North District Staff
District Superintendent
The Reverend Dr. Candace Lansberry, is an ordained elder in the Desert Southwest Conference. Prior to her appointment as Superintendent, she planted two churches, Daybreak in Las Vegas and Song of Life in the metro Phoenix area in Arizona. Before church planting, she served in youth ministry, both as a layperson and as ordained clergy, for more than twenty years. Her husband, Mark, is the pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Las Vegas, and they have three daughters, Rebecca (an attorney in Mesa, Arizona); Melissa (a pastor in Scottsdale, Arizona); and Katie (a Navy Psychologist currently serving with a marine unit in Afghanistan). The superintendent has three grandchildren, Colby, Keira and Zachary.
Dr. Lansberry's passions lie in helping people utilize body, mind and spirit in their spiritual formation; developing followers of Jesus to become all that Christ calls them to be; and helping pastors and lay leaders understand the emerging world culture and the place of Christianity within it.
Gwen Watson, Administrative Assistant
Gwen is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a graduate of University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies. She draws upon a wide spectrum of experience from her employment as a high school science teacher and a medical technologist, to a real estate agent and escrow coordinator. Gwen has two adult sons, Duane who lives in Urbana, Illinois and Daryl who lives in New York City.
As a third generation Methodist, she feels at home at the Desert Southwest Conference of the United Methodist Church. She currently attends University United Methodist Church in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gwen enjoys reading and hiking.