Moderator
Gini Courter
By Jane Greer, Managing Editor, UU World
Gini Courter was elected by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) of Congregations Board of Trustees to serve as interim moderator in October 2003 after the resignation of former moderator Diane Olson. At the 2004 General Assembly (GA) she was elected moderator to officially complete Olson's last year, and she was elected for a full four-year term as moderator at the 2005 General Assembly.
The moderator's chief role is presiding at General Assemblies and at meetings of the Board of Trustees. It is the UUA's highest volunteer position.
A native of Flint, Michigan, Courter was raised a Methodist but left the church at age 14. For the next 13 years, she explored different religions. At the suggestion of a friend, she visited a Unitarian Universalist church and immediately felt a connection. In 1985 she joined the Unitarian Universalist Church of Flint where she quickly became active, serving on the board and building committee.
Courter then volunteered to serve on the Michigan District board (now part of the Heartland District) and was elected finance chair. She also became involved in promoting UU growth in her area and conducted several "Beyond Categorical Thinking" workshops, which help congregations reflect on diversity and their ministerial needs. In 1995, she was elected to the UUA Board of Trustees representing the Heartland District, a position she held for eight years. During her time on the board, she served for eight years on the UUA Finance Committee, chairing the group for three of those years, and was liaison to the Electronic Communications Committee, the Annual Program Fund Task Force, and the General Assembly Technology Task Force. "My experience on the board was life-changing, valuable, and authentic," she said in a 2003 interview. "There were times when I disagreed with the board's direction. But the board was exceptionally committed and well-led so there was a place for me to raise concerns in a way that made me feel both valued and heard. And the fact that other people felt free to push back on me, sometimes quite hard, made it clear that they heard me." In 2003 she became secretary of the GA Planning Committee.
Courter believes that she brings numerous strengths to the job of moderator including a deep passion for UU polity, solid networking skills, risk tolerance, and a preference for broadly shared leadership. "I have also been told that I run a good meeting," she adds. She is committed to growing Unitarian Universalism and sees GA as an excellent venue for achieving this. "I want to create a GA experience that is as spiritually rewarding as possible so that all who attend are well-equipped to return home, roll up their sleeves, and do the work of the congregation," she said in an interview.
Courter is an information technology consultant and a nationally recognized speaker on office collaboration and productivity tools. A founder and partner in TRIAD Consulting, Courter is the author or co-author of 29 books on information technology.
Apply Now for Moderator
The Moderator Nominating Committee has begun its search for candidates for the position of Moderator of the UUA. According to the Bylaws revision approved last year, the UUA Board of Trustees will nominate a candidate or candidates for Moderator beginning in 2013, and the Board has appointed a Moderator Nominating Committee to receive and evaluate the nominations. Here's the Call for Nominations (PDF), and the application for UUA Moderator.
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Last updated on Friday, July 29, 2011.
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