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Faculty & Staff

Helping Young people reach their full potential so They’re empowered to make a difference.

Maintenance

Ken Brown.avif

Ken Brown

Custodian, Maintenance

Mandy Brown.avif

Mandy Brown

Finance Manager

Ellen Warkentin.avif

Ellen Warkentin

Administrative Assistant

Kim Rutgers.avif

Kim Rutgers

B.Comm, B.Ed

Instructor

Nicholas Driedger .jpg

Nicholas Driedger

Instructor, Athletic Director

Derek Bedal.jpg

Derek Bedal

Teacher

Alyssa Epp.jpg

Alyssa Epp

B.Mus, B.Ed, OCT

Teacher

Jillian Suta.jpg

Jillian Suta

BFA, MA.

Teacher

Tina Avila.jpg

Tina Avila

BA, B.Ed, OCT

Teacher

Erin Armstrong .jpg

Erin Armstrong

B.Mus., M. Mus, B.Ed.

Teacher

Lucas Froese.avif

Lucas Froese

B.Sc, B.Ed

Teacher

Olivia Toews.avif

Olivia Toews

BASc, M.Ed, OCT

Teacher

Joel Warkentin.jpg

Joel Warkentin

BTH, BA, B.Ed, OCT

Learning Support and Guidance Services, Teacher

Nancy Loewen.jpg

Nancy Loewen

BMath, BEd, OCT

Director of Enrollment and Community Engagement

Chani Wiens.jpg

Chani Wiens

BBA, B.Ed, OCT

Principal

Darcy Bults.jpg

Darcy Bults

BA, B.Ed, OCT

Administrative Assistant

Kim Rutgers.jpg

Kim Rutgers

B.Comm, B.Ed

Finance Manager

Ellen Warkentin.jpg

Ellen Warkentin

Custodian, Maintenance

Mandy Brown.jpg

Mandy Brown

Maintenance

Ken Brown.jpg

Ken Brown

Teacher

Jillian Suta.jpg

Jillian Suta

BFA, MA.

Teacher

Alyssa Epp.jpg

Alyssa Epp

B.Mus, B.Ed, OCT

Instructor, Athletic Director

Derek Bedal.jpg

Derek Bedal

Instructor

Nicholas Driedger .jpg

Nicholas Driedger

Teacher

Olivia Toews.jpg

Olivia Toews

BASc, M.Ed, OCT

Teacher

Lucas Froese.jpg

Lucas Froese

B.Sc, B.Ed

Teacher

Erin Armstrong .jpg

Erin Armstrong

B.Mus., M. Mus, B.Ed.

Teacher

Tina Avila.jpg

Tina Avila

BA, B.Ed, OCT

Principal

Darcy Bults.jpg

Darcy Bults

BA, B.Ed, OCT

Director of Enrollment and Community Engagement

Chani Wiens.jpg

Chani Wiens

BBA, B.Ed, OCT

Learning Support and Guidance Services, Teacher

Nancy Loewen.jpg

Nancy Loewen

BMath, BEd, OCT

Teacher

Joel Warkentin.jpg

Joel Warkentin

BTH, BA, B.Ed, OCT

Principal

Darcy Bults.jpg

Darcy Bults

BA, B.Ed, OCT

Director of Enrollment and Community Engagement

Chani Wiens.jpg

Chani Wiens

BBA, B.Ed, OCT

Learning Support and Guidance Services, Teacher

Nancy Loewen.jpg

Nancy Lower

BMath, BEd, OCT

Teacher

Joel Warkentin.jpg

Joel Warkentin

BTH, BA, B.Ed, OCT

Teacher

Olivia Toews.avif

Olivia Toews

BASc, M.Ed, OCT

Teacher

Lucas Froese.avif

Lucas Froese

B.Sc, B.Ed

Teacher

Erin Armstrong .jpg

Erin Armstrong

B.Mus., M. Mus, B.Ed.

Teacher

Tina Avila.jpg

Tina Avila

BA, B.Ed, OCT

Teacher

Jillian Suta.jpg

Jillian Suta

BFA, MA.

Teacher

Alyssa Epp.jpg

Alyssa Epp

B.Mus, B.Ed, OCT

Instructor, Athletic Director

Derek Bedal.jpg

Derek Bedal

Instructor

Nicholas Driedger .jpg

Nicholas Driedger

Administrative Assistant

Kim Rutgers.avif

Kim Rutgers

B.Comm, B.Ed

Finance Manager

Ellen Warkentin.avif

Ellen Warkentin

Custodian, Maintenance

Mandy Brown.avif

Mandy Brown

Maintenance

Ken Brown.avif

Ken Brown

2025-2026 Board of Directors

Kyle Moynahan

Board Member

Sydney Friesen

Board Member

Melissa Marcovecchio

Board Member

Melissa Wuerch

Board Member

Teresa Mazzella

Board Member

Aaron Waldt

Board Member

Jennifer Douglas

Treasurer

Brenna Epp

Secretary

Mat Suta

Vice Chair

Jonathan Dick

Chair

UMEI

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Math & Accounting

Ellen Warkentin

B.Mus, B.Ed, OCT

Mrs. Wiens loves the “aha” moments when students solve a challenging problem and realize they can do more than they expected. She cares deeply about student success and works to support each learner by being flexible and responsive to their individual goals and learning needs.

