The Nominating Committee of the MidAmerica Region has submitted their slate of candidates for election at the Annual Meeting in St. Louis on April 6, 2019.
Under the MidAmerica Bylaws, individuals may run by Congregational Action. The Bylaws read:
Article VII. Nominations
“Section 2. Nominations by Congregational Action. A member of a congregation in good standing with the Region may be nominated for any position to be elected by formal endorsement of the governing bodies of at least ten (10) congregations within the Region. Nominations by congregational action must be received by the Secretary no fewer than thirty-five (35) days in advance of the Annual Meeting at which the election is to be held.”
Any endorsements for an individual who wishes to run must be received by MidAmerica Board Secretary, Tammy Lemmer, by no later than March 2, 2019. Ms. Lemmer can be reached at midamerica@uua.org.
2019 Slate of Nominees
Tammy Lemmer
Candidate for Secretary of the Board of Trustees (Incumbent)
(Term 2019-2022) Tammy Lemmer has served on the MidAmerica Board of Trustees since 2017 and as Secretary for the last year. Professionally she works in the non-profit/human services sector. After 8 years as a Girl Scout Executive and over 12 years in domestic and sexual violence prevention, she now works for her local Area Agency on Aging. She also contracts with the Michigan Department of Education to support safe and supportive school environments for LBGT youth. She is very active in community activities and serves on her local school board.
Tammy has been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing (Michigan) since 2002. Her congregational involvement includes volunteering with Children's RE, (including facilitating Coming of Age and Our Whole Lives for Middle Schoolers), Social Action initiatives, and Stewardship and Capital Campaign Committees. Her other leadership roles at UUCGL include serving on the Congregation’s Board of Trustees for five years (with terms as VP for Programs and Secretary,) Nominating Committee, Chair of Denominational Affairs, and Program and Policy Transitions committee (for reviewing and updating the congregation's Constitution and Bylaws). Within the Region, she is an experienced delegate, and prior to joining the Board she served as a member and chair of both the Heartland District and the Regional Nominating Committees.
Brian Bach
Candidate for Treasurer of the Board of Trustees (Incumbent)
(Term 2019-2022) Brian Bach lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota. He is a member of the Black Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Brian enjoys the outdoors through camping and hiking. He is an avid soccer fan.
The focus of Brian’s spiritual life is Buddhism which includes a mediation practice and on-going education. He supports the work in confronting white supremacy encouraged by the UUA and MidAmerica. He is active in leading Adult Religious Exploration for his congregation which consciously addresses topics of oppression, privilege, and healing in our community.
Brian is married to Mahala. They have three adult sons. He and Mahala work together at a mental health counseling practice.
Sarah Oglesby-Dunegan
Candidate for Member-at-Large of the Board of Trustees (Incumbent)
(Term 2019-2021) Sarah Oglesby-Dunegan worked first as a community organizer in Dallas TX, and then for 11 years as an administrator and faculty member at El Centro College. In addition, Sarah taught in the Dallas County Jail Program. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in interdisciplinary social science and an MPA from University of North Texas. In 2008, Sarah moved with her husband, John, and older daughter Allyn to Denver in pursuit of a Masters of Divinity at the Iliff School of Theology to become a UU minister. John currently works as a Coordinator for a new Restorative Practices program at a middle school in Topeka. They welcomed Aine to the family in June 2009.
For two years, Sarah worked at Community College of Denver as the First Year Experience Coordinator. She left in August 2010 to pursue her MDiv full-time. Since then, she has assisted with the UUA pilot project called “Leap of Faith” and served as an intern chaplain at St. Anthony North Hospital. A Unitarian Universalist since 1993, Sarah has been a member at Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, First Unitarian in Dallas, and First Unitarian Society of Denver, serving in many roles, including: on boards; committees; as a guest speaker; and in religious education. In 2006 she traveled with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee to Guatemala to learn about fair trade coffee and the work of Equal Exchange. She enjoyed serving as a ministerial intern for 2012-13 year at Boulder Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and working as a student consulting minister with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laramie part time from June 2013 to July 2014. She is currently serving the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Topeka, KS.
Christopher Sims
Candidate for Member-at-Large of the Board of Trustees
(Partial Term 2019-2020) Christopher D. Sims has been a Unitarian Universalist for 17 years. Born and raised in Rockford, IL, he serves his community as a community minister, spoken word performer, and as a leader in race-related issues, activism, and organizing. Nationally, Christopher has served on the DRUUMM Youth And Young Adult Steering Committee and the DRUUMM Steering Committee.
He was an early leader in Soulful Sundown worship services in our faith movement.
Currently, Christopher travels the country as a Black Lives Matter activist speaking at Unitarian Universalist places of worship and working with various social justice groups to help us combat racism, hate, and bigotry. He is the new Administrator for Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community.
