We know that learning about staff compensation can be confusing. UUA Compensation Consultants are here to help!
Compensation Consultants are trained volunteers who work under the direction of the Office of Church Staff Finances. Compensation Consultants help congregational leaders understand the UUA Compensation Guidelines and navigate the complexity of ministerial and staff compensation, benefits, and employment agreements.
Our Compensation Consultants are regionally-based and generally cover an assigned geographic area within their region. Sometimes they work across coverage areas, and even across regions, to help each other out and to fill gaps. Consultations often take place via teleconference.
A Note to Congregational Employees
Our Compensation Consultants are volunteers supporting congregational leaders in making good pay decisions about their employees. If you are a congregational staff member with questions about your own compensation, please contact comp@uua.org.
Compensation Consultants by Region and Coverage Area
If you have trouble reaching your assigned Compensation Consultant, if your coverage area is currently unassigned, or if you are unsure of your region or coverage area, please contact Jan Gartner, comp@uua.org, UUA Compensation and Staffing Practices Manager.
New England Region
James Peterson, jpeterson@uua.org covers:
- Connecticut (those congregations in the New England Region)
- Massachusetts except congregations in 413 area code
- Rhode Island
Sarah Russell, srussell@uua.org, covers:
- Maine
- Massachusetts congregations in 413 area code
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
Central East Region
Central East Region Compensation Consultants have cluster-based coverage areas. Find your cluster here.
Mike Harris (mharris@uua.org) covers these clusters:
- Capital Cluster (Greater DC)
- Central Pennsylvania
- Delmarva
- Greater Baltimore
- Northern Virginia
The following Central East Region clusters are currently unassigned. Please contact Jan Gartner, UUA Compensation and Staffing Practices Manager (comp@uua.org), for assistance.
- Appalachian Cluster
- Central Ohio/Columbus
- Cleveland Cluster
- Hudson-Mohawk
- Northwest Pennsylvania
- South-Central New York
- Toledo and Northwest Ohio
- UUs of Greater Pittsburgh
- WACKY (between Cleveland and Columbus, OH)
- Western New York
- Greater Philly
- Long Island Area Council
- MetroNorth (north of NYC)
- New Jersey Cluster
- New York City cluster
- North Country (Northern NY)
- Northeast Pennsylvania
MidAmerica Region
Cheri Cody, ccody@uua.org, covers the MidAmerica Region.
Southern Region
Bob Day, bday@uua.org, covers Southern Region congregations in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
Ruth Vann Lillian, rvannlillian@uua.org, covers Southern Region congregations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Virgin Islands
Pacific Western Region
Debbie Bieber, dbieber@uua.org, covers Alaska, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Pacific Western Region congregations in Nebraska
Martha Ketelle, mketelle@uua.org, covers New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, Hawaii, and Pacific Western Region congregations in Texas.
Canada
Barry Coburn covers Canada. He can be contacted at compconsultca@uua.org.
Please Join Our Team of Volunteers!
Contact Jan Gartner, comp@uua.org, Compensation and Staffing Practices Manager, to express interest or request more information about the volunteer roles described below.
Compensation Consultants
You can make a real contribution by becoming a Compensation Consultant, working with congregations to better understand the complexities of compensation and benefits so that they can attract and retain quality staff. While prior compensation or HR experience is helpful, it's not necessary because the Office of Church Staff Finances will provide ongoing training. We expect our Compensation Consultants to be comfortable with teleconferencing options such as Zoom, since most of our consultations and trainings are held virtually.
Project Consultants
In addition to working with our Compensation Consultants, the Office of Church Staff Finances also enjoys partnering with volunteers on special projects related to payroll, staffing, and a wide variety of interesting technical and legal issues. If you have experience in an area such as employment law, tax law, human resources, mediation, or accounting, please consider sharing your time and skills.