ASC Nominating Committee 2009 Report to Congregation

The 2009 Nominating Committee is proud to announce our nominations for the Board of Trustees and church officers. We present the congregation with a choice of seven highly qualified nominees for three open three-year and one open one-year term on the Board of Trustees, as well as candidates for the church officers: moderator, treasurer, assistant treasurer, membership secretary, secretary, and assistant secretary.

This diverse group of nominees offers an impressive variety of backgrounds, skills, and experience, all of which could prove useful on the Board. The four trustees elected at the annual meeting on December 6, 2009 will join the five continuing trustees: Goldia Hodgdon, Erika Landburg, Mary Hill Rojas, Fred Samuels, and Libby Turpen. Leaving the Board after completing their three-year terms are Josephine Nieves and Joneis Thomas. Fred Tipson has completed a one-year term and will stand for reelection this year. The congregation will have opportunities to meet with candidates at tables in the 15th Street hallway after services on November 15, 22, and 29.

Although the Nominating Committee's reporting deadline was October 25, nominations can still be made by petition or from the floor at the annual meeting.

Nominees for Board of Trustees (four positions: three at three years, one at one year)

We asked the candidates to provide essays of up to 200 words describing their All Souls volunteer activities, special talents and background, and why they are interested in serving the church in this way.

Julie Agarwal. My name is Julie and I’m running for trustee. I seek to help All Souls become diverse and assist to heal our community from the struggles we faced this past year. I’ve worked on diversity issues at All Souls (change in welcome Sunday mornings; diversity of race and beliefs).

My volunteering includes: assistant treasurer/treasurer, worship associate; usher, counter, house manager for KUUMBA Players; Weekend on the Bay, Young Souls member, committee member (Caring, Auction, Denominational Affairs, Worship, Stewardship); steering committee member (50-year JUUbilee of A. Powell Davies, Inaugural Ball); four-time ASC General Assembly delegate; and working on study action “Women’s Rights Worldwide.” While the assistant treasurer, I created the counter-corps and developed the streamlined counting procedure for Sunday collections, which tracks the funds you donate. I’ve taken classes, participated in marches/rallies, and am a former member of two covenant groups. I also travelled to Middle Collegiate Church in NYC with the choir. I’ve attended since 2003. I’m an attorney with a finance degree and possess financial management and strategic/policy development experience. I’m a former leader of the Indian-American community and have held leadership positions at nonprofits. I ask for your vote. Thank you.

Shirley Blakely. I would consider it a privilege to serve on the ASC Board of Trustees because of the church’s pioneering accomplishments of the past, its tremendous reach in the present, and its enormous potential for its future. During my 36-year membership at ASC, I’ve served in various capacities, including one term on the BOT and as an RE teacher for two years during Rev. David Eaton’s ministry. Additionally, I have been a Jubilee Singer for the past four years, in two KUUMBA plays, and on the Nominating Committee, Caring Group, ASC Quilting Committee, and the Stole-making Group crafting stoles for newly ordained ministers, including one for Rev. Hardies. The spiritual uplifting that I receive from ASC each week stays with me and influences my humanistic approaches everyday both in my personal and professional interactions. I am interested in serving on the ASC BOT to help sustain the church that we love so it can continue to grow and flourish into the future.

Mark Ewert has been a fundraising professional for over 10 years and is currently a stewardship consultant for the Unitarian Universalist Association. He formed the ASC Development Ministry Team in 2002 and served as annual pledge drive co-chair in 2006 and 2007. He has spoken regularly at new member orientations, at the worship associates orientations, has presented a workshop at General Assembly, and served as an ASC delegate there. Mark is also a professional leadership coach.

Interest in board service: I pledge to offer my skills and intelligence to benefit All Souls. As a UUA congregational stewardship consultant, I have supported congregations with both stable and faltering governance; I even know how policy governance is supposed to work! As our church grows, I feel it is important to honor our long-time members, reach out to visitors and newer members, and help everyone find a spiritual home here. We also need to look toward the future with ambition and optimism. As All Souls moves toward a challenging capital campaign, I feel that the best way to use my experience and gifts to benefit All Souls is by serving on the Board of Trustees. Please support me with your congregational vote.

Laurie Lester. I have attended All Souls since 2001, and my connections extend much further: my parents married here and I attended RE classes in kindergarten. My son Carlos grew up here, and I met and recently married my husband here. I love this community for its radical hospitality, its leadership in social justice issues throughout the years, its connection to a larger tradition of a free and questioning search for meaning, and for the music and words which salve the soul and lift the heart.

