STAFF
STAFF
OUR STAFF
Rev. Dr. Sue Coller
Lead Pastor - she/her/hers
Sue joined us in 2015, having served five churches and one presbytery prior to becoming our pastor.
Sue is passionate about providing a safe place and culture where faith is nurtured, curiosity is encouraged, diversity welcomed, and all are loved. She also has a passion for helping people live a faith that impacts their lives beyond the church. Her go to re-energizing place is in nature, which she finds to be an incredibly powerful source of inspiration and connection. She is married to
Linda, with whom she shares a love of dogs, especially Katie, their Welsh Springer Spaniel.
Sue received her Bachelor’s degree in religion and archaeology from Boston University, her Master of Divinity degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary, and her Doctor of Ministry degree in Church Revitalization from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.
Dr. Kris ‘Bubba’ Brammer
Director of Christian Education
Kris has over 25 years of experience in ministry with children, youth and adults. Kris joined the FPC staff in 2017 and is passionate about creating and learning environment for all ages that promotes a safe place to ask questions and explore our faith together. He shares his life and ministry with his wife Kris Adler-Brammer, a native of Nebraska, and they also enjoy their goofball of a dog named Wrigley.
Kris received his Master’s degree in Christian Education from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (now Union Theological Seminary) in Richmond, VA, his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Radford University, in Radford, VA, and is currently working on his Doctor of Educational Ministry at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. Kris is also a Certified Christian Educator in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Rev. Jock Tut Paleak
Pastor for Sudanese Services
Jock is an ordained Presbyterian minister who came to Lincoln from the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Gallatin, Tennessee where he served for almost ten years. He attended the Memphis Theological Seminary, Western Kentucky University and Volunteer State Community College. Jock joined the First Presbyterian Church Team as Parish Associate for Sudanese Ministries in 2016.
Dr. Brian Pfoltner
Music Director
Brian oversees the entire music program at First Presbyterian and directs the adult choir, bell choir, and various instrumental groups. He directed the creation of the Arts for the Soul — Music & Fine Arts Series at First Presbyterian, and has served as its artistic and executive director since its founding in the fall of 2007.
Brian received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1995. Brian has performed with such groups as the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, Plymouth Brass, Nebraska Trumpet Ensemble, Lincoln Municipal Band, and the Third Chair Chamber Players. He is also a past conductor of the Lincoln Community Concert Band.
Jennifer Crowley
Church Administrator
Jennifer is a strategic operations leader with over a decade of experience driving large-scale enterprise implementations. She thrives at the intersection of analytical logic and purposeful design. Her background spans SaaS software, complex integrations, and major technical deployments across FinTech, EdTech, and HealthTech ecosystems. With core expertise in product design, the user journey, and scaling business solutions, she focuses on building efficient, resilient systems for growing operations teams.
Outside of her work, Jennifer is driven by creative execution and community connection, actively engaging in graphic design, photography, and cultural initiatives. She believes that impactful leadership seamlessly blends structured strategy and cross-functional collaboration to build sustainable business frameworks and strong, connected teams.
Dr. Christopher Marks
Organist
Chris Marks moved to Lincoln with his family in 2006 to join the music faculty at UNL, where he currently serves as Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs. He has a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Richmond, a master's degree from University of Illinois and a doctoral degree from the Eastman School of Music. Before coming to UNL, he was University Organist and faculty at Syracuse University. His focus as a performer and researcher has been American organ music of the 19th and 20th centuries, with three recordings devoted to the organ music of Seth Bingham. He also enjoys collaborating on harpsichord and piano.
Maria Brown
Communications
Maria, a Nebraska native, joined FPC in 2023. Maria had a hard time deciding what to study in college and ended up earning degrees in both Graphic Design and Business Administration. Outside the office, Maria loves sharing a passion for theatre and art with local high schools, traveling, and spending time with Ruby, the golden retriever, and two cats.
Shelly Beem-Hare
Custodial