Biography
My family of origin
A life-long Unitarian Universalist from the Boston area, I am passionate about vibrant, robustly spiritual, urban ministry in a multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-generational setting. My great loves in congregational ministry include worship leadership, collaborative leadership development, institutional anti-racism and anti-oppression work, and the building of resilient networks of pastoral care. A graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry, I was ordained at All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, DC, where I served as Intern Minister. In 2015, I completed service as the Interim Advancement Director at Starr King School for the Ministry, overseeing the seminary’s fundraising and Institutional Advancement work, and served as the Minister for Worship and Pastoral Care at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland in Oakland, California from 2015-2016. I'm honored to now serve as the Lead Minister at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where I was called in 2016.
Hiking in Southern Utah
Before entering the ministry, I was a lay leader in Unitarian Universalism for fifteen years on a local, regional, and national level, leading a successful effort to gain a voting youth trustee on the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) board of trustees, working as a staff Youth Programs Specialist at the UUA, and serving for eight years on the UUA’s continental Ministerial Fellowship Committee. In 2008, I had the honor of serving as keynote speaker at the national UU Allies for Racial Equity (ARE) conference, an organization for white UU anti-racist activists committed to a relationship of accountability to people and communities of color.
Kai and I awaiting the solar eclipse at a park.
In congregations I have belonged to and served, I have worked with stewardship drives, capital campaigns, boards, hiring committees, youth and young adult ministries, anti-racism and anti-oppression teams, covenant group ministries, pastoral care programs, and I have created contemplative vespers service programs and new vocal ensembles.
My previous career has included State-level climate change and energy policy work, grants management, and professional facilitation and conflict management. In addition to a Masters of Divinity from Starr King, I hold a Bachelors degree from Oberlin College in Environmental Studies and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, with concentrations in Nonprofit Management and Human Resources.
My previous career has included State-level climate change and energy policy work, grants management, and professional facilitation and conflict management. In addition to a Masters of Divinity from Starr King, I hold a Bachelors degree from Oberlin College in Environmental Studies and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, with concentrations in Nonprofit Management and Human Resources.
Getting ready to drywall in our house.
I identify as a white, queer, cis-gendered woman. My family of includes my partner, Kai, my mother, brother, and sister-in-law, and now Kai's family as well. My father passed away in 2007 after a short struggle with brain cancer, and I was divorced from a previous marriage in 2009. Though my family is spread out, my life is enriched by a large number of close friends living across the United States.
An avid gardener, hiker, and singer, I live in West Philly with my partner, Kai, and my two snuggly cats, Teacup and Hildegard von Batman. Since the summer of 2017, we have been slowly fixing up our beloved rowhome with the help of friends, family, and the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia community. We are looking forward to a time when we no longer have to live in a construction zone!
My household
Teacup
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Kai & Abbey, on our wedding day
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Hildegard Von Batman
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