Meet
Our Staff
We are so grateful to have such a dedicated team, working tirelessly to serve our church and community!
Pastor
Pastor Steve has served as a United Methodist minister for 30+ years. Earning a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from SUNY Old Westbury, he then went on to earn his Master’s of Divinity from Drew Theological Seminary.
Prior to answering his call, he grew up on Long Island and was a member of the Episcopal Church in Oyster Bay, NY. Pastor Steve faithfully served our Conference in both NY and CT before arriving at NUMC during the summer of 2023. In addition to his pastoral duties, he is currently serving the District as a member of the Committee on Superintendency and the Conference on the Committee for Equitable Compensation for Clergy.
Married to Sue for more than 37 years, Pastor Steve and his wife have three wonderful children: Matthew, Adam and Sage. While Matthew is now married and living in Cheshire, Adam and Sage still live at home along with the family pets – two dogs and a cat. In his free time, Pastor Steve’s enjoys growing succulents and photography.
Rev. Stephen Volpe
Deacon & Minister of Music
Reverend Sue has been the Minister of Music and organist at NUMC for many years. As a native of the Midwest, Iowa and Illinois, she graduated with a BA in Music Education from Illinois Wesleyan University. Prior to her move to Connecticut, she lived on Long Island where she directed the music ministry at Woodbury UMC. Her husband George was very active there as well as here at NUMC before his untimely death. Sue’s family includes their 4 children, Jeff, Leslie, Laura, and Martha, and eleven grandchildren!
Rev. Sue’s tenure here at NUMC has been full of activity both within the church as well as within the surrounding community. Her involvement has included everything from teaching Confirmation classes to active leadership in the music ministry program at Garner Correctional Institution. She spent many years involved with Church Women United in Newtown as well as serving the CT District and New York Annual Conference. Sue maintains a strong connection to the Quinipet Camp and Retreat Center on Shelter Island, N.Y. where the George & Sue Klein Welcome Center was dedicated on July 3, 2010, honoring their commitment and lifelong service to family camp and the United Methodist Church.
Ordained as a Deacon in 1997, Sue continues to direct our Adult Choir and serves as our unofficial Historian due to her sharp memory and her long and faithful affiliation with the church.
Rev. E. Sue Klein
Office Administrator
Ella Calcote retired from the corporate world after working for over 20 yrs as an Executive Assistant for a Marketing Research Company. After a brief pause from the working world she joined the staff of NUMC in October of 2024.
Outside of work Ella attends Nichols UMC in Trumbull where she enjoys worshiping with her daughter, son-in-law and four grandchildren. She also has a son and granddaughter who live in Branford, CT, and is fortunate to have her mom close by as well.
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Ella has always been an involved member of the churches she has attended; including teaching Sunday School in Austin, TX (where she raised her family), singing in the choir, and helping with outreach & communication. She loves to garden, paint, and making memories with her family; especially her grandkids.
Ella Calote
Co-Director, Wesley Learning Center
Debbie has been a cherished part of the Wesley Learning Center family for 29 years and has called Newtown home for over three decades. She began her career at Wesley as a Lead Teacher and has taught everything from art to science and cooking and feels fortunate to have worked with so many wonderful children, families, and colleagues in a place that truly feels like home.
Outside of school, Debbie enjoys gardening, refinishing furniture, and spending quality time with family and friends. She has been married to her husband George for 39 years. They have two incredible daughters, Kelsey and Taylor, and are now proud grandparents to two joyful grandchildren. She loves being by the beach, relaxing with a good book, nibbling on chocolate, and sharing the home she and George have built with their two cats.
Debbie is excited to co-lead a school that has meant so much to her over the years, and she remains deeply committed to helping children learn, grow, and thrive in this special community.
Debbie Daniels
Co-Director, Wesley Learning Center
Chris has been a proud member of the Wesley Learning Center community since 2001, beginning as the school’s Nurse Consultant. Over the years, her role expanded to include office support, classroom subbing, teaching Lunch Bunch, and co-teaching across multiple age groups—from our 3s and 4s to Extended Day and Kindergarten Prep. She's been fortunate to work alongside her colleague and co-director, Debbie, for over 20 years, building a strong and consistent classroom partnership.
Outside of school, Chris spends her time gardening—especially tending to the heirloom irises passed down from her mother—hiking with her husband Jim, and spending time with their two daughters, both proud Wesley alumni. She’s also an avid reader of historical fiction and mysteries, a raspberry enthusiast, and the happy caretaker of two cats, a guinea pig, and a flock of wild turkeys who call their yard home.
With a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a deep passion for early childhood education, her goal is to ensure that Wesley continues to be a safe, nurturing, and inspiring place for children to grow.
Chris Riccio
Contact
We welcome any questions you may have regarding our wonderful church community.
Or call us at (203) 426-9998