CERG Hires New Staff

Rev. Scott Tayler and Rev. Joan VanBecelaere are very please to announce the addition of three new staff to the Central East Region Congregational Life Team as well as several other additions to other regions. Raziq Brown, Rev. Megan Foley and Rev. Hope Johnson will join the team this fall.

Raziq Brown will assume the role of Youth and Young Adult Coordinator. He comes to us from Ft. Worth, Texas and brings specialties in and a passion for young adult outreach, emerging groups/congregations and youth ministry. He has served on the General Assembly Planning Committee’s Right Relationship Team and the Smart Church Consultant team for the Southern Region. He is also an experienced film and video producer, writer, and widely-respected UU spiritual activist. Raziq will join the staff on September 1.

Megan Foley will serve as Congregational Life Consultant. She brings specialties in congregational systems, seminarian In-Care, small congregational life, collaborative ministry and multiculturalism. Previously, she served as the parish minister of the Sugarloaf UU Congregation ofGermantown, Maryland. She also served as the In Care Program Coordinator for the Joseph Priestley District and on the Regional Sub-Committee on Candidacy. Megan will join the staff on August 17.

Hope Johnson will serve as Congregational Life Consultant, while also continuing to stay rooted in congregational service as the Parish Minister of the UU Congregation of Central Nassau, NY. She brings specialties in conflict resolution and multicultural congregational development. Previously, she served as Minister of Spiritual Life at the First Unitarian Church of Brooklyn, New York and Director of Religious Education at the First Unitarian of Brooklyn, New York. She also brings a wealth of experience from her years of wider UUA leadership, including the UUA Appointments Committee, the UUA Nominating Committee, the UUMA Continental Good Offices team, and a variety of UU College of Social Justice leadership position, just to name a few. Her Start date is September 15.

In addition the administrators who have been a part of the region as District employees will become UUA employees as of July 1. These include Cristina Sanchis, Jillian Conway, Beth Casebolt and Susan Tabone from the Central East Region Team.

Andrew Mertz, Youth and Young Adult Coordinator for the Joseph Priestley District will be moving to a new position as Program Assistant for the UU Ministers Association. Mark Bernstein is also moving to a new position in July.

Other staff have also been hired by the UUA as part of other Regional Teams.

Central East Region UUA Logo
Raziq Brown

Raziq Brown

Hope Johnson

Rev. Dr. Hope Johnson

Megan Foley

Rev. Megan Foley