My involvement has included teaching and serving on the RE committee, ushering, worship associate, and work on the archives, the recent Inaugural Ball and Jazz Fest, the stewardship committee and Bed and Breakfast program.

Congregational life can be messy—and we are, all, in relationship with one another. We have been through a rough year that has also had many highlights. Like any shared ordeal, I think we have mostly grown closer for the experience.

As a trustee I wish to take care of this church: the people, these ideas, this place; and ensure that we plan carefully for coming challenges: caring for this facility; strengthening diversity while growing; working across differences respectfully and productively.

Thomas Poole. I have been associated with UU churches for 32 years, including on staff of All Souls Church in NYC for 10 years, with Forrest Church, and at Jefferson UU Church in Colorado, with UU President, Peter Morales. Carol and I have been members of ASC in Washington for almost three years. I have two seminary degrees and am formerly a minister in another denomination. While at All Souls I have served in these positions: Denominational Affairs Committee, Music Search Committee, and Music Committee. In addition, I have been a singer and soloist in the choir, I was delegate to the UU General Assemblies in Ft. Lauderdale and in Salt Lake City, and represented All Souls at the UU Musicians Network Conferences in Boston and Portland. For the past 10 years I have volunteered my services in UU churches in the Mt. Desert District from Montana to Texas, and am currently doing the same in the J. P. District. My professional singing career has included at least 75 opera companies and more than 100 symphonies in 14 nations on four continents. In addition, I am a retired university professor of music emeritus.

Fred Tipson [completing a one-year term, eligible for election to a full board term]. I would like to continue to serve on the Board of Trustees when my one-year term expires in December. My experience on the Board (and four years in the choir) has solidified my commitment to key priorities of All Souls: the 20/20 Visioning process, a multi-cultural/multi-racial congregation, reform of our governance standards and procedures, a successful capital campaign. With inspirational leadership and a dedicated community of volunteers, All Souls has immense opportunities for further growth and impact. In the coming year, I intend to initiate a "Global Souls" group, drawing on the rich experience and interest of many members of the congregation to build relationships and understanding of the world beyond the USA, and to explore the insights of the Unitarian heritage in defining our responsibilities as citizens of that larger world.

My wife, Laura, and I joined All Souls in 2005 and share a deep affection for the Church. We have three grown children and live on Capitol Hill. I am director of the Washington office of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and have both a law degree and a doctorate in foreign affairs.

Moderator

Jody Feldman (incumbent). I have been a UU since 1986 and have held several church leadership positions, including Board president and chair of the Council, Pledge Campaign, and Long Range Planning. I attended leadership school with the Thomas Jefferson district of the UUA.

I joined All Souls in September 2003. I sang in the All Souls Choir for several years and served on the Music Ministry Committee. With the Church Council, I have helped organize and facilitate our leadership and planning workshops, organized the groups into ministry teams, and facilitated the six-session leadership training in 2008. I am currently working with the Stewardship Team to increase our sophistication in the area of financial sustenance for the church, which includes support for the Generosity Campaign and the Auction. As moderator, I facilitate annual congregational meetings and all special congregational meetings. As an officer, I attend meetings of the Board of Trustees.

Professionally, I am a consultant in the area of organization change, and I bring those interests and skills to my church life. I want us to operate efficiently, openly and fairly, in an environment that makes it easy for all of us to be involved in the life of the church.

Membership Secretary

Allison Denny has attended All Souls since November 2001. She has been a member of the Generosity Committee for several years and served as co-chair of the Generosity Campaign in 2008. She is an usher, a member of the Soulful Path group, and attends the meditation program on Sunday evenings. Previously, she was a member of the inaugural Roots and Wings session as well as a women's covenant group.

Allison works for a small IT startup where she manages a software development project for the Office of the Legislative Counsel at the U.S. House of Representatives. The software uses extensible markup language (XML) to automatically update existing law when new legislation is passed. She has a B.A. from Northwestern, an M.L.S. from Maryland, and an M.A. from Georgetown.

Raised a Quaker in Indiana, Allison is delighted to have found a spiritual home among the UUs in DC. She lives in a cozy 11-foot wide row house in the U Street neighborhood with her husband, Topher, an English teacher at the SEED school, and their two pugs, Molly and Taz. In her spare time, she cooks vegetarian meals, watches too much reality television, and considers training for a marathon. She prefers the early service.

