Board
Vice President

Ted shares, “When Renee and I first began attending UUSS, I was not prepared or expecting the love and support that we continue to receive from this beloved community. It resonates with my core values and moral compass. I have dedicated my entire adult life to being a force for healing in

the world so the mission aligns perfectly. I believe that visibility and representation are important to Communities of Color. As a black man, my leadership will demonstrate the commitment that UUSS has to being an equity-driven faith organization. I am a relationship-oriented person who engages others with a caring heart and interconnected vision of justice.”

Ted is one of the founding members and co-facilitators of the UUSS Men’s Group as well as a member of the the People of Color Caucus. He has facilitated Soul Matters and participated in legislative lobbying with UUSS and SacAct. He is  a co-founder and current President of the Grantland Johnson Leadership Institute, which trains community members to take on leadership roles and advocates for social justice. Ted served on the executive board of the California Faculty Associate and in the Faculty Senate at Sacramento State University. He facilitated Unconscious Bias training to California State University faculty, trained future parole officers at the California Parole Academy, and served on the UC Davis Hospital Advisory Board, among other leadership roles. He worked as a senior social service and community development planner, pediatric therapist, and lecturer in the CSUS Division of Social Work.

Ted says that, “My skills were honed through my service with boards and programs designed to improve outcomes for poor children and their families. I am committed to racial, economic, environment and social justice ideals. I am confident that I will be an asset as our UUSS community continues on our path of bringing love and light to a world currently darkened by greed and hatred. Strength lies in community.”

Board
Treasurer

Victoria, a retired Certified Public Accountant, enjoys her ongoing work as treasurer. “Most importantly, I enjoy ensuring the congregation can be confident UUSS’ finances are carefully managed, so we can continue to undertake all the work we do. A sound financial footing is essential to UUSS’ continued success. The people who pledge and donate are what keep us going, and it is important to confirm those donations are spent as intended.” In the interest of transparency, Victoria publishes a monthly financial report and is always available for questions.

Victoria has been a UU since 1993 and is deeply committed to our mission, values, and covenant. She explains, “This community, and all our programs are very important to me. Having a part in our mission to be a force for healing in the world, helps me be less hopeless about the future. Having friends and acquaintances who are also interested in this important work is a great relief.”

Board
Member at Large

Since joining UUSS ten years ago, Karen has been very active in the Pastoral Visitors Program and the Safety Committee. She is a familiar face as a Head Greeter at Sunday services.  Karen is a Registered Nurse, retired from UC Davis Medical Center as a Clinical Nurse Specialist.

As a “hands-on” person, Karen is eager to use her experience and expertise in a policy and decision making role as a Member of the Board of Trustees. Karen shares that “UUSS is home for me. I feel very connected to UUSS and would like to serve in a leadership position.”

Board
Member at Large

Linda is a longtime UU who has served on committees and boards of three other UU churches in Illinois, Missouri, and the Bay Area. She served two terms as board president in Los Gatos, CA during the Covid crisis. Having been active in various UU churches and fellowships, Linda can contribute her perspective of diverse congregations and members to UUSS. Linda shares that, “Being part of this community means contributing to, and drawing on, the strength that comes from like minded people working together to make the world a better place for all. My leadership style is one of listening to the individuals who make up the community and trying to bring their needs and concerns to light.”

Linda worked as a  student services coordinator and financial advisor at colleges in the Midwest. She says, “I have a natural rapport with young people.” On the Nominating Committee Linda will help to identify leadership candidates from our younger members and encourage  non-binary and other under-represented members to step forward. Linda looks forward to “being more involved with UUSS and deepening my ties with the community.”

Board
Member at Large

Lue is a former educator who, having served alongside many boards, understands the importance of mission-driven planning, budgeting, and collaborative leadership grounded in shared values. As the daughter of a minister, she had an insider’s glimpse of what it takes for a church to thrive: “I learned early on that it takes all of us using our time, talents, and resources, working collaboratively to strengthen a faith-based community.”

In Lue’s view, engaging others grows from people feeling needed and valued. That would be her goal as a member of the board. She shares that, “This community has provided a safe place in the daily storm and given me strength to do the work the world needs today.”

Board
Member at Large

Mat is grateful to be a part of this congregation that so strongly aligns with his core spiritual and moral values. Since being appointed as a Member at Large in July 2025, he has been honored to serve UUSS during an important season of growth and reflection. In his first year on the Board, Mathew has taken on several leadership roles. He is chairing the Website Redesign Task Force to improve communication and accessibility for members and visitors. He is leading an effort to systematize metrics for evaluating our ministers and tracking progress on the UUSS strategic plan, helping ensure transparent evaluation, measurable progress, and alignment with our shared goals. He also serves as Board liaison to the Program Council, strengthening collaboration between governance and congregational life.

With more than twelve years as an educational leader in P-12 schools and higher education, Mathew brings experience in strategic planning, program development, community engagement, budget stewardship, and team leadership. He is currently a professor of social justice and language education at Sacramento State.  At UUSS, Mathew has facilitated antiracist and social justice workshops, sings in the choir and participates in a variety of affinity groups, including the Young Adults Group, People of Color Caucus, and the Men’s Group.

Mathew shares that, “Being a part of UUSS has introduced me to a powerful support network and helped me feel more rooted to the Sacramento community. In challenging times, this congregation has offered inspiration and belonging. As a Trustee, I am committed to building a beloved community where members feel welcomed and valued, and to providing steady, thoughtful governance that sustains our mission and advances justice in our wider society.”

