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Dear Members,

Our Annual Congregational Meeting is on Sunday, May 17 directly following the 11 AM church service (live and via Zoom). We will vote on next year’s budget and nominations for the Vestry Board, Endowment Investment Board, and the Nominating Committee. We will also hear updates from Church leadership.

Please remember that in order to vote, you must have a recorded contribution within 12 months of the day of the meeting and have been a member for no less than 90 days. If you have any questions about your status, please email Christine Magnarella Ray at christine@charlestonuu.org.

For questions about the proposed budget, please contact Rev. Rebecca rebecca@charlestonuu.org or Christine Magnarella Ray, christine@charlestonuu.org.

*** Continue scrolling for information that will be vital during the
Annual Meeting. ***

Members may also attend the Annual Meeting via Zoom

For Zoom questions, text Sue Findlay at 843-469-5485

Topic: Annual Meeting 2026
Time: May 17, 2026 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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In This Packet

Agenda
House Rules
Resolutions
Minutes from 2025 Annual Meeting
FY 2026-27 Budget
- Budget Summary
- Operating Budget
Vestry Board Candidates
- Rachel Fore
- Jacob Hoyle
- Carolyn Parker
Endowment Investment Board Candidate
- Bill Finn
Nominating Committee Candidate
- Anne Lewis

Agenda

AGENDA
12:30 PM
MAY 17, 2026
ANNUAL MEETING
UNITARIAN CHURCH IN CHARLESTON

Agenda Item	Presenter(s)
1. Call to Order and Survey Instructions	Gale Simmons, Vestry Board Chair, Lisa Thompson Ross, Vestry Board Member	5 min
2. Welcoming Words and Chalice Lighting	Rev. Rebecca Hinds	3 min
3. Determination of a quorum	Gale Simmons	4 min
4. Appointment of Parliamentarian: John Newell	Gale Simmons	3 min
5. Adoption of Resolution #1 Approval of House Rules and Agenda	Gale Simmons	3 min
6. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Congregation on May 18,2025	Gale Simmons	5min
7. Minister's Report	Rev. Rebecca Hinds	5-7 min
8. Vestry Chair's Report	Gale Simmons	5-7 min
9. Financial Report and Adoption of Resolution #2 to approve FY27 Operating Budget	Gale Simmons, Rev. Rebecca Hinds, Lily Colburn, Church Administrator	5-7 min
10. Election of Members for the Vestry (3 Required) and Endowment Investment Board (1 Required)	Lisa Hajjar, NomInating Committee Chair	5-7 min
11. Election for Member of the Nominating Committee (1 required)	Gale Simmons	5 min
12. Thanks to outgoing members of the Vestry, EIB, and Nominating Committee	Gale Simmons	3 min
13. Other Business	Gale Simmons
14. Adjournment	Gale Simmons

House Rules

THE UNITARIAN CHURCH IN CHARLESTON

HOUSE RULES

(INCLUDING SELECTED RULES FROM ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER)
ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING – MAY 17, 2026

1. This meeting will be conducted as a physical meeting with a virtual participation option as provided in Article VI of the Constitution. The virtual option will be via Zoom. The numbers of members physically present and attending on-line through a Zoom platform will be combined for quorum and voting purposes. We have been using the Zoom technology for congregational worship services and for our annual and special meetings since 2020, and we believe most are familiar by now with accessing gatherings on this vehicle. (Members having any technological issues or procedural questions to raise may text Sue Findlay at 843.469.5485) At our special congregational meeting on November 22, 2020, our members formally amended our Constitution to approve this method of virtual participation in congregational meetings.

2. If a member participating virtually via Zoom wishes to be recognized, he or she must so request in the Zoom “chat box.” All members on Zoom will be muted until the Chair recognizes them to speak, following which they will again be muted. Comments or questions in the “chat box” will be conveyed to the members physically present.

3. The meeting shall be conducted by “The Chair,” who shall be addressed as such and not by name and be governed by Roberts Rules of Order except to the extent provided otherwise by the Constitution of the Church.

4. The Chair shall appoint a Meeting Clerk or Clerks to determine if the number of meeting attendees both present and virtually, if any, constitutes a quorum and if the votes at the meeting are sufficient to conduct business. Members participating on Zoom should indicate in the “chat box” how many members are participating on that one device.