Secretary

Marian Urquilla. I’ve been a member of All Souls since 1996. I am seeking the role of secretary because I want to contribute to the strength of our church, and I believe my organizational and communication skills and extensive board experience will allow me to do so in a positive way through this role.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to serve the church in a variety of roles. I co-led the Border People covenant group and was a member of the Building Beloved Community Committee; I’ve served as a member of the long-range planning committee and as member of the Beckner Committee, including a term as chair; and I’ve served on the ministerial relations committee. In my professional life, I currently serve as director for program strategies at Living Cities, a national philanthropic collaborative. In May 2008, I concluded 12 years of service as the executive director of a neighborhood nonprofit organization, the Columbia Height/Shaw Family Support Collaborative, and I have over a 20-year history of neighborhood involvement in Ward 1. Currently I serve on the board of the DC-based Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness.

Dori Phelps. I am running for church secretary because I believe each church member should be deeply involved in the running of his or her church. I believe in making the weekly commitment to be present each Sunday for myself and receive that blessing, and to participating in this community.

I joined the New Light Missionary Baptist Church (Illinois) in 1988, where I worshiped with three generations of Phelps women and served ten years as a Sunday school teacher and usher. I moved to DC as a student at American University and graduated in 2001 in theater. In my first year after joining All Souls in 2007, I taught the RE intermediate class, ushered, and participated in the Soulful Path class. I currently sing in the Jubilee choir, serve as an usher, and have joined the ASC Women's Covenant Group.

My special talent is the ability to bring sunshine into as many situations as possible by projecting my belief of unconditional love to everyone I meet. I also believe I am the funniest person in the world. I’m like my parents; I’ve never met a stranger and see each of us as a wonderful piece of God.

Assistant Secretary

Catharine Clarenbach has been busy in her first year and a half at All Souls. She has served on the All Souls 2020 Visioning Subcommittee of the Board since March 2009, and was a facilitator at the October 17 summit. She has participated in leadership training, the Soulful Path group, and has co-facilitated an adult spiritual development course on discernment. In the past, she has been assistant secretary of an interfaith organization where she was on the board, and has worked with other boards on strategic planning, leadership development, fundraising, and legislative education. She also has extensive experience working with nonprofits in staff roles, as a volunteer coordinator, events coordinator, fundraiser, HIV/AIDS and sexual health educator, and abortion counselor/hotline operator.

Catharine believes that two of the most important tasks of leadership are deep listening and attention to the movements of spirit within the congregation as well as within the leadership group. Not only that, she has a special affection for (well-run) meetings! She loves the people and the energy of All Souls, and is blessed and grateful for her relationships here.

Treasurer

Barry Johnson (incumbent). I am currently serving as the treasurer for All Souls, having filled the vacant position in February of this year, and served for a period of time as treasurer several years ago. As part of the treasurer’s role, I serve on the Investment and Audit Committees and work closely with executive director of All Souls monitoring the finances of the church. I also am a member of the Governance Review Committee.

My professional experience serves as good background for this position. I currently am the chief financial officer of ACON Investments, a DC-based private equity investment firm with over $1 billion in capital under management. Prior to joining ACON, I served as the CFO of two other investment firms. I am a certified public accountant and earned my B.S. in accounting, cum laude, from the University of Maryland at College Park and my M.B.A. from Loyola College of Baltimore.

I have been a member of All Souls for over five years and am glad to be able to use my experience to give back to the church.

Assistant Treasurer

Andrew Miller (incumbent). Andrew Miller works as a human rights campaigner with Amazon Watch and has been attending ASC with his wife, Maury, since 2004. His involvement in the church has intensified in the last two years since moving back to DC from southern Sudan. This year, he stepped in as assistant treasurer, has been involved with the KUUMBA Players, and collaborated with Green Souls.

One of the assistant treasurer’s central responsibilities is to mobilize a group of church members to diligently count each week’s offering. Having dedicated his life to working with grassroots movements, Andrew has both been a volunteer and extensively organized others. He also has organizational financial skills, through his experiences working with nonprofit organizations, though these are less necessary with ASC’s highly capable treasurer, Barry Johnson.

Andrew would be honored to continue as assistant treasurer, because to date it has proven to be an extremely enriching experience, opening the doors to meet many new people in the church and to see the fascinating inner workings of the institution. Andrew also believes that he brings an energy and dedication that is valuable to the functioning of the church officers group, the Board of Trustees, and the church as a whole.