Dorit Bergen
Candidate for Member-at-Large of the Board of Trustees
(Partial term 2019-2020) Dorit has been a Unitarian Universalist and a member of the First Unitarian Society of Madison (FUS) since 1976. She currently serves on the FUS Board of Trustees and as one of their lay ministers. Dorit helps coordinate the FUS team that volunteers mornings at one of the Madison area shelters, and is the FUS liaison to the Dane Sanctuary Coalition. Outside of FUS she is the current president of the council of a local peer to peer support group for seniors, and co-president of a chapter of a teacher charitable organization. Dorit is a retired middle school math teacher.
MidAmerica Region Nominating Committee Nominees
Kay Slama
Candidate for Nominating Committee (Incumbent)
(Term 2019-2021) Katherine M. (Kay) Slama is a consultant in behavioral health and management who has been a member of the UU Church of Willmar, MN since 2006. Kay has served on the Nominating Committee from 2017-2019 and as its Co-Chair from 2018-2019. She has served on her church board, and as Social Justice Chair for 9 years. Kay participates actively in MUUSJA (MN UU Social Justice Alliance). She presents several services at her church each year, generally on social justice or environmental topics.
Kay’s experience includes conference coordination, grant writing and reviewing, clinical psychology, teaching in university professorship positions, membership on professional boards, Executive Director of a mental health center, and author of professional publications, as well as web-based workshops on Dealing with Stress. Many of her current professional activities involve rural services and advocacy. Among other activities, she enjoys the outdoors, photography, and volunteer social justice work.
Helen Dwyer
Candidate for Nominating Committee
(Term 2019-2021) Helen Dwyer is a third generation Unitarian-Universalist. As a member of All Souls Unitarian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana since 1979, Helen has served on committees with All Souls including Fine Arts, Marketing, Religious Education, Adult Education, Marketing, and Communications. Ms. Dwyer served 8 years as secretary on the Church Council. The Church Council was the chairs of the program committees that met once a month to discuss upcoming programs.
Ms. Dwyer taught Sunday School classes for toddlers for two years, first grade through 4 grades in following years.
Bob Lovell
Candidate for Nominating Committee (Incumbent)
(Term 2019-2021) Bob Lovell has been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing since 1980. Bob has served on the Nominating Committee from 2017-2019 and as its Co-Chair from 2018-2019. He has also served as Coming of Age Mentor, Ministerial Search Committee Chair, President, and in other roles. He has been an alternate or delegate to the Regional Assembly many times and he and his wife Kathy are Chalice Lighters. He has also enjoyed ushering at the last five General Assemblies and plans to do so again in Spokane.
In addition to church work, Bob is a volunteer with an American Red Cross disaster team and with the Meridian Township Transportation Commission, and is a retired statistician, manager and teacher. He looks forward to continuing to contribute to the MidAmerica Region as a member of the Nominating Committee. We seek a committed, highly qualified and diverse volunteer governance team.
Midwest Unitarian Universalist Conference Nominees
Kathy Wire
Candidate for Midwest Unitarian Universalist Conference Board of Trustees (Incumbent)
(Term 2019-2022) Kathy Wire has been a member of First Unitarian for 20 years. She grew up in the Universalist Unitarian Church of Peoria IL. An attorney, Kathy has focused her practice on healthcare law, risk management and patient safety. She works part-time for the Center for Patient Safety, utilizing her “free” time to continue serving First UU and several other professional and civic groups as a volunteer and officer.
She and her husband Jim, a retired accountant, have three grown children and four granddaughters. She is the President of First U and has previously served as a Board member, Secretary and member of the Peace Building Team. She led the First U Interim Minister Search Committee in 2016. She began her term on the MUUC Board in 2013, filling a vacant position, and then was elected to a full term. She serves the MUUC Board now as its secretary and acts as the lead for the Ryder Fund.
Barbara Gutsch
Candidate for Midwest Unitarian Universalist Conference Board of Trustees (Incumbent)
(Term 2019-2022) Barb Gutsch lives in Salina, KS, with her wife and two teenage children. She has been a Unitarian Universalist since 1995. She served on the Board of Directors of the UU Church of the Monterey Peninsula and was a member of the UU Community Church of Glen Allen, Virginia, before retiring from the U.S. Navy and moving to Kansas. She has been actively involved in the UU Fellowship of Salina since 2006, serving as program committee chair, religious education coordinator, three-term Board President, and now she serves as Lay Leader of the Fellowship.
After attending Midwest Leadership School in 2007, she joined the Midwest Leadership School staff for a three-year term. She was an instrumental member of the planning/development team and staff of Prairie Star District’s Camp Star Trail. Through Unitarian Universalism Barb has found a haven of like-minded people where she can explore personal beliefs, find meaning, and create community. Barb is grateful to have a spiritual home to share with others who may be searching. “I love working in the UU community; it simultaneously challenges, stretches, and fulfills me.”