5. John Newell will act as Parliamentarian.

6. a. No one may speak unless and until the Chair recognizes them, and no one may speak while seated if able to rise and speak.
b. Members shall give their names when recognized.
c. A member standing “has the floor.” When a member has the floor, he or she shall refrain from speaking directly to another member and shall direct his or her remarks solely to the Chair.

7. a. No one may speak more than twice to any motion or report.
b. A member may not speak a second time until everyone who wishes to speak has spoken at least once.
c. An exception to 7.b. is when the person who has introduced a motion may reply to questions raised on the motion.

8. a. The person introducing a motion may speak for 5 minutes in support and explanation of the motion and in reply to questions raised on the motion.
b. Comments made by other members shall be limited to two minutes.

9. A moving party shall have the right to speak first for the motion.

10. A motion made by or for a committee or the Vestry Board does not require a second.

11. There shall be no general discussion unless a motion is pending before the congregation or a report has been given, and the discussion is germane to the motion or report.

12. General voting rules:
a. A vote of not less than 2/3 of those voting is required for the adoption and modification or suspension of these Rules.
b. Any vote not requiring a 2/3 vote of members present and voting shall be carried by a simple majority of votes cast.
c. Motions to “Call the Previous Question” to cut off discussion or to close nominations and proceed to a vote must be seconded and may not be amended or debated.
d. Motions to “Call the Previous Question” require a 2/3 vote of the members present and voting to carry.
e. An exception to 12.d. is in the case of nominations when the Chair may declare nominations closed if no one rises to propose additional nominations and may accept the Call to proceed to vote on a motion if no one objects.
f. When debate seems to have reached a close, the Chair may ask, ‘Are you ready for the question?’ If no one objects, the Chair will state clearly the question that is to be decided and proceed to vote on the question.
g. Where multiple amendments are pending, they shall be voted on in the inverse order in which moved.
h. Following each vote, the designee of the Meeting Clerk shall tabulate the votes and advise the Chair, who shall announce the results of the vote.
i. A “Point of Order,” which timely alleges a violation of rules and which may be raised when another has the floor, requires a ruling from the Chair.
j. The ruling from the chair on the “Point of Order” may be overturned on motion, seconded, and carried by a 2/3 vote of the members present and voting, without debate. A Point of Order may also be decided by the assembly initially, when the Chair chooses, in which case it is debatable.

13. Special rules for voting on Zoom:
a. All members present on Zoom and voting, including multiple members on the same Zoom device, will be presumed to vote “yes” unless stated otherwise in the chat box for “abstentions” or “no’s”.
b. If more than one member is participating on the same Zoom device, the member shall indicate how many “no” votes or “abstentions” are cast.
c. A member may also cast a “no” vote or “abstention” by sending a text message to Sue Findlay at 843.469.5485
d. If a member is unable to vote via Zoom, he or she may text their vote to Sue Findlay at 843.469.5485

14. The maker of a motion may modify or withdraw it before it is seconded and stated by the Chair, thereby becoming the “property” of the assembly. Thereafter, if the maker wishes to modify or withdraw his or her resolution, the Chair shall allow it only upon the unanimous consent of the assembly.

15. No business may be transacted after it is declared, pursuant to determination of the Chair or on motion, that a quorum has been lost.

16. Vestry Board nominees’ terms of office shall begin at the first Vestry Board meeting following the Annual Meeting and continue until their successors have been elected and qualified. Other nominees’ terms of office shall begin following their elections and continue until their successors have been elected and qualified.

Resolutions

UNITARIAN CHURCH IN CHARLESTON

ANNUAL MEETING
MAY 17, 2026
RESOLUTIONS

RESOLUTION # 1: APPROVAL OF THE HOUSE RULES AND AGENDA
RESOLVED THAT the “House Rules” to govern the conduct of this meeting and that the Agenda, both previously circulated, are hereby approved.

RESOLUTION #2: APPROVAL OF THE FY2026-27 OPERATING BUDGET
RESOLVED THAT the FY2026-27 Operating Budget (July 1, 2026—June 30, 2027), previously circulated, is hereby approved.

Minutes from Previous Meetings

Unitarian Church in Charleston

Annual Meeting

May 18, 2025

Meeting Minutes

1. Call to Order and Survey Instructions.
Vestry Board Chair, Connie Hayes, called the meeting to order at 12:14 pm. She noted that members were participating both in-person in the Sanctuary and via Zoom. Sue Findlay was monitoring communication with members on Zoom. Connie encouraged those present to continue filling out the survey and provided instructions for completed surveys.