Program Council

Danielle and her husband started attending UUSS in 2025.  She says, “From the moment we walked in the building we were greeted warmly and genuinely.  I was deeply moved by the first few services we attended; I had never heard of UU before we first attended and had never understood (or felt) a part of a community in this way. I have come to believe that community is a relationship that requires interactions. We get what we give.” Danielle’s diverse work history, from coffee shops, to retail, to positions in public service, has enabled her to adapt to and learn many roles and to develop leadership experience in varied organizations.

Danielle seeks to use her own transformative experience at UUSS to help foster and facilitate programs that give others the feeling of welcoming connectedness that she has found. She plans to make connections, ask questions, and look for answers. As a newer member of the congregation, she will bring a helpful new perspective to the work of the Program Council.

Program Council

In her time on the Program Council Joyce has enjoyed working with its members and the Program Group leaders and members. She finds fulfillment in collaborating with members and helping the UUSS groups thrive and reach their goals. A second term on the Program Council will enable her to deepen her connections and strengthen her contribution.

A retired high school biology teacher, Joyce is involved in diverse UUSS groups, including the Stitchers, American River cleanup, Blossoms and Bushes, Sandwich Brigade, and Soul Matters. She is co-leader of the Brew Crew, which provides coffee hospitality to the congregation.

Joyce says, “I love the UUSS community. I enjoy talking to newcomers as well as established members. I am always telling them about the things I do at UUSS and encouraging them to get more involved by joining groups and/or taking on a leadership role. I feel like I have found my people at UUSS! The UUSS community has become like family to me.”

Program Council

Michael, who is currently an appointed member of the Program Council, co-founded the very active and well-attended Men’s Group and the People of Color Caucus. He has served on the boards of two non-profits, including the Sacramento Buddhist Meditation Group, and has been connected to UUSS since 2001.  Michael was a Marriage and Family therapist before his employment with the State of California, where he currently works to help victims of child trafficking.

Michael says,  “My wife and I feel so wonderfully at home in this congregation, mainly because of the shared values we hold in common. As one of the younger congregants, and a person of color, I believe I have a unique point of access when greeting newcomers, and especially people of color. I like to think that I am forming what will be some high-quality life-long friendships here at UUSS, and the services definitely feed my soul.”

Program Council

Susan has served on the Board of Trustees and is currently on the Finance Committee. She was employed by the State of California for more that thirty years, most of which were in the area of information technology oversight and policy. As a candidate for the Nominating Committee, she is interested in becoming more involved “behind the scenes, as this type of role would provide me a deeper understanding of the operations of UUSS. It would also give me the opportunity to develop deeper relationships with a broader range of UUSS members.”

Susan shares that, “I feel a strong sense of community as a member of UUUS with others of shared values.” On the Nominating Committee, she would support the congregation by helping to identify and encourage candidates for the elected leadership. As Susan says, “I prioritize volunteerism in my everyday life, which gives me the opportunity and a sense of giving back

Endowment Trust

The endowment committee plays an important role providing oversight for a portion of UUSS’s financial assets. After getting to know past practices and policies during his first term, Randy looks forward to the opportunity to contribute in a more meaningful way with a second term on the committee. Professionally, Randy was involved with investments throughout his career. He worked at Applied Materials in Silicon Valley for 25 years, where he was the Treasurer before his retirement. In this role, Randy oversaw the management of the company’s multi-billion dollar cash portfolio.

Since arriving at UUSS in 2021 he has participated in hands-on volunteer activities such as the Building and Maintenance crew and others more leadership-focused, like the endowment and finance committees.  Randy shares, “Not only have these activities provided a way to contribute to a thriving, vibrant UUSS community, but they’ve also provided the opportunity to meet others in our community in more meaningful, impactful ways.”

As a member of the UUA’s Common Endowment Fund (CEF) Investment Committee for the past 18 months Randy has been able to share insight and perspective regarding our investment in the UUA’s CEF with his colleagues on the UUSS committee. He looks forward to providing additional insights in the months to come.

Nominating Committee

Bobbie has held many leadership positions at UUSS since she and her husband became members ten years ago. She chaired and co-chaired the stewardship campaign twice, and also created timelines and campaign materials for future campaigns. She served as Soup Sunday coordinator for four years and developed detailed checklists and timelines so anyone could step into that role without reinventing the wheel. Bobbie was the first Community Partnership coordinator, and for the last four years has been responsible for the logistics piece of the women’s retreat. All of those roles draw on her professional experience of being an organizational development consultant for seventeen years. She identifies her top strength as relationship building.

According to Bobbie, “Serving on the nominating committee would give me the opportunity to use those organizational and relationship building skills to help continue to build a strong, effective and impactful community by identifying, recruiting, and developing strong leaders and succession leaders for our beloved community.”

Nominating Committee

Having served on the Nominating Committee for the initial two-year term, Michael has enjoyed meeting the challenge of finding new candidates for leadership roles. The senior members of the team are finishing their last term, so his presence will help to ensure continuity  with the committee’s shared goals and practices of implementing a democratic and transparent nomination process.

Michael says that, “Being a part of UUSS is important to me because it is a place where my family and I can gather as a community with shared values. The Nominating Committee is directly involved in engaging others in the work of UUSS by identifying members who are candidates for leadership roles. I would promote this work by reaching out directly to potential candidates who can be engaged to help with the work at UUSS.”