Board & Governance

The Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston (UUCR) is governed by congregational polity, meaning that the members of the congregation independently make their own decisions regarding UUCR policies and programming. Members choose who will lead the organization by electing Board members to represent their interests and by calling or electing a minister or ministers to share this leadership with them.  

An annual meeting is held at least once a year to elect board members and officers and to review the fiscal status of the congregation. Only members may vote on the issues before the congregation. For more information on membership and ways to be more involved in UUCR's activities, please see the Membership page in the 'Get Connected' section of our website.  

Members of the Board­­

 

The Board is comprised of nine members, with three new board members elected each year. All members are elected for a three-year term. They serve the fiscal year of the church, July 1 through June 30. Current Board members and their terms are:

President: Paul Cohen (2011-14)    
Vice President: Tom Day (2011-14)
Treasurer: Jeff Schatz (2010-13)    
Secretary: Judy Helmich (2010-13)  

 

 

Members at Large:  

 

Keturah Collins (2011-14)

Mary Howard (2009-12)   

Maggie Mack (2010-13)     

Terry Mitchell (2009-12)  

Tracey Sopp (2009-12)   

 

 

Nominating Committee

 

The Nominating Committee is responsible for finding three new members for the Board each year and for securing commitments from four Board members, either current or new, to be Officers on the Board, to include President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Nominating Committee:

 

  • Eileen Roehr
  • Judy Fincher
  • Bob Anthony
  • Becky Trachtman

UUCR Trustees

 

All real and personal property of the Church is vested in the UUCR Trustees, who are appointed by the Board. Official transactions, including bank mortgages, property transfers, and similar business dealings, require approval from the UUCR Trustees. The Trustees also ensure that UUCR does not incur indebtedness beyond amounts needed to cover budgeted items. 

Trustees:

 

  • Paul Cohen        
  • Elaine Schwartz  
  •  Anne Welch      

 

 Special Committees of the Board

 

  • Facilities – This committee provides oversight for the operation and maintenance of the church's building and grounds by soliciting bids from service contractors, directing routine repairs as well as major improvements, preparing an annual operating budget and capital budget for major replacements and repairs, and providing regular reports to the board.  Chair: Bob Howard.
  • Capital Campaign (inactive) – Over the past seven years, UUCR has successfully sustained two Capital Fund Drives, and we have just completed construction of a new addition to our building. UUCR members and friends have been extremely generous with their time and money in these campaigns, and this has allowed us to expand our building and grounds to be able to accommodate our expanding congregation and its many needs. See Stewardship for additional information.
  • Communications – UUCR is a vibrant congregation, with many groups, activities, and events. Effective communication of all of our news, schedules, and updates is essential to ensure we stay connected and coordinated as a congregation. Our communications team works hard to create timely and informative announcements in our Orders of Service, monthly Newsletters and, of course, this web site, and our Facebook and Twitter Accounts. Chair: Jennifer Vail 
  • Endowment – UUCR has been blessed in recent years to have received sizable endowments from a number of members and friends. Our endowment committee works with the Board, Leadership Council, and Finance committee to plan effectively for the use of our endowment funds and to ensure that UUCR is able to plan for them in as effective a manner as possible and in the spirit in which the gifts were intended. This includes the determination and monitoring of investments of these endowment funds. Visit our Stewardship page for more information. Chair: Bruce Anderson.
  • Finance – Our finance committee is responsible for working with church leaders and our stewardship campaign chairs to determine, monitor, and, if necessary, revise our operating budget each year. In addition, the finance committee coordinates with chairs of any capital campaigns that are ongoing or planned to ensure integration of any construction costs with the overall church budget.  Chair: Bill Thomas.
  • Personnel Committee – The Personnel Commuittee reviews staff salaries, job descriptions, hiring and firing, and annual reviews in shared leadership with the Minister. Chair: Paul Cohen.
  • Stewardship – UUCR is a financially sound church. Our average pledges are ranked among the highest in the Joseph Priestley District. In addition to the two Capital Campaigns mentioned above, our annual Operational Stewardship Campaigns have grown or held steady over the past decade, thanks to the financial and service commitment of our members and friends and the dedication of people who step up each year to lead or coordinate our campaigns. These annual campaigns typically take place in the spring, and our intent is to use this time to meet with each UUCR member or friend, to understand what we’re doing well, what we can do to improve, and what kind of financial and volunteer/service support we can expect as we build our operating budget for the upcoming church year. Our annual campaigns always begin and end with a church-wide celebration of our members’ and friends’ generosity, and thanks to everyone for their hard work in achieving our financial and service commitment goals.  Visit Stewardship for more information. Chair: Bill Einagle.
  • Strategic Planning – Our Strategic Plan, adopted in 2010, provides guidance for the work of UUCR. This living document will be updated annually. It is intended to further the vision and mission of the church.   Chair: Mary Howard.

 

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