2. Welcoming Words and Chalice Lighting.
Rev Rebecca Hinds offered welcoming opening words and invited Bob Egelson to light the chalice.

3. Appointment of Parliamentarian.
As chair, Connie Hayes appointed John Newell as Parliamentarian for the meeting.

4. Determination of a Quorum.
The Chair declared that a quorum was present with 82 members in-person attendance and 8 members present on Zoom.

5. Adoption of Resolution #1 - Approval of House Rules and the Agenda.
The Chair recognized Vestry Vice-Chair, Gale Simmons, to present a motion to adopt the Resolution on Procedures and House Rules and the Agenda. Gale moved that the Resolution be adopted. No second is required for motions coming from the Vestry Board. There were no questions or discussion. The Resolution was unanimously approved.

6. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Congregation on May 19, 2024.
The minutes were distributed in the Annual Meeting packet. The Chair asked if any questions or amendments. There were no corrections, additions or edits from members. Carolyn Parker moved that the minutes of the May 19, 2024 Congregational Annual Meeting be approved as distributed. Mark Farnham seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved and passed.

7. Minister's Report.
The Chair called on Rev. Rebecca Hinds to present her annual report. She began by presenting some positive news from the past year. The church has seen an increase in the number of visitors, increased attendance, new members joining the church. Forty percent of visitors have become members. Programs are doing well; this morning's Forum had 45 in attendance. The RE program is holding steady with 30 families registered. The Family Circle has vibrant monthly gatherings, meeting in members' homes. She reports 186 members are engaged in one of the small groups offered through the church. Charleston Pride celebration has been moved from June to October.

She referenced the resignation of the RE/Membership Director and plans to fill this position. Rather than hire one full-time person, the job will be split into two part-time positions. And by changing the position from a director level to a coordinator level position, funds are available to help balance the budget. The final results of the pledge campaign are still pending, so what programs/things will have to be adjusted are not yet known. In the interim, until these positions are filled, Rev. Rebecca made an appeal to the congregation that members will be counted on to volunteer time.

In closing, she thanked the congregation for their support and that she appreciates the privilege to serve as our minister.

8. Vestry Chair's Report.
Connie Hayes reported on the work of the Vestry this past year. At the August 29, 2024 retreat, the Vestry worked to focus on what the big questions are for our community. The Vestry took on the question of "how do we build a resilient community", encompassing not only climate change, but also how to be resilient with political, cultural and social threats being experienced. The Vestry also heard from the community that a balanced budget is of high priority. Staff adjustments to a smaller staff, means that to maintain programs the church community will be tasked with stepping up. The Vestry has a shared responsibility with the staff. Connie reminded members that Vestry meetings are open to members to participate as observers. Development of church leaders and the expansion of volunteer opportunities will be a focal point for the Vestry this year.

In an effort to capitalize on the sense of collective energy among the congregation to "do something", the Vestry is working to implement the "Community of Communities" vision. This concept was introduced at a SCUUJA workshop led by Paula Cole Jones, of All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, DC. The Vestry led a Sunday Forum on this concept. The idea is that members are engaged in small affinity groups around some common interest. These communities collaborate to promote UU values in the broader community. Some examples of these communities are Social Justice team, Connecting Circles, Women's Alliance, Men's Group, Eden Keepers, Family Circle, Book Groups, Gen Z and Millennials. The Vestry has initiated engagement with leaders of these communities. "More to come, so stay tuned!".

9. Financial Report and Adoption of Resolution #2 to Approve FY'26 Operating Budget.
The Chair called on Christine Magnarella Ray, Director of Finance and Operations, to present a report on the year end fiscal results and FY26 Operating Budget. Christine reported that through April, the church is "doing excellent" in terms of meeting fiscal goals. Pledges fund 75 percent of the budget; pledges from new members exceeded 15 percent. The auction is another major source of income. Other revenue comes from rentals. Christine commended Sue Findlay for doing a fabulous job at managing rentals of the facilities. On the expense side, insurance and taxes were down $8K. The Operating Reserves had up to $49K available to be used but only $15K was necessary to meet expenses.

