Staff

KELLY CARR

Lead Pastor

In 2005, Kelly was on the founding team of Echo Church. She and her husband, Steve, and daughter, Kaelyn, have lived in Walnut Hills ever since. Kelly enjoyed serving the church as a volunteer for years, and in December 2019, she was honored with the invitation to pastor this family of believers.

Before stepping into ministry, Kelly used her writing and editing skills to help authors and organizations, especially in the church realm; she was Senior Editor of The Lookout magazine, plus edited Sunday school curriculum and numerous books with Standard Publishing. Originally from Lexington, Kentucky, Kelly moved north to study at Cincinnati Christian University before graduating from Northern Kentucky University.

Kelly’s current delights include: joining the neighborhood run club, background acting in locally filmed movies, and experiencing the city—at theatres, museums, ballparks, and the zoo.

Connect with Kelly
kelly@echochurch.org
Instagram┊@editoroflife_kellycarr

DILLON HAMILTON

Worship Pastor

Dillon, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, has been leading worship for more than 20 years. Dillon found his way to Echo Church in 2009, when he and his wife relocated to her hometown.

By day, he manages servers for a healthcare technology company, and weekly he oversees the worship and technology teams at Echo, bringing the body of believers into the presence of God.

Dillon, his wife, Katherine, and sons, Owen and Finn, live in Anderson Township.

Currently Dillon finds delight in cheering on FC Cincinnati with his family (go orange & blue!), trying all kinds of hot sauce, and expressing his creativity by making things—all kinds of things.

Connect with Dillon
dillon@echochurch.org

SHANTÉ MEERT

Connections & Kids Pastor

Shanté hails from southwest Michigan. In 2018, she and her husband, Jeremiah, relocated to Cincinnati and began attending Echo Church. They now live in Roselawn with their pup, Gemma.

With a passion for being a servant to her community, Shanté quickly got involved in one of the Echo’s volunteer opportunities and has been serving the church ever since, officially joining staff in 2020.

Shanté’s ministry focuses include caring for Echo’s community partnerships in Walnut Hills, leading the Echo Kids and youth ministries, and overseeing Echo’s social media.

The current things that delight Shanté are: supporting local businesses at flea markets and craft fairs; investigating a thrilling mystery in a novel or TV show; and searching the city for the best matcha and chai.

Connect with Shanté
shante@echochurch.org

Leadership

STEVE CARR

Teaching Elder

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Steve has been in active in ministry for 20 years and continues to teach at Echo Church—both for main worship services and for our oldest Echo Kids classes.

Steve was the founding Lead Pastor of Echo Church and is now Vice President of Business Development & Marketing for CDF Capital. He has degrees from Cincinnati Bible Seminary, Xavier University, and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in the fields of ministry and theology.

A few things that bring Steve delight: running marathons, playing soccer, taking photos, cheering for Cincinnati teams with his family, and sharing his thoughts on life, city, and church on his website.

ERIC McDONALD

Elder

Eric relocated to Cincinnati after years on the West Coast and in Colorado and has faithfully served in churches wherever he’s landed. He currently lives in Amelia with his wife, Melissa.

On Sundays you can find Eric serving some of the youngest members of the Echo Church family, in our Little Wavelengths class.

In his free time, Eric delights in camping and hiking, bike riding, and supporting others with their home projects—on many Saturdays he’s gathering a team to head over to help someone with tools in hand.

Kendra Dunahugh

Leadership Team

Kendra is originally from Hillsboro, Ohio and moved to Cincinnati in 2011 to attend Cincinnati Christian University, where she studied music, ministry, and psychology. She lives in East Price Hill with her husband, Garrett, and their three children.

After 7 years on the Echo Church staff, Kendra continues to serve with the worship team, as an Echo Kids leader, and supports the hospitality team. She also helps oversees the Parents Connectivity Group, and you’ll occasionally find her behind the pulpit during our Sunday services.

Kendra’s current delights include: writing, community theatre, and going on family outings.

Burke Shartsis

Leadership Team

Burke grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, and he and his wife, Elizabeth, served on the mission field in several countries before moving to Cincinnati. Now they have 3 children and 2 dogs filling their household in Wyoming.

At Echo you’ll find Burke behind the sound board, managing the mix so that friends in the building and watching our livestream can receive beautiful sound. He also leads one of our Connectivity Groups focused on studying God’s Word—word for word.

Burke’s current delights include: bikes, music, and one really good cup of coffee a day.

Garrett Park

Treasurer

Garrett is from too many places to list, but right before coming to Cincinnati, he and his wife, Debby, lived and served their church and their community in Chicago. They now are living and raising their two daughters in the Mt. Lookout neighborhood.

On Sundays look for Garrett to be greeting you at the front door or caring for our tiniest tiny Echo Kids.

Garrett delights in running many miles to train for the many marathons he’s signed up for, as well as traveling to visit family and friends around the country.