Please contact the Nominating Committee (MARNominating@uua.org) for more information.
MidAmerica Region Nominating Committee 2024-25
John Broome
(2025-2027) John Broome is a member of Second Unitarian Church of Chicago (2U), where he has served as a member of the board of trustees for the past five plus years, one of which was service as chair. He’s also served on countless committees and projects in his 15 years at 2U. He is a life-long UUer.
John is a retired educator: high school principal, assistant principal, dean and teacher. He has graduate degrees from Ball State University in Muncie IN,
and is ABO at Indiana State University in educational leadership. Continuing his commitment to pastoral service, John will be pursuing admission to a Clinical Pastoral Education program beginning in the fall of 2025.
In John’s “chapter” after retirement from public education, he helped to run a fire/water disaster restoration and construction company until the company closed in 2017 … which set the stage for his heading up the construction project at 2U which will conclude this summer.
He has been married to Rose (after the death of his first wife) for 23 years, and they reside in a high-rise building on the north side of Chicago.
In his spare time, John usually has at least two books going: one paper book and one on his Kindle. He and Rose recharge with their nearly monthly trips to Fond du Lac WI to visit family.
Mel Priese
(2024-2026) Mel Priese is a third generation Unitarian Universalist member of Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood, MO where she hopes to continue the legacy of involvement and leadership that her grandmother and mother began with Eliot’s founding. As a youth, Mel participated in RE, OWL and the Senior High group, often helping plan and lead activities. She also helped plan and host youth conferences as a member of the Southern Area Youth Council, and has attended various UU enrichment programs throughout her youth and young adult career such as the Youth Midwest Leadership School, Youth Summer Seminary, and the Meaning Makers spiritual retreat. Currently she works with Eliot’s Young Adult Group to build a strong and inclusive community.
After graduating in May 2019 from the University of Missouri — St. Louis with a Bachelors of Liberal Studies in Art and Music, Mel completed a social justice internship through the UUCSJ, working with the Rural & Migrant Ministry, Inc. in New York State.
Carol Torrens, Co-Chair
(2025-2027) Carol has been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington/Normal, Illinois, since 1998. Throughout her time there she has served on many committees and task forces, has taught RE at all grade levels, has taught K-1 OWL, and has twice been on the Board of Directors including terms as secretary and vice president. Carol attended Midwest Leadership School in 2018 and was selected to be a lay staff person for the next three years, although the COVID pandemic sadly brought an end to MWLS in 2021.
Professionally, Carol is a librarian, currently a department manager at the Bloomington Public Library. Her two kids are young adults and have provided her with 4 grandchildren. She’s actively and regularly involved in caring for these little ones.
Marcie Jeffreys
(2024-2026) Marcie Jefferys. is a member of Pilgrim House (PH) UU in Arden Hills, Minnesota, and has been active in many areas of the fellowship. She discovered PH and Unitarian Universalism thirty years ago, when her children were young. Marcie felt benefits from growing up in the United Methodist Church, she no longer
agreed with its theology. Unitarian Universalism supported the interest in social justice with the additional benefits of a Community that uses those principles combined with an opportunity to keep learning. Unitarian Universalism also fits Marcie’s current thinking on Spirituality.
Marcie retired 4 years ago in a career spent largely in the social policy arena, including legislative staff positions, social work faculty, two stints at a children’s advocacy organization, and a final position in a county human services department. Marcie feels fortunate that her work and volunteer activities are generally aligned with personal values. Marcie currently volunteers in an after-school reading program and works at the state level to strengthen the state’s early childhood.
Marcie has a doctorate in social work and an undergraduate degree in psychology. Marcie and her spouse have three grown children and two grandkids, who provide much joy and entertainment.
John Lunsford
(2024-2026) John Lunsford lives in Terre Haute, IN and along with his husband David is a member of the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Terre Haute. John currently serves as chair of the Building and Grounds Committee as well as Board Member and Past Board Chair. On Sundays and most church functions he runs the Audio/visual system at the church. Technically retired since 2014, he enjoys boating on any river and the seemingly endless maintenance projects any church seems to need. David is active in the church and works at a local area hospital, they share their home with a small furry tornado named Molly.
Dr. Mary Shelden
(2025-2027) Mary Shelden (she/her) is a lifelong, second-generation Unitarian-Universalist and credentialed religious educator (CRE-A, 2020). She has attended eight UU congregations over the course of her life: two as a young person, four as a lay-leader, and two (UC Evanston and Countryside UU in Palatine) serving as a religious professional, now serving on the MidAmerica Regional Nominating Committee as a member of Church of the Larger Fellowship. Her decades-long academic career has focused primarily on identity and vocational development through writing for a broadly diverse array of students; these days she teaches writing at Aurora University and is in formation as a Spiritual Director at Meadville Lombard Theological School. She has published work on UUs Louisa May Alcott, Sallie Holley, and the Transcendentalist circle, and also has a significant background in both UU and academic curriculum development and pedagogy. She and Margie, her beloved partner of 25+ years, live across the road from Lake in the Hills Fen, a 400+-acre preserve of restored prairie inhabited by foxes, coyotes, deer, and myriad birds, including a venerable nesting pair of sandhill cranes, on land ancestral to the Ho-Chunk, Kickapoo, Miami, Peoria, and Sioux nations. They have a beloved daughter, Marjorie (third-generation UU), a son-in-law, Jake, and a beautiful grandbeagle, Apple, with magnificent velvet ears.
Jon Ramirez
(2025-2027) Jon first attended the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Wichita (KS) in March 2023. He became a First UU member in May 2023. He then became the part-time Office Administrator for First UU in July 2023. Since 2023, he has served as the liaison between First UU and Mid America Region/UUA. He is currently the chair of the First UU Mosaic Committee and is chair of the First UU Tech Committee.