She then presented the FY26 budget. The budget was set with the following goals in mind - to present a balanced budget, fund 2 new positions/jobs, meet UUA comparable wage standards, adequate funds for ongoing maintenance of the facilities. Christine noted that for the Charleston area, $26 per hour, for a single person, with no children, is considered a living wage. Unfortunately, we are not able to meet that standard. There are no funds to be transferred from the Operating Reserves as a Vestry goal was to present a balanced budget, no deficit spending.

Christine asked that Gale Simmons, Vestry Vice-Chair, be recognized. On behalf of the Vestry Board, Gale moved that Resolution #2, the Operating Budget for the Unitarian Church in Charleston's Fiscal Year 26 (July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027) be approved. The Chair asked for a second of this motion. John Hopkins seconded the motion.

At this point, Connie opened the floor for any questions or comments about the budget. Nancy Simpson asked if our church was paying our fair share of UUA dues. Christine answered that we are not; we pay half of the amount deemed our fair share according to the UUA. Richard Hayes added that we have paid our fair share in the past but that the UUA changed procedures several years ago making it more difficult to meet the 7 percent fee. There was some discussion about insurance of the buildings on campus. A question was raised as to how to get part-time salaries to the Charleston area living wage. Christine answered that to raise salaries, we need more members who are pledging units but that current economic conditions are making personal budgets tighter for everyone.

The Chair asked for a vote of the FY26 budget. No abstentions, no nay votes. The budget was unanimously accepted and approved.

10. Election of member for the Vestry (3 required) and Endowment Investment Board (1 required).
The Chair, Connie Hayes, recognized Lisa Hajjar, Chair of the Nominating Committee, to present nominees for the Vestry. Lisa thanked the Nominating Committee for their work in selecting members as candidates for these vacancies.
Nominees were asked to stand as their name was placed in nomination. Lisa, on behalf of the Nominating Committee, presented the following candidates to serve on the Vestry Board - Polly Grant, Claire Law and Rick Schmiedt.

Lisa presented the name of Trip Banner as a candidate for the Endowment Investment Board. No questions or comments.

The Chair asked for any nominations from the floor. None presented, nominations closed. The Chair called for a vote; no second of the motion needed per Resolution #1. The slate of candidates was unanimously approved.

11. Election of members for the Nominating Committee (2 required).
As Vestry Vice Chair, Gale Simmons presented candidates to replace outgoing Nominating Committee members. Nominated candidates are Susan Garrison and George Tempel. The Chair called for nominations from the floor; none presented. A vote was called to approve these candidates. Both candidates were unanimously approved.

12. Thanks to outgoing members of the Vestry, EIB and Nominating Committee.
Chair Connie Hayes thanked the outgoing members of the Vestry, Allison Sterrett-Krause and Steve Wilson; EIB, Ren Manning; and the Nominating Committee, Abby Himmelein and Maureen Porter. Connie thanked these members for their work and dedication to the church community.

13. Other business.
On behalf of the Vestry, in-coming Chair, Gale Simmons, presented gifts to Connie for her leadership and service as out-going Vestry Chair. She also presented thank you gifts to outgoing Vestry members, Allison and Steve.

14. Adjournment.
A motion to adjourn was presented by Paul Garbarini. George Tempel seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. The meeting was adjourned at 1:24 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,
Diane Hopkins
Vestry Board Secretary

FY 2026-27 Budget

The Unitarian Church in Charleston

FY2026-27 Operating Budget Summary

During the Let Our Light Shine pledge drive, we asked Members to increase their giving in order to achieve some dream budget items. Our pledge goal was $429,700 or a 6% increase in pledge donations. The response to the drive was overall very positive. 214 households (92% of our members) responded with an average overall increase of 12% from their current pledges. Over half of our members increased their pledges, and 18 households jumped to the next giving level! To date, we have reached 91% of our goal. Our projections indicate we will achieve a total of $415,000 in current pledge donations.

Using the pledge projection of $415,000, the budget includes a $16,000 increase in total income.

Operating Income from external sources increases by $6,500 and includes:

$10,000 increases for pledges
$1,000 decrease in other donations
$7,500 increase for fundraising, mostly due to the success of the Around the World Raffle
$2,000 decrease in interest due to falling bank interest rates
$15,000 decrease in churchyard tour income based on this year’s actual tour revenue (the tours us pay per person for exclusive use of the graveyard at night)

Our Operating Budget also includes an increase of $9,500 in income from these sources:

$1,000 increase from The Alliance ($1,000 in FY26)
$6,000 from the Lucy Boyle Fund for our Lifespan Learning Program
$2,500 increase from our newly established Operating Endowments. A percentage of the fees from the Memorial Walkway and the Open Space Memorial Garden will be distributed annually to support churchyard maintenance. A percentage of the Operating Endowment Fund will be distributed to support general Operating expenses.

