Conference Staff

The Central Pacific Conference office is staffed by a dedicated group of professionals. Each staff member consistently strives to provide timely, responsive support and information to the laypeople, clergy, volunteers, and general public throughout our region.

Rev. Tyler Connoley

Conference Minister | email

The Rev. Tyler Connoley was called to be our Conference Minister in November of 2019. They came to the CPC after serving in the conference settings of the Southwest and the Missouri Mid-South. They live in Portland and are a member of Waverly Heights UCC.

Tyler is fifth-generation clergy, so you could say church is in their DNA. They are also fifth-generation northwesterner on their father's side, with ancestors who settled in Star Idaho and later moved to the Medford area and other parts of Oregon. Tyler grew up in Zambia, where their parents were missionaries in the Wesleyan Church, and came to the United Church of Christ in 2004. 

Tyler has spent most of their adult life serving in the church, first as a lay leader and then as an ordained minister, including five years as a chaplain. Tyler loves connecting people, and helping them find their calling, and has years of experience in group and individual discernment processes, which they bring to local churches in times of transition and conflict. Their gentle prophetic voice persistently calls us to relationships of love and responsibility. 

A biblical theologian and storyteller, Tyler has a Master of Arts in Religion and a Master of Divinity, both from Earlham School of Religion. Their undergraduate degree is in Business and Economics from Indiana Wesleyan University.

In addition to their ministry activities, Tyler is a small-business owner with their husband, Chef Rob Connoley.

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    Beth Astarte

    Registrar/Administrative Assistant | email

    Beth is the Registrar/Administrative Assistant for the Central Pacific and Pacific Northwest Conferences. She has many years of administrative and database management experience with a heart for working with churches and other nonprofit organizations. Beth worked at Bethel Congregational UCC in Beaverton, Oregon as the Program Coordinator and Financial Administrator for 8 years before moving to Washington in 2022. She continues as their bookkeeper. Besides caring for the land at her home in the country in Chehalis, Washington, Beth enjoys spending time with her three grandsons, camping and playing the harp.

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    Russell Ware

    Communications Coordinator | email

    Russell is the Communications Coordinator for the CPC. He has spent many years in ministry and business development, with a drive for creating compelling spaces and experiences for community development. Much of his work has been music/arts connected or oriented. He lives with his wife Mandy Todd, who is a chaplain at Bethany Village, in Lindsborg, Kansas. Russell is also the communications strategist for the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference of the UCC.

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    Natalie Lucker

    Camp Adams Executive Director | email

    Natalie grew up in Oregon and attended First Congregational UCC Corvallis through high school. She has been working in the summer camp industry for more than 15 years and is passionate about creating meaningful outdoor experiences for children and adults. Most recently, she has worked as a camp director and outdoor program specialist for the Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts, living on-site and managing one summer camp from June through August and supporting the program development and implementation for four camps during the offseason. Before moving to Massachusetts, Natalie worked for the Girl Scouts of Oregon & Southwest Washington. In addition to loving all things related to camp and the outdoors, Natalie enjoys books, aquariums, houseplants, and gardening.

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    Brendan Blake

    Camp Adams Facilities Manager email

    Originally from Upstate New York, Brendan spent his summers hiking and camping in the Adirondack Mountains. In 2013, he moved to Oregon on a whim and a year later, met his future wife, Natalie. After a decade living in and exploring Oregon, Brendan moved to Massachusetts in 2022 and since then has worked as a Camp Ranger for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, managing two summer camp properties and assisting with major property upgrade projects. With a background in woodworking and carpentry and a love for nature, Brendan is excited to bring his knowledge and passion back to Oregon. He enjoys antiquing, woodworking, hiking, and supporting Arsenal F.C.

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    Andy Warren

    Conference Accountant | email

    Andy serves as the Bookkeeper for the Central Pacific Conference, a role he assumed upon the retirement of Debbie Jacober in April 2025.

    Andy Warren also serves as the Pacific Northwest Conference Accountant, a position he began in Nov. 2018. Previously, Andy served as the Chief Financial Officer for several East Coast public and private multinational companies ranging in size from $50 million to $300 million. His job responsibilities included directing Treasury, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, and Information Systems departments for these companies.

    Andy attends and is serving as the financial secretary for Everett, WA UCC.

     Prior to moving to Seattle with his daughter, Andy was active in his local UCC church in New Jersey - serving as Moderator, Treasurer, and Deacon chair.

    Andy currently lives in South Everett. He has three grown children - Geoff, Rob, and Anna.