Meet the Team
Pastor Dione Bedell
Chief of Staff
Pastor Dione Bedell serves as Chief of Staff for Vertical Church in San Antonio, Texas, where she provides leadership and operational oversight for Vertical Church, Vertical Kids Early Learning Academy, and Horizontal SA. A founding member of Vertical Church, Dione has helped shape the ministry administratively since its inception. After more than 20 years of experience in higher education, administration, and community leadership, she transitioned into full-time ministry in 2021 as Executive Pastor and was elevated to Chief of Staff in 2025.
In 2022, Dione received Vertical Church’s Eagle Award—an honor she deeply cherishes—which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment, leadership, and service to the ministry. She holds a BBA in Business Information Systems from the University of the Incarnate Word, an MBA from Troy University, and a postgraduate certification in Information Systems Management from DeVry University. She has also completed additional professional training and received professional commendations in leadership and administration.
Dione, and her husband Corey, have been married for over 20 years and are the proud parents of their daughter Khori.
Pastor Rebekah Reese
Executive Pastor
Pastor Rebekah Reese serves as the Executive Pastor of Vertical Church, where she helps oversee church operations, leadership support, communication, and ministry development. She has been a member of Vertical since 2025 and stepped into the Executive Pastor role at the end of that year. Rebekah is passionate about helping the church operate effectively while creating space for ministry to flourish and building healthy ministry systems that support the vision of the church.
Rebekah became a minister in 2012 and was ordained as a pastor in 2018. She holds a Master of Science in Internet Marketing from Full Sail University and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from Saint Xavier University. She and her husband Charles have been married for over 10 years and are grateful to be building a life and legacy together with their two daughters, Alaiah and Mia.
Executive Director of Vertical Kids Early Learning Academy
Pastor Tiffany Willis
Pastor Dione Bedell serves as Chief of Staff for Vertical Church in San Antonio, Texas, where she provides leadership and operational oversight for Vertical Church, Vertical Kids Early Learning Academy, and Horizontal SA. A founding member of Vertical Church, Dione has helped shape the ministry administratively since its inception. After more than 20 years of experience in higher education, administration, and community leadership, she transitioned into full-time ministry in 2021 as Executive Pastor and was elevated to Chief of Staff in 2025.
In 2022, Dione received Vertical Church’s Eagle Award—an honor she deeply cherishes—which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment, leadership, and service to the ministry. She holds a BBA in Business Information Systems from the University of the Incarnate Word, an MBA from Troy University, and a postgraduate certification in Information Systems Management from DeVry University. She has also completed additional professional training and received professional commendations in leadership and administration.
Dione, and her husband Corey, have been married for over 20 years and are the proud parents of their daughter Khori.
Omar Ruano
Creative Director
Pastor Rebekah Reese serves as the Executive Pastor of Vertical Church, where she helps oversee church operations, leadership support, communication, and ministry development. She has been a member of Vertical since 2025 and stepped into the Executive Pastor role at the end of that year. Rebekah is passionate about helping the church operate effectively while creating space for ministry to flourish and building healthy ministry systems that support the vision of the church.
Rebekah became a minister in 2012 and was ordained as a pastor in 2018. She holds a Master of Science in Internet Marketing from Full Sail University and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from Saint Xavier University. She and her husband, Charles, have been married for over 10 years and are grateful to be building a life and legacy together with their two daughters, Alaiah and Mia.
Executive Director of Horizontal San Antonio
Dr. Wanita Mercer
Dr. Wanita Mercer is the Executive Director of Horizontal San Antonio and a Teaching Pastor at Vertical Church San Antonio. She was also one of the original12 founding members of Vertical Church. A three-time alumna of the University of the Incarnate Word, she holds a B.A. in Fashion Management, an M.A. in Communication Arts, and a Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in Organizational Leadership — complemented by several professional certifications that reflect her commitment to lifelong learning. An international educator, Dr. Mercer has taught every level from infants to doctoral students in the United States and China.
Dr. Mercer also founded Lead My Heart in 2022 — an executive and civic development firm — and her written works — including When Leaders Love — alongside her leadership wisdom have been featured on platforms including Medium's Authority Magazine, MSN, and Nasdaq. She is also a civic leader, thought leader, and bridge-builder whose influence extends well beyond Vertical and Horizontal. Dr. Mercer serves with organizations including Leadership SAISD, San Antonio Area Foundation, SAISD Foundation, and New Politics Academy, and she served as Scholarship Program Chair for the City of San Antonio's Dr. Martin Luther King Commission in 2024-2025. She is the baby daughter of Michael and Kathey Mercer.
Pastor Alex T. Geiger
Worship Pastor
Alex T. Geiger serves as the Worship Pastor at Vertical Church San Antonio, where he brings two decades of experience in music ministry, creative production, and Spirit-led worship leadership. A gifted preacher, musician, and creative strategist, Alex leads the worship team and creative arts ministry with a vision rooted in excellence, authenticity, and the transforming power of the Gospel. His work at Vertical Church reflects a deep commitment to building worship cultures that are both theologically grounded and creatively alive — where every element of the service points people toward the presence of God.
Beyond the local church, Alex is an Master of Divinity holder and currently a doctoral candidate in the Doctor of Ministry program in Black Church Studies & Public Proclamation at Phillips Theological Seminary, where his academic work explores the rich intersection of musical tradition, prophetic witness, and communal proclamation within the Black church. Alex's life and ministry are shaped by a singular conviction: that creativity, scholarship, and faithful proclamation are not separate lanes — they are one road, leading to the same destination.