Again this year, our goal was to present a balanced budget to the congregation. In order to do this, we were not able to include most of our dream budget goals. We were unable to include merit increases for staff, dream items for programs and teams, and an increase in our dues to the UUA.

Operating Expenses increase by $15,600

We prioritized three of our dream goals, which we feel are essential to keeping our talented and dedicated staff. These include:

a 3.2% cost of living increase for all staff.

An increase in wages for the facilities manager to bring his pay closer to a living wage for Charleston
An increase in hours for our new talented Membership Coordinator, so she can expand her engagement programs for new and current members.

The $14,700 in dream budget items we are unable to fund are:

$4,200 for staff merit raises and bonuses
$1,500 for staff and volunteer training
$400 for an all-church leadership retreat
$800 for an RE Family End of Year Celebration
$4,800 for 2 male choristers
$2,000 for new exhibit about our church history
$1,000 increase for UUA dues

Balanced Budget:

The Operating Budget presented this year does not require any money from the Operating Reserves to balance. The minimum balance required to be maintained in the Operating Reserve (equal to three months of essential operating expenses) is $137,732. The current balance in the Operating Reserve is $167,397, which is $29,665 more than the minimum balance.

Property Insurance:

There are two big unknowns in the proposed Operating budget, and both involve the cost of property and comprehensive insurance. The UUA is now working with Gallagher brokerage and Guide One Insurance to provide all UUA congregations insurance, with the hope of creating more affordable coverage. Guide One, like all the other major insurance carriers, has already informed us that it will not cover our historic Sanctuary. The UUA’s broker is working to see if any other carriers will provide that coverage. That is the first unknown.

The second unknown concerns the cost of insurance for the rest of the campus. We currently hold high-risk insurance which was $31,833 in 2025. We don’t yet know what premium Guide One will offer us. Therefore the 2026-27 Operating Budget insurance line remains unchanged.

CLICK HERE
FY 2026-27 Operating Budget
Unitarian Church in Charleston

Vestry Board Candidates

Rachel Fore

Rachel Fore moved to Charleston August 1st, 2022, and started attending our church August 6th, 2022. Having moved to Charleston for graduate school (go Tigers!), Rachel was hesitant to fully commit to joining the church until she knew she would be staying. Despite that, Rachel joined the Archives committee for their weekly meetings throughout her second year of graduate school.

After graduating in 2024 with her Master of Science in Historic Preservation and securing a job with the City of Charleston as the Preservation Planner, she officially joined the church in May 2024. Since then, she has volunteered with James Island Outreach, attended SCUUJA / CAJM events, been a greeter on Sunday mornings, helped with Sunday Coffee Hour, and shared community with the Gen-Z / Millennial group. She shared her Story of Belonging with the congregation this past March. This year, she will also be a member of the Resiliency Task Force where she hopes to put her preservation knowledge to good use.

Rachel is passionate about service, history, social justice, and living and sharing our UU values. The more she has gotten to know everyone, the more eager and excited she is to dig deeper and not only participate in but help give back to this wonderful community.

Rachel got engaged in January 2026. She and her fiancé, Jeff, are deep in the throes of wedding planning. Their dog, Yaya, is blissfully ignorant and still demanding to be the center of attention. Rachel also serves as the Treasurer for the North Charleston Democrats. Her hobbies include long walks around the neighborhood and exploring the county parks with Jeff and Yaya, knitting, reading, doing yoga, playing board games, and puzzling when the weather is right (i.e. too cold to be outside).

Jacob Hoyle

Jacob Hoyle joined the Charleston UU congregation in November 2024 at James Island County Park. Jacob is grateful to have been nominated for the Vestry Board because he values institutions that are intellectually responsible, principled, and willing to translate their beliefs into action. He has long valued church governance and was a frequent member-visitor at session and mission committee meetings at his former Presbyterian church in North Carolina at the pleasure of the Clerk. Jacob has agreed to serve on the Resilience Task Force, where he hopes to apply his experience as a research scientist to the charge of reporting on climate change and other challenges that may affect the congregation’s mission. At UGA, he served as secretary of the graduate student association while writing his thesis.

