Treasurer Support Team (New!)
If you are a new (or not-so-new treasurer) who could use a little help with some aspect of your responsibilities, please reach out to Carol, Bob, or Cheri, our Treasurer Support Team. We plan to add to this team in the weeks and months ahead!
Carol Ackerson (she/her), treasurer@phoenixuu.org, has been a UU for over 20 years and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees and Treasurer of The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix, Arizona. Carol recently retired after serving for 50 years in executive positions in nonprofit organizations. During her career, she was also licensed as a CPA and served as adjunct faculty at two Universities. Carol’s interest is in helping nonaccountants understand an organization’s financial condition and performance through its financial statements, as well as how to tell the organization's financial story.
Cheri Cody (she/her), ccody@uua.org, is an experienced treasurer who has supported many congregations through district and regional leadership roles. She is happy to help you with any aspect of your treasurer responsibilities. Cheri is also a Compensation Consultant; read her full bio below.
Bob Day (he/him), bday@uua.org has been a longtime participant in church financial matters, including serving for two years as treasurer. He is eager to support treasurers in their work. Bob is also a Compensation Consultant; read his full bio below.
Compensation Consultants
Compensation Consultants are trained volunteers who work under the direction of the Compensation Team in the UUA Office of Church Staff Finances. They assist congregational leaders in understanding UUA compensation recommendations; navigating the complexity of ministerial and staff compensation, benefits, and employment agreements; and making faithful, values-based decisions.
A Note to Congregational Employees
Compensation Consultants support 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 the UUA Compensation Team at comp@uua.org.
U.S.-Based Consultants
If you have trouble reaching a Compensation Consultant, please reach out to comp@uua.org.
Debbie Bieber, dbieber@uua.org, lives in Sandy, Utah. She is a retired CPA who worked primarily in not-for-profit organizations in the areas of secondary and higher educational institutions. She also served as the Church Administrator at Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena, California, and closed out her career in the administration at Meadville Lombard Theological School. In addition to being a Compensation Consultant, Debbie continues her longtime connection with the Association of UU Administrators (AUUA).
Cheri Cody (she/her), ccody@uua.org, is located in Omaha, NE. She is a long-time volunteer in her congregation and for the Prairie Star District (now part of the MidAmerica Region). Of particular interest to Cheri are congregational leadership and organization, including Systems Theory. Cheri has been trained as Healthy Congregations facilitator and in conflict engagement/right relations; she has led board retreats, interim minister startup workshops, and more. She does bookkeeping for a few congregations and nonprofits. Cheri says, "I enjoy working with congregational leaders on compensation consulting and hearing their stories." Cheri is also a member of our emerging Treasurer Support Team. (See above.)
Bob Day (he/him), bday@uua.org, lives in Winston-Salem, NC where he moved after more than 40 years living in Nashville, TN. Bob is a recovering lawyer who, after practicing law for 7 years, devoted the rest of his career to applying his legal knowledge to the financial services industry. Bob enjoys working with congregations to help them understand the various insurance and compensation programs offered by the UUA, and he is skilled in addressing questions about ministerial agreements. Bob is also a member of our emerging Treasurer Support Team. (See above.)
Mike Harris, mharris@uua.org, consults in these Central East Region clusters: Capital Cluster (Greater DC), Central Pennsylvania, Delmarva, Greater Baltimore, and Northern Virginia. Mike lives in Silver Spring, MD, a mile north of Washington, DC. He is a mediator for the DC & MD courts and an arbitrator for the DC Bar Association and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. In addition to serving as a Compensation Consultant for congregations in the greater DC area, Mike is also a regional consultant to congregations for conflict and governance and does worship services on related topics.
Martha Ketelle (she/her), mketelle@uua.org, lives in Albuquerque, NM, and Golden, CO. She is a lifelong UU and has belonged to and held leadership positions in many congregations, from All Souls Unitarian, D.C. to Humboldt UU Fellowship, CA. Martha enjoys interacting with congregations and is knowledgeable about the salary program and benefits.
James Peterson (he/him), jpeterson@uua.org, is Massachusetts-based, a longtime compensation consultant with great insight into New England congregations. He is especially helpful with parsonage questions and assisted the Compensation Team in developing the Parsonages and the Housing Allowance page.
Ruth Vann Lillian (she/her), rvannlillian@uua.org, lives in Birmingham, AL. She has been a UU for almost 20 years and a Compensation Consultant since 2017. Ruth is a semi-retired UU minister with a passion for generosity as spiritual practice and church financial management based on love and justice. Working closely with stewardship committees, she has inspired pledging increases in support of compensation that meets our values. Ruth understands a lot about the financial challenges of churches and the need to attract and keep excellent staff.
Canada-Based Consultant
Barry Coburn, compconsultca@uua.org, lives in Ottawa, ON, and liaises with the CUC as a compensation consultant. A former compensation manager with the federal public service, he assists Canadian congregations with putting fair compensation values into practice for their staff. Barry has a CEBS designation and is especially knowledgeable about employee benefits.
Share Your Knowledge and Skills
In addition to working with our Compensation Consultants, the Office of Church Staff Finances 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.
Contact Jan Gartner, comp@uua.org, Compensation and Staffing Practices Manager, to express interest or request more information.