Our congregation, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia, is fast approaching year three of our interim ministry process with Rev. Lisa. During the upcoming congregational year, we will be in search for UUCC’s new settled minister, who we expect to start in fall 2027.
Thank you to nominating committee members Alan Coltri, Jill Christianson, and Miriam Pokharel-Wood for reviewing and recommending candidates to serve on UUCC’s Ministerial Search Committee, and to all UUCC members who completed the nomination form to throw their hat in the ring to serve UUCC in this way. At the Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 7, the Board of Trustees will present the following ten candidates for a congregational vote. Four candidates will be chosen by congregational vote and three will be appointed by the Board of Trustees. By mid-June, the seven members of the Ministerial Search Committee will be announced.
Here are our Ministerial Search Committee candidates:
Anita Long (she/her)
My name is Anita Long, I use she/her pronouns. I have been attending UUCC since the fall of 2023, before that I was a member of the First UU Society of Burlington (VT) since 1986. There I served as Treasurer for 2 years and served on small committees, volunteered as reader, usher, and greeter as needed.
My background is in working for equity, inclusion, and diversity. I am a mathematician with a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy studies. My career culminated in program management across state level departments to develop and implement a math course for HS seniors.
Ariel Vitali Maldonado, MD (she/they)
Bienvenido, I wish to be considered a candidate for the UUCC’s Ministerial Search Committee. I bring prior experience serving on academic-related selection committees, along with well-honed diagnostic and prognostic skills that can facilitate thoughtful discernment. I am committed to helping identify a minister who demonstrates deep dedication to social justice for those within and outside of our congregation, while honoring and engaging in the rich diversity of people around us. Although much of my involvement has been behind the scenes relating to LGBTQ+ issues, I care about our overall shared mission and community life. I would be grateful for the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to finding our next minister.
Emily Price-Soli (she/her)
I am a new member of UUCC who values intentional community, compassion, and open inquiry. Raised Southern Baptist, I’m drawn to Unitarian Universalism because it embraces the many paths a spiritual life can take. I have quickly found a home among the kind, thoughtful people at UUCC and would be honored to help serve the congregation in its search for a minister. As part of this committee, I will listen deeply to both the candidates and church members, helping to find a leader who inspires our community to more fully live its values.
Evan Jang (he/him)
I grew up without a spiritual community and didn’t know what I was missing. Even after joining UUCC a few years ago, I wrestled with whether belonging here was really worth it for me. By leaning in more intentionally, I’ve found belonging and space for reflection. I’m still learning what more that community can offer.
I want our next minister to hold that complexity: doubting, becoming, and the specific difficulties of being alive today. As a social worker and therapist, a parent of young children, and an Asian American, I want to bring those perspectives to this search.
Jacquie Weinberg (she/her)
I’m Jacquie Weinberg and I’ve been active at UUCC for about 2 1/2 years. I’m organized and detail oriented and I will do my best to thoroughly analyze all available information to determine the best choice for our next settled minister. I’m involved in several groups and enjoy talking with people one-on-one to learn what is most important to them. I appreciate being part of a team because we all bring different skills to work together to find a solution. UUCC is “home” for many of you, and it is becoming my home as well.
Jeanne Bolton (she/her)
Hi: I’m Jeanne Bolton. I came to UUCC 2 ½ years ago, drawn by my search for community and a congregation that wants to make a difference in the world. I found that home at UUCC and have quickly become involved–in the Climate Team, Food Insecurity, PATH, UU the Vote, being a greeter on Sunday mornings and making coffee and cleaning at social hour. I want to be on the Ministerial Search Committee because I know how important the minister is as a mentor and guide/support for the congregation as we create a path for the future. As a retired clinical psychologist, I am an astute listener for both strengths and issues and am pretty good at seeing the big picture–skills that will be useful in our task of finding a minister who can enlighten and strengthen the power we already have, while being sensitive to our hurts, concerns, and worries. A minister who can help us through these scary economic times, but at the same time not forget our critical missions of supporting ALL our diverse congregants and being out in the world and making a difference. Having the right minister for UUCC is the most important decision we will make to ensure UUCC has a bright future, and I ask your permission to be a helper in that decision by being on the Ministerial Search Committee.
Jenny Bonilla (she/her)
I’ve been a friend and then member of UUCC for the last 12 years. Within UUCC I have had the privilege and joy to have been a part of the PATH core team for over 5 years; received the IAF 3-day training on relational organizing, served as the Secretary for the PATH executive/core team, helped to organize county-wide listening sessions, served as a committee member and representative to the Board of Education core team of PATH helping to write the Equity policy, food equity and healthy lunches with the Horizon Foundation, and issues around immigration. Additionally, I have served on the Endowment Board and most recently chaired the Governance Committee which reviewed and updated the bylaws for the congregation.
Outside of UUCC I have held positions in strategic planning, human resources, operations, and finance at private and nonprofit small businesses. I have a passion for building community within the vision and mission of UUCC.
Lisa Marini (she/her)
As a member of UUCC for over 15 years, I am grateful for the many opportunities I’ve had to connect with others here through service. You may know me as one of our worship associates, or recall my time as pledge drive co-chair. We may have been on a committee or shared time in the RE program together as a parent or teacher. UUCC is deeply special to me and important in our larger community, so I would be honored to serve as a member of the ministerial search committee. Let’s work together to bring UUCC’s next settled minister home.
Matthew Gibson (he/him)
While studying religion at William and Mary (B.A., 2000), I learned about the diverse beauty of faith around the world. My wife, Christina, and I come from different traditions, and we value the religious pluralism we find at UUCC. Both of us celebrate our spirituality through music, and we especially enjoy participation in choir. I am excited to help the congregation find a minister who will foster spiritual growth, nurture strong activist roots, and value the role that music plays in forming and growing community. Such a minister will ensure that UUCC remains a vital and welcoming community.
Michael Phillips (he/him)
Hi. I’m Michael Phillips and I’m volunteering to serve on the Ministerial Search Committee because I am curious to hear our congregation’s desires about how we are ministered to and then to assess ministerial candidates for their resonance with our congregational aspirations. I have worked with and learned from people from all walks of life. I think I listen well and am a good judge of people’s gifts and challenges. I believe I can represent our congregation fairly and with good discernment as we invite candidates to share their gifts in consideration of possibly becoming our next minister.