Ellen Warkentin.avif

Administrative Assistant

Kim Rutgers

B.Comm, B.Ed

Mrs. Rutgers enjoys being part of students’ everyday school experience and helping families feel welcomed and supported. She values creating a positive, organized environment where students are known and encouraged. Kim appreciates being part of a team that works together to help students thrive.

Kim Rutgers.avif

Robotics & Athletics

Nicholas Driedger

B.Mus, B.Ed, OCT

Mr. Driedger enjoys helping students develop real-world skills like problem solving, teamwork, leadership, and responsibility. Through robotics and extracurricular involvement, he encourages students to explore their interests and grow in confidence as they tackle meaningful challenges.

Nicholas Driedger .jpg

Athletic Director, Phys. Ed. & Communication Technology

Derek Bedal

B.Mus, B.Ed, OCT

Mr. Bedal loves the energy of school life and the relationships that grow with students and their families over time. He works to create a positive, supportive environment with clear expectations where students are encouraged to take risks, build confidence, and discover their potential.

Derek Bedal.jpg

French & Music

Alyssa Epp

B.Mus, B.Ed, OCT

Ms. Epp enjoys encouraging students as they develop new skills and grow in confidence. She values the strong sense of community at UMEI and the opportunity to support students both academically and creatively as they discover their abilities.

Alyssa Epp.jpg

Art & Drama

Jillian Suta

BFA, MA.

Mrs. Suta loves watching students grow in confidence and creativity as they try new things. She encourages students to step outside their comfort zones, develop new skills, and discover talents they didn’t know they had. Her classroom is a place where creativity and courage grow together.

Jillian Suta.jpg

Religious Studies & Chapel Coordinator

Tina Avila

BA, B.Ed, OCT

Mrs. Avila loves helping students discover how meaningful and engaging the Bible can be. She values the close-knit community at UMEI and the opportunity to help students grow in faith and leadership. Tina works to make Scripture accessible to students from many different backgrounds and invites them to ask thoughtful questions.

Tina Avila.jpg

Teacher

Erin Armstrong

B.Mus., M. Mus, B.Ed.

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Erin Armstrong .jpg

Science & Math

Lucas Froese

B.Sc, B.Ed

Mr. Froese loves sharing his passion for understanding how the world works and encouraging curiosity in his students. He values the close-knit UMEI community, where students and staff genuinely care for one another and learning often begins with a simple question.

Lucas Froese.avif

Humanities & Athletics

Olivia Toews

BASc, M.Ed, OCT

Ms. Toews enjoys motivating students and helping them find joy in learning. She values building strong relationships with students and supporting them as they grow in confidence, curiosity, and character throughout their high school years.

Olivia Toews.avif

English, Religious Studies & Social Sciences

Joel Warkentin

BTH, BA, B.Ed, OCT

Mr. Warkentin loves sparking curiosity and helping students make meaningful connections about the world around them. He values the strong sense of community at UMEI and the staff’s shared commitment to supporting the whole student as they grow into thoughtful and engaged young adults.

Joel Warkentin.jpg

Student Support & Math

Nancy Loewen

BMath, BEd, OCT

Mrs. Loewen loves helping students realize they are capable of more than they think and watching their confidence grow. She creates a supportive space where students feel safe to try, make mistakes, and keep learning. At UMEI, small class sizes allow her to build strong relationships and provide meaningful support for each student.

Nancy Loewen.jpg

Executive Director of Admissions & Advancement

Math & Business

Chani Wiens

BBA, B.Ed, OCT

Mrs. Wiens loves getting to know students—their passions, goals, and hopes for the future—and supporting them as they grow in confidence. She enjoys helping students face challenges head-on and discover what they are capable of achieving within UMEI’s caring community. She loves helping new families discover UMEI, and growing relationships with alumni and donors.

Chani Wiens.jpg

Principal

Darcy Bults

BA, B.Ed, OCT

Mr. Bults enjoys walking alongside students as they grow, make decisions, and begin to discover their path in life. He values the deep commitment of the UMEI community to supporting students and believes strongly in a simple guiding principle: students first, always.

Darcy Bults.jpg
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