Appointed Leaders
Assistant Superintendent
The Assistant Superintendent serves as an executive superintendent who focuses on conference operations, property related issues, legal issues, financial advancement for local churches, and serves on the conference administrative team.
Rev. Amelia Cleveland-Traylor, MD
Assistant Superintendent
Rev. Amelia Cleveland-Traylor, MD’s ministry responsibilities have included pastoral care, praise and worship leader, women’s ministry director, youth ministry, small group leadership, and faith and fitness. Amelia has had many years in pastoral, conference, and denominational leadership. She was Co-Superintendent of the River Conference between 2018 and 2022. In 2019 Amelia was elected to serve on the FMCUSA Board of Administration and currently chairs the Committee on Diversity and Justice. She has chaired TRC’s Ministerial, Education, and Guidance Board since 2018. Amelia was recently appointed to serve on the Board of Directors at Greenville University and Aldersgate School of Ministry. She has a heart for biblical justice and advocacy and is pursuing a Masters in Justice and Advocacy from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Amelia is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist who is taking a break from medicine to fully devote herself to serving the church. She is a fitness and sports enthusiast who works out at OrangeTheory several times per week. Her favorite football teams are the Cleveland Browns and The Ohio State Buckeyes. She and her husband, Michael, are the proud parents of two adult children. Matthew is a practicing attorney in New York City. Michaela is a law student at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.
Appointed Leaders
District Leaders
District Leaders work in concert with the Superintendent to implement the missional objectives of the conference. They lead the Life-Giving Leadership learning communities and assist local churches, leaders, and BOA’s with administrative and organizational structures. District Leaders regularly encourage and counsel pastors, planters, and lay leaders in their districts.
Arizona District
Rev. Julie Gray
Arizona District
Julie Gray has a life-long love for the Church, and a passion for the Bride of Christ to be a healthy instrument of transformation in the world. Her 30+ years of ministry in diverse and multi-cultural churches have expanded that passion to include people of every language, nation, tribe and race that will be gathered around the throne of God. Her education includes time at Central Christian College of Kansas, Seattle Pacific University, Fuller Theological Seminary, Free Methodist Ordination coursework, and a Certificate in Spiritual Transformation from the Transforming Center, in Wheaton, IL. Julie is currently Sr. Pastor at Phoenix Life Church, married to Marvin for 32 years, and loves to spend time visiting her kids and grandkids scattered across the country.
Boise District
John McGee
Boise District
John McGee serves on the Board of the River Conference after recently serving many years on the MAC. He serves as the Local Leader for the Boise area and most recently as the Coordinator of the MEG Board. John was a delegate to the General Conference in 2019 and 2023. John serves Deer Flat Church on the Finance Committee where he spent 6 years as a member of the Board. John is involved with community organizations such as Love Caldwell and the Downtown Caldwell Organization. He served on the Board of the 2009 International Special Olympics and served his alma mater, the College of Idaho, as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He also served in the Idaho State Legislature from 2005 to 2011 as the youngest member of the Senate. He also served on the Caldwell City Council for 4 years. He and his wife, Hanna, live in Caldwell, Idaho with their two children, Madalyn and Maxwell.
Colorado District
Rev. Ebenezer Appiagyei
Colorado District Leader
North Texas District
Rev. Rick Snodgrass
North Texas District
Rick has planted, pastored, and mentored pastors for over 35 years. He mentored Conference Superintendents, and as Assistant Superintendent, mentored 71 pastors in the PNW Conference as well as many others outside the denomination. He and his wife Patti planted churches in Vallejo CA, Redmond WA, Mt. Vernon WA, and Nampa, DI. They live Granbury Texas where Rick serves as North Texas District Leader and as Director of Church Planting and Multiplication for The River Conference. Rick serves on the board of Impact, a multiplication movement where he has coached and mentored several micro churches and impact community leaders. Rick also coaches business owners and CEOs in organizational health as a way staying connected to the secular market place where the voice of Jesus needs to be heard. He works hard every day to walk out his life purpose to, “be living proof of a loving God to a watching world”. Ricks primary educational influences were Northwest Nazarene, Seattle Pacific, Western Evangelical Seminary, Regent and Fuller. Rick and Patti have been married for 43 years, have three sons who are married and serving Jesus and have been blessed with 9 grandchildren.
South Texas District
Rev. Heather Baker Utley
South Texas District
Born and raised in east Ohio, Heather holds a BA from Taylor University and an MDiv from Seattle Pacific Seminary. In 2004, she relocated to Washington State, where she served 8 years in youth ministry and non-profit administration. In 2012, Heather responded to God’s call to pastoral ministry, serving seven years in family ministries, first at Arlington FMC and then at Seattle’s First FMC. In 2019, she and her husband/co-pastor, Clay, and their two sons relocated to San Antonio, TX, where she now serves as South Texas District Leader and Communications Director for The River Conference. She also serves on the teaching and communications team at The Park Community Church and works co-vocationally as a freelance web designer for FMCUSA.
Rev. Will Peña
South Texas District
William Peña, originally from Santiago, Dominican Republic, holds a BA in Physical Therapy from PUCMM. After relocating to Miami, Florida in 2006, he immersed himself in various roles within the church, serving as a worship leader, youth pastor, and eventually becoming a senior pastor. In 2022 he ventured to Houston, TX to plant Essential Life Church alongside his wife Marianne and their three boys. Today, William dedicates his time to coaching younger pastors and church planters while also contributing to Conexión Latina of the FMC.
El habla español.
Spokane District
Rev. James Leman
Spokane District