within faith communities. His ordination was reinstated in 2025, and he continues to maintain a clinical practice specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder.
Michael Yancey | Office Manager
Michael Yancey began his employment at FUMCOG on September 5, 2020 but he has been a member of the choir since 2014 while attending Chestnut Hill college. His background includes 3 years at the United Methodist conference level as the East District Resource Assistant. He goes by either his first or last nam and enjoys theatre, Marvel, and mysteries
Tamia Walker serves as Coordinator of Community Engagement and as the pastor’s assistant. Originally from New Jersey, she is currently pursuing a degree in Social Work and feels called to support others through compassion and connection. She leads community events, coordinates partnerships such as POWER and HealYourLove, and helps connect neighbors with resources through city services and nonprofit partners, while also supporting Pastor Alisa in weekly ministry. Tamia values the opportunity to build meaningful relationships and grow in her calling to serve others.
Nikki Kleinberg | Deacon of Pastoral Care
Rev. Nikki Kleinberg serves as Deacon of Pastoral Care, offering compassionate spiritual support to members and friends of the FUMCOG community. A board-certified hospital chaplain, she currently serves at CHOP and in various community settings, including local schools and arts organizations. Nikki has long shared her gifts through All Saints services and Longest Night vigils. In partnership with Pastor Alisa, she now provides regular pastoral care visits for those who are homebound, ill, grieving, or navigating difficult seasons, helping others experience connection, comfort, and care.
Adrianna Barnett | Director of Music
Adrianna Barnett joins us with a rich background in music leadership and a lifelong dedication to sacred music. Originally from New Jersey, she most recently served as Music Director at a UCC church and is a graduate of Westminster Choir College, where she studied choral conducting and organ performance. A versatile musician, Adrianna’s expertise spans spirituals, gospel, and classical traditions, and she’s also an accomplished pianist, organist, and former handbell choir director. She brings a creative, compassionate approach to music ministry, believing in its power to inspire, heal, and unite communities. Adrianna looks forward to building on our church’s mission of justice and joy, using music to deepen worship and outreach.
Jodi Acker Bohr | Musician
Jodi Bohr’s primary job, other than being a mother and grandmother, is teaching music to students in grades 3 through 5 at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, where she has taught since September 1992. In addition to this, she has served as the organist and interim music director at First United Methodist Church of Germantown since August 2019, and she has accompanied the Philadelphia Girls Choir since 2012.