Jacob, his wife Olivia, and their distinguished cats live near Avondale in West Ashley. Jacob directs regulatory affairs for a plant biotechnology startup, supervising USDA, EPA, and FDA interactions and registrations. His work requires navigating complex organizations and clarifying policy, skills he believes translate well into service in trust for the congregation. In March, Jacob and Olivia shared their story of belonging and expressed their appreciation for the congregation’s intellectual engagement, moral seriousness, and spiritual and emotional support in times of conflict and injustice. Jacob is an avid birder, amateur photographer, and pacifist.

Carolyn Parker

Serving on the Vestry Board is a new step in my church journey. It’s my way of giving back for all the joy and spiritual growth I’ve received these past seven years. The Church congregation and the values reinforced every week, keep me sane in this turbulent political atmosphere. Currently, I am a member of the Worship Associates Team as well as the Annual Pledge Drive Committee. Previously I have served as a Team Leader on the CAJM committee. I frequently sign up for food when asked, volunteer for decorating duties, contribute to the Blessing Box as well as Period Pixies. The experience I’ve gained working on other committees gives me confidence that I can be a valuable contributor to the Vestry.

I’m a native of Philadelphia PA and lived in California for 26 years before moving to the Charleston area. I earned my degree in Information Systems Management at the University of San Franciso and previously worked at several software companies. In my retirement I’m rekindling my love of art by doing painting commissions and crafts. Jerry Moore, who introduced me to the church, and I have been married since 2020. I’m blessed to be loved by his two children and three grandchildren. Our 26 year old Blue Fronted Amazon parrot, Ria, rounds out our family.

EIB Candidates

Bill Finn

After serving 20 years as Chairman and CEO of Asten Johnson, in 2006, Bill retired as Chief Executive Officer. He remained Chairman until July 2018. He also has served or serves on several boards of family and public companies including Vice Chair and Acting Chairman of Santee Cooper. He has always been active in his community and has served on many community boards. He is currently Treasurer of the SCETV Endowment. He is also past Chairman of Trident United Way. Bill was Past Chairman of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance and the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance. He is Chairman of Turn90 a recidivism program of high-risk recently released detainees.

Bill received a BS degree in Textile Engineering from the Thomas Jefferson University and a MS degree in Textile Engineering from the Institute of Textile Technology. He is also a graduate of the President’s Program at Harvard Business School. He received an Honorary PhD in 2019 from the College of Charleston for long time involvement with the School of Business. He recently received the South Carolina Community Leadership award from the Riley Institute at Furman University.

Bill and Prudence Finn have attended and have been active supporters of the church for over 38 years. Bill’s primary involvement with the church has been with the Endowment Investment Board (EIB). He first joined the EIB in the 1980’s and served continuously until he recommended and supported term limits.

Nominating Committee Candidates

Anne Lewis

I became a Member of the Unitarian Church in Charleston in early 2015 after relocating to Charleston from Alexandria, VA. I am going into my 12th year here and have served on the Membership Committee as co-chair for three years (under previous church structure), Greeter/Usher for 11 years and two years ago served as co-lead of the Annual Auction committee. Along the way, I’ve also collaborated with multiple members on a broad range of church-related activities including the Alliance for the past five years assisting with Rummage Sales, Bake Sales and other special events. As a lifelong Unitarian, I’ve learned to appreciate the merits of scalable potluck recipes!
I recently retired from my consulting career focused on the design, simulation and management of clinical trials. In addition to my UCC involvement and serving on my HOA Board, I am starting my 6th year as President of the College of Charleston’s School of the Arts Advisory Council.
When I don’t have local commitments, I am typically on the road to either Memphis or Seattle visiting my three grandsons. I am mother to two daughters: Molly in Seattle with husband, Jeff, and 3-year-old Noah; and, Sarah in Memphis with husband, Charlie, 4-year-old Teddy and 2-year-old Cooper.
While serving for years as a Greeter, I have had the good fortune of getting to know many of the church members by name, and have enjoyed being able to connect with potential members and visitors. Making those initial connections and conveying a welcome message helps to create a stronger church community. Being able to identify and recommend members for the Vestry in the church stems from greeting and I look forward to supporting the goals of the Nominating Committee.