Eddie Erwin

President

Eddie is delighted to serve as President for the Methodist Youth Ministry Alliance. With over 25 years in youth ministry and serving on all levels of The United Methodist Church. He lives with his wife & three children in Klein, Texas

Rev. Kat Britton

Kat Britton oversees ministry to students, grades 6th to 12th grade. She has a Bachelors in Business Management from the University of Houston and is pursuing her Masters in Divinity from Southern Methodist University. She received her own call to vocational ministry during her junior year in high school at U.M. Army so she has a deep passion for student mission trips, events, and ministry as a whole!

Her and her husband, Andrew, have three dogs: John Wesley (lab blue heeler mix), Francis Asbury (red heeler), and Lady (a complete mutt). Most of the time you can find Kat working on school assignments, nose deep in a book, or watching a show with her husband. She also loves fellowship time with friends through game nights (she won’t ever pass up an invitation for one!). 

Todd Harris

Treasurer

Todd is the Treasurer for Methodist Youth Ministry Alliance. He is an educator and coach with Fort Bend ISD and lives with his family in Sugar Land, Texas.

Rev. Patrick Neitzey

Patrick grew up in the Houston area and is now serving as a Provisional Elder in the Western North Carolina Conference. He is a Texas Youth Academy & Duke Youth Academy Alumni. He received his undergraduate degree from Baylor University before going on to earn his MDiv at Duke Divinity School. Patrick has created & lead immersive experiences for students and is a great advocate for students in leadership.

Rev. Becca Newcomb

Becca passionate about connecting with people and helping them see the beauty and work of God in the middle of their ordinary, messy days. She is a United Methodist pastor specializing in family ministries and has served in the UMC since 2009. She graduated from Perkins School of Theology at SMU in 2018 where she met her husband, Steven. They love to travel so much that they took their son, Samuel, on his first cruise at 8 months old! That kid is up for anything! She enjoys coffee, gardening, camping, and being a mom...but not in that order. Becca has shared that she feels blessed to love her job and to get to be a part of the lives of so many families.

Rev. Jeremy Steele

Secretary

Jeremy serves Methodist Youth Ministry Alliance as our Secretary. Jeremy has spent over 20 years ministering to Millennials and Gen Z in local churches, conferences, campus ministries, and through the Zoay app. In addition to his role directing the ministry at Wesley he is a writer and speaker traveling globally to empower churches, youth, and young adults to grow in their connection with God and make earth look more like heaven.

Kristen Tropeano

Kristen has been serving in Student Ministry for 10+ years and is currently serving as the Director of Student Ministry at Strawbridge UMC. She is a certified Youth minister approved by GBHEM and the Texas Annual Conference. She has served on the SMU Summit Board for 5 years, and is now serving as the Central North District Youth Coordinator. She has created, developed, and lead 7 Immersive Learning Experiences, was able to travel to the Holy Land, and has lead students in 20+ Mission trips both domestic and internationally. She is particularly passionate about creating safe and healthy spaces for students to engage with their faith, ask questions, serve as leaders, and form meaningful relationships…and getting songs stuck in her friends heads.

Rev. Dr. Eric Pugh

Eric is a native Ohioan, who grew up in Central Ohio, attended The Ohio State University earning a BS in Biological Sciences. Eric served 8 years in Parks and Recreation Management in Ohio and Texas, prior to answering his call to ministry. Eric has been in full-time ministry with the United Methodist Church since 2005, serving in Youth, Young Adult, Family, Missions. In addition to his appointment to MyMA, he also serves as the Pastor of Family Discipleship & Director of Students for First Methodist Houston. Eric is an ordained Deacon in the UMC, with an MTS from SMU - Perkins School of Theology. He received a Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching, from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Chicago. Eric has been married for 23 years and has 3 teenage daughters. Eric is an outdoor and travel enthusiast. He is passionate about helping others discover their God given gifts, answer their unique call to ministry and achieve their goals.  Eric is an excellent communicator, with great interpersonal skills which allow him to lead in small and large group settings.

Eric has been informally coaching for more than 20 years, beginning with his time in Parks and Recreation. In 2021, Eric completed the National Youth Ministry Coaching Program, and is a certified coach through that program, which focuses on the Enneagram as the primary coaching tool. Eric has coached individuals, small groups, and teams. Eric is passionate about helping everyone discover their unique giftedness and how they fit in the whole. Eric is capable of coaching both lay and clergy.