Pastoral Staff
The Rev. Dr. Kathi I. Johnson
Senior Pastor
Since 2018, Pastor Kathi’s primary ministry has been curating Zion’s worship life – both in person and online. Her artistic and detailed approach helps the local and national community that is Zion find beauty and meaning in worship. She also guides Zion’s social media presence and has worked with our Stephen Ministers. After serving as Associate Pastor for five years, in December 2023, Pr. Kathi began serving as Senior Pastor of Zion.
Pastor Kathi completed her undergraduate degree in Church Music with an emphasis in choral conducting and a Certificate of Secondary Education at Concordia University in Austin. She studied at the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest in Austin, finishing her Master of Divinity Degree at the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in 2010. Pr. Kathi completed a year of pastoral internship at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Killeen, Texas. Her first call was to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Grand Prairie, Texas. In 2020, Pastor Kathi finished her Doctor of Ministry in Preaching through the ACTS program in Chicago. Pastor Kathi enjoys baking, writing, walking, and yoga. You can contact Pastor Kathi at kjohnson@zionsa.org.
The Rev. Dan Heim
Associate Pastor for Youth and Family Faith Formation
Pastor Dan joined Zion in August 2018 and coordinates youth and family ministries, focusing on family-based faith formation and inter-generational ministries. He believes growing in our faith life is a whole family adventure involving parents and children and the whole church working together. As he works with our children and youth, he wants them to have not only basic knowledge of God’s story, but “hands on” experiences of life with God and others.
He is a 2005 graduate of Wheaton (Illinois) College and worked for five years in politics and journalism in Washington, D.C. After graduating from Duke Divinity School in 2014, he served his intern/vicar year at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Vancouver, Washington; completed his Lutheran studies at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago; and served his first call at Faith Lutheran Church in North Lakewood, Washington. Pastor Dan grew up in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, and lives in San Antonio with his wife Jennifer and daughters Miriam and Naomi. In his free time, he enjoys exploring San Antonio’s neighborhoods and greenways with his family, playing softball and soccer, watching/attending sporting events, reading history and nonfiction, and playing board and card games.
The Rev. Eileen Spehr
Visitation Pastor
Pastor Eileen joined the staff of Zion in 2024, serving as our Visitation Pastor. In this role, she visits those who are mostly homebound, occasionally also making hospital visits.
Pastor Eileen and husband Paul joined Zion as members in 2023 after she retired from full-time ministry. In addition to her work as Visitation Pastor, she serves as a reader in worship and leads a couple of midweek Bible studies.
Program Staff
Rob Mikulski
Director of Music Ministries
Rob Mikulski began playing the piano at age 7 and started working in music ministry at age 16. He did his undergraduate work at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago with an emphasis in organ and education. His graduate and postgraduate work was done at the University of Illinois in Urbana with an emphasis in conducting. In addition to working in the church, Rob spent eleven years as a pit musician and conductor on Broadway in New York City.
Rob became Director of Music for Zion in 2009. His passion is to help worshipers experience God’s presence through music and liturgy. While serving as our principal musician, he also directs multiple choirs, works with Pastor Kathi Johnson in planning our worship life, and serves as the music director for the Zion Theatre Group.
Under Rob’s direction, Zion’s Chancel Choir has sung Evening Prayer at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Memorial Church in Berlin, Germany as well as Mass at the Vatican in Rome, Italy.
Sammy Mikulski
Director of Zion Theatre Group (ZTG)
Sammy Mikulski – has directed over 60 productions and has taught musical theater in public schools, performing arts centers, and at Indiana State University. While living on the East Coast, Sammy and her husband co-founded a performing arts school which developed the talents of many performers helping students land roles in film, TV, and on Broadway.
As a performer, Sammy has played such roles as the narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Rhetta in Pump Boys and Dinettes, Oolie/Donna in City of Angels (Best actress Award – Excellence in Theater Foundation), Florence in Chess, Paula in The Goodbye Girl, Broadway on Broadway and New York’s City Center.
Sammy has served as Director of Zion Theatre Group since its founding in 2010. ZTG is a program that welcomes all people to come and explore their artistic side. While her goal is always to put on high-quality productions for the public, her higher goal is to help people grow as individuals and build genuine, welcoming community through theatre.
Support Staff
Suzie Wyatt
Administrator
Suzie joined the Zion staff in 1989, and during that time, she has seen Zion grow from a small, rural church to a vibrant, active church now in the suburbs. She is thankful to have been a part of the growth and changes through the years. Before coming to Zion, she worked for the County Auditor for 10 years.
She works diligently to coordinate all records and finances for Zion and oversees the office and property management. She enjoys this part of her job, but her favorite part is the people. She has met and made so many friends through the years; and is glad anytime she can be of help.
Suzie has two married sons and four grandchildren and enjoys nothing more than spending time with them or going to their activities. And when not doing that, she is happy to spend time at home catching an episode or two of Law & Order or watching the Spurs.
Julie Rode-Hickey
Publications
Julie works in Zion’s front office on our Publications. She generates our weekly worship materials along with other communications, such as our weekly newsletter, Zmail.
A long-time member of Zion, Julie also sings in the Chancel Choir and performs with Zion Theatre Group.
Karen Sturdivant
Administrative Assistant
Since 2018, Karen is the friendly face greeting visitors to the church office and the welcoming voice on the phone. Karen has over 40 years of customer service, payroll and human resource experience in both business and churches. Prior to joining Zion Lutheran Church, she worked for a family owned staffing business for 21 years in which 17 of those years were in management. Taking a semi-early retirement to work part-time, she worked as the administrator for a smaller nearby church before joining Zion.
Karen and her husband, James have been involved in many of Zion’s groups throughout the past years. They also enjoy spending time with their married son/daughter-in-law and daughter/son-in-law, six grandchildren and their extended family. They also enjoy vacationing with their friends.
Fernando Vallejo
Facilities & Housekeeping
Fernando Vallejo joined Zion’s staff in 2018. He works on our many facilities in a variety of ways, including housekeeping and setting up and breaking down for our many groups and events. He takes great pride in his work keeping our facilities presentable for our members and the greater community.
