BKSM Staff

The Venerable Monte Giddings
Interim Dean
[email protected]

The Venerable Monte Giddings began his instructional career in his hometown of McPherson, Kansas after graduating in Language Arts Education from KU.  He still considers the best entry on his resume is that he was hired by his past principal and school superintendent after thy saw him grow up in a small town. 

After teaching six years there, he joined the business community  as an underwriter and subsequently as a broker for Insurance/Risk Management services.  His desire to continue in education pivoted to teaching other insurance professionals studying for tests to gain a professional designation in the insurance industry.  In that capacity, he has taught over 150 classes in 45 states for a program that required each student to evaluate the instructor on a scale of one to ten after each class. 

Deacon Giddings just retired as Archdeacon in Kansas after 15 years of service.  He served on the BKSM Board of Directors for 10 years, including two years as chairman of that board.  He serves as a deacon at St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church in Mission, Kansas.

The Very Rev. Casey Rohleder ('16)
Interim Assistant Dean for Formation & Pastoral Care, Director of Communications
[email protected]

The Very Rev. Casey Rohleder wears several hats. She has served as the BKSM Director of Communications since Spring 2015. For the 2024-25 academic year, she is serving as the Assistant Interim Dean for Formation and Pastoral Care, where she oversees  of focus weekends, praxis, and colloquium groups,  and she provides pastoral care to students, as needed. She also facilitates the first-year colloquium group.

Since October 2017, she has served as the half-time rector of St. Luke's, Wamego. She can’t imagine a better fit than serving both a wonderful parish and an inspiring seminary. Prior to ordination, Casey+ held a number of communications, marketing , events-planning and grant-writing roles in  non-profit and higher education organizations.

She is an alumna of the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry ('16, Certificate in Presbyteral Studies); the University of Missouri-Columbia ('96, M.A. German Literature); and Truman State University ('94, B.A. German). She has also participated in multiple continuing education programs through the Iona Collaboration, and she highly recommends them to any BKSM grad.

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The Rev. Fran Wheeler
Assistant to the Dean
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The Rev. Fran Wheeler joined the BKSM Staff in 2020. Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, she moved to Kansas in 1998. Fran and her husband Ray have lived in Olathe, KS for the past 26 years. She graduated in 1990 from Marymount College in Tarrytown, NY with a B.S. Major in Fashion Merchandising. She has a previous career background in retail management within the fashion industry but left it to be a stay-at-home mom.
 
She graduated from the Kansas School for Ministry in 2010 and was ordained to the Diaconate in January 2011. She has served at St. Thomas, Overland Park since 2014. Her ministries focus on pastoral care and outreach.
 
Additionally, Deacon Fran serves as the Chair of the Outreach Task Force for the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, Chairperson on the Alleluia Grant Committee, Member of the Commission on Ministry, President for the Diocesan Board of Episcopal Church Women (ECW), and President for the Province VII Board of Episcopal Church Women (ECW).

The Rev. Sandy Horton-Smith
Focus Weekend Innkeeper

As the Focus Weekend Innkeeper, Deacon Sandy is an important member of the BKSM team. And a volunteer one at that! In this role, she welcomes and supports the needs of the students staying in Upton Hall. She also works tirelessly to serve our meals, clean up after meals, and keep our coffee fresh.

Deacon Sandy was ordained in the Diocese of Kansas in June 2012 and has been serving  at St. Luke's,  Wamego, since April 2023. She previously served at St. Paul's in Manhattan for 11 years. She also serves as the mentor for the Education for Ministry group.

   Sandy works full-time at Kansas State University as an IT Support Specialist in the Office of the Registrar. She is married to Glenn and they have 2 adult children. She enjoys listening to and playing music as a French horn player in the Manhattan Municipal Band, Manhattan Symphony Orchestra, Little Apple Horn Choir, and the pit orchestra for musicals at the Manhattan Arts Center.

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Mr. Ron Weil
Volunteer Bookkeeper

Ron Weil (pronounced “while”) has been the Director of Finance for the Diocese of West Missouri since 2014.  Upon the request of his bishop, Ron began supporting BKSM with its accounting needs in 2017.  In this much appreciated role, he records revenues and expenses, reconciles the monthly bank statements and provides financial reports as needed.

In his free time, Ron and his wife, Jenne, enjoy watching the antics of their two kittens, Kate and Phillip, spending time with family and friends and binge watching shows. He also has an uncanny knowledge of movie quotes – just ask!

Mr. LeRoy Dagg
Volunteer Librarian

LeRoy Dagg is a native Kansan and a retired public school teacher. He taught English, speech, and theatre in the Auburn-Washburn and Topeka Public Schools.
 
LeRoy earned a Masters in Theological Studies from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2002, gaining experience as s student worker in VTS’s Bishop Payne Library. In 2010 he completed a MLS from Emporia State University, and following his retirement from teaching, he took up the organization of the library at Grace Cathedral and Bishop Kemper School.
 
He is also a licensed lay preacher, and is active as a facilitator for Sacred Ground circles for the Diocese of Kansas, VTS, and the Diocese of Virginia.