Our Southern Hills UMC Staff
Sandra Blain
Chief Operations Officer
Sandra serves as the interim Chief Operating Officer at the Church. She joined Southern Hills with her parents, Al and Barbara Torstrick, over 50 years ago. She and her husband Brad were married at Southern Hills and baptized and raised their 3 sons at Southern Hills. They have 6 grandchildren, ages 2 to 11 years old. She is former owner of Al Torstrick Insurance Agency and works part time for her son, Robbie and niece, Ali. Sandra loves playing bells in the Carillon Choir, spending time with friends, attending UK sports events, vacationing with the family and watching the grandchildren play soccer, baseball, basketball and swim. She loves Southern Hills and feels blessed to work with the staff and congregation.
Julia Moore
Finance Assistant
Julia was born in Lexington, KY and grew up going to Southern Hills UMC. She was very involved and would attend the Guatemala Mission trips each year beginning in 2009. She met her future husband, Dalton Moore, through those mission trips while serving together. Years later they reconnected, got married and currently have two brother cats named Bowie and Bennett and a dog named Sammy. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, horseback riding and music. She has recently started diving into the world of homesteading, and is eager to begin gardening, canning, and cooking. She is so happy to be back at Southern Hills and seeing familiar faces.
Kim Krail
Administrative Assistant
Kim grew up in a one road town in New Jersey. She met her future husband at her church youth group, and after obtaining her associates degrees in Biblical Studies and Secretarial Studies from Lancaster Bible College, she married her husband, George; they've been married for 21 years. The Lord blessed them with five beautiful children, whom they raised in Hawaii for 13 years before moving to Kentucky three years ago. Their oldest daughter, Lydia, is 20 and recently completed her training in the army as a Private First Class Motor Transport Operator and is now finishing her degree in business management. Their son, George, is 19 and is employed as a welder. Abigail is in 11th grade, Urijah is in 8th grade, and Sophia is in 2nd grade. Kim enjoys spending time with her family, reading, doing jiu jitsu, and sitting on her porch. The Krail family came to Kentucky to see the Ark Encounter, the life-size rendition of Noah's Ark, built according to biblical specifications, and they felt the Lord leading them to stay. What drew Kim to want to see the Ark was the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in her life after she started reading the Word of God, which is powerful and effective. She knew, in a moment, that years of church attendance and a Bible degree were not enough to save her. Just as the Lord removed the scales from Paul's eyes, He did the same for her. She acknowledged she was a sinner, repented, and called upon the Lord for salvation. Romans 10:9,10
Hannah James
Director of Children's Ministry
Hannah James comes to Southern Hills from other Methodist churches in the Lexington area. She is an Asbury Seminary graduate (2012) with a Master of Arts degree in Christian Education. Hannah has enjoyed working in children's ministry for 12+ years, with a special interest in children's music, missions, and Christian education in the home. She is wife to Ted, and mom to three girls. Hannah currently teaches music for The Centenary School part-time and also volunteers with CASA to support child advocacy in our Lexington community. Her family enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking and biking together, and gardening in the backyard!
Elijah Coleman
Cinematography and Design
Elijah serves as a designer and cinematographer of Southern Hills UMC. He grew up in Trimble County, KY on a farm before moving to Nicholasville. He joined Southern Hills in October of 2024. After completing his Bachelor of Arts degree through Asbury University, he married his fiancé Lydia. Elijah spends his time hiking with his wife, playing the drums, and collecting way too much vintage tech. He visits home when can to hang out with his family and help his father take care of their land and fruit trees.
Steve Haggard
Facilities Director
I was raised in Lexington. Graduated from Lafayette High School. I attend UK but graduated from UT (but I am not a Vol fan). I married my high school sweetheart, Sarah, in 1978. We have 2 children, Bob (42) and Becca (39). Bob is married to Andrea, lives in Lexington, and has 2 daughters, Hadley and Kinsley. Becca is married to Stephen, lives in Georgetown, and has 2 boys, Max and Miles. In my free time I enjoy woodworking, photography, golf, UK sports, traveling with Sarah, attending grandchildren’s soccer, football, dance, and gymnastics events. We greatly enjoy being around our children and grandchildren. I first started attending SHUMC when my parents, Bob and Ruth Haggard, became charter members in July 1959. My wife, Sarah, and I have been attending SHUMC since moving back to town in 1983. My job, as Facilities Director since October 2022, is to keep the SHUMC buildings, infrastructure, and properties in working order, which can be a challenge from time to time. It is amazing how many opportunities arise every week. I work very closely with the Trustees and SHUMC maintenance/cleaning staff, Ramiro Zuniga and Liliana Escobar.
Ramiro Zuniga
Facilities Manager
Ramiro was born in Mexico, at the border of Brownsville, Texas. He has been married to Ivonne for 36 years and they have three boys, Ramiro Jr., Ivan, and Juan, and one girl, Isis Margarita. He brought his family to Kentucky on a vacation and he and his wife made the decision to stay here, as it was a better location for their children. Ramiro's first job was with Denham-Blythe, where he was employed for 16 years. During seven of those years, they worked on the construction of Lexmark. Two years ago, Ramiro became a citizen of the United States. Ramiro enjoys working in the yard, working on cars, having cookouts, and he is a Cowboys fan. Please keep him in prayer as he recovers from a knee surgery he had on October 2, 2024.
Lilianna Escobar
Custodian
Born in Chiapas, Mexico, Liliana came to the United States 24 years ago. She has a 23 year old daughter, Emily, and a 19 year old son, Felipe. She also has 2 granddaughters. Before serving here at Southern Hills, Liliana was employed at a factory for seven years. Prior to that, she loved working in a local nursing home, as she has a heart for serving people. In her downtime, Liliana enjoys spending time with her mom, doing cookouts, making desserts, and exploring the natural wonders of Kentucky, like the Natural Bridge, and swimming in the lake.
