This post provides updates from your UUSS volunteer leaders, and this month includes information from the Board of Trustees the Program Council.

Board of Trustees

This email provides an important update from your Board of Trustees. In support of our Strategic Plan, the Board of Trustees is in the process of evaluating the buildings that house our meeting spaces, RE classrooms, nursery, and the ministers’ and some staff offices. An important first step in this process is to engage an architecture firm, solicit your feedback, and address your questions, concerns, and comments. Read on as we explain how you can get involved.

UUSS prepared a Master Plan for its buildings in 2011. The Master Plan evaluated our future needs as compared to the buildings that existed at that time. It was the first step in the process leading to the rebuilding of what is now our Sanctuary and Welcome Hall. That work was completed in 2015. The Master Plan also envisioned expansion and renovation of the three smaller hexagonal buildings that house our meeting spaces, RE classrooms, the nursery, and offices for our ministers and some of our staff. However, that work was deferred as cost estimates for the Sanctuary and Welcome Hall were higher than expected.

Our Strategic Plan, adopted in 2019 and updated in 2025 by the vote of the Congregation, included an objective to evaluate our facilities relative to their ability to support the goals in the Strategic Plan. To assist us with this, the Board intends to initiate a contract with Mogavero Architects. The scope of this contract includes interfacing with Sacramento County, assisting us in articulating our needs for these buildings to support our growing programs for years to come, and preparing conceptual and schematic designs and cost estimates for renovation or replacement. These first phases will take more than a year to complete at a cost of $62,000 for the architecture contract.

Mogavero Architects has been highly recommended to us. Much of their work is with non-profit and for-profit developers of affordable housing, and their values as a firm align with ours. We talked with them several times and met with them once prior to requesting a proposal for these first phases of work. It is possible that the emerging designs could lead to a capital fundraising campaign in the congregation and then soliciting bids for a construction project for the next phase of our campus improvements.

As always, as a Board, we invite your ideas, feedback, and questions. You can email us at board@uuss.com. The Board also envisions forming a task force to guide this process. We are looking for members that can act as stakeholders for these buildings and the programs that they house (for example, you have a child or youth in RE, you volunteer in our RE program, or you host meetings or gatherings in the buildings). We also are looking for members with experience in planning, design, construction, and (if needed) fundraising. Do you have an interest? Talk with us! You can email us at board@uuss.com.

Working together, we envision these revitalized buildings supporting our growing congregation and our thriving programs for many years to come.

Program Council

The Program Council has appointed Sean Fountain and Joyce Ownbey as Co-Chairs for the church year 2026-2027.

Our annual Activity Fair will be after the Ingathering Service on September 13, on the covered patio! Group leaders should expect to receive a contact regarding registration for the Activity Fair in the next few weeks, so look out for that or reach out proactively to Joyce Ownbey and/or Dave Paul of the Program Council.

How to get in touch with your volunteer leaders:

Your elected Board of Trustees meets monthly. Our next meeting will be Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 6:30 PM, on Zoom (by accessing the same Zoom link as the Sunday morning services) and in-person gathering in the library. You are welcome to join us! The Board’s role is to oversee issues of UUSS finances, facilities, personnel and long-range planning; it makes decisions on policies rather than management decisions. You can find more information about the Board and read the Board meeting minutes and Treasurer’s report here uuss.org/board.

To contact the Board, email board@uuss.org

UUSS 2026/2027 Board of Trustees:
Andy Cramer – President, Ted Scott-Femenella – Vice President, Victoria Owens – Treasurer, Fred Pannek – Secretary, Members-at-Large: Emily Moran-Vogt, Karen Smith, Lue Bishop, Mathew Espinosa-Castro, Patty Innes. Also, our Co-Ministers are ex-officio members (without a vote) of the Board, Program Council and most committees.

The Program Council will meet via Zoom on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Persons interested in attending a meeting or contacting the Program Council can email  programcouncil@uuss.org

Your 2026/2027 Program Council members are: Sean Fountain, Joyce Ownbey, co-chairs; Danielle Vickers, Maria Espinosa-Castro, Michael Feliciano, Dave Paul.