Pacific Western Region staff are part of the UUA's Congregational Life Staff.
Every congregation in the Pacific Western Region has a primary contact, which can be found on the Primary Contacts for PWR Congregations index.
Regional Lead
Rev. Sunshine Jeremiah Wolfe
Rev. Sunshine J. Wolfe is Regional Lead for the Pacific Western Region based in Phoenix, AZ. They hail originally from Indiana where they learned to sing, dance, and cause trouble- the social justice kind. Sunshine is committed to supporting congregations to become the most connected versions of themselves so that they can do their important work in the world. Sunshine has a sticker ministry. If you see them, ask for a sticker. We need all of the joy as we live our complicated and messy lives.
Sunshine identifies as genderqueer and transgender and uses any third gender pronoun including they/their, ghe/gher, and zi/hir.
Contact Sunshine at swolfe@uua.org or (317) 448-3818. Read Sunshine's full bio.
Program Staff
Rev. Summer Albayati
Rev. Summer Albayati, whose last name is pronounced el-bay-EH-tee, is a UU Muslim of Iraqi descent who brings extensive experience in leadership development, strategic planning, multiculturalism, curriculum development/programming, outreach, organizational development, grant writing, interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution and mediation. She has worked within indigenous communities and communities of color, advocating for equity in education, and increasing numbers of students of color who enter into universities. In serving congregations, Rev. Summer’s focus was on transformation by emphasizing that a mission-focused congregation increases vitality, membership, commitment to justice and love. Rev. Summer has been playing the Arabic drum, professionally, since the age of 12, and has shared this Islamic aesthetic in worship and concerts most of her life. She loves spending time with family and friends, eating great food, dancing, singing, creating beautiful music, and traveling the world.
Contact Summer at salbayati@uua.org or (949) 391-3891. Read Summer's full bio.
Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh
Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh joined the Pacific Western Region's Congregational Life staff in July 2016. With experience as a parish minister, curriculum developer, and lay leader, she serves as the primary contact for several congregations across the western US. Sarah works with all PWR congregations as a specialist in conflict transformation, safety, professional boundaries, and misconduct. Additionally she serves on the UUA Mosaic Team, which is creating and curating resources for anti-racist/anti-oppressive/multicultural transformation in our congregations. Sarah lives and works in San Diego, CA.
Contact Sarah at smillspaugh@uua.org or (858) 215-2650. Read Sarah's full bio.
Dr. Melissa James
Dr. Melissa James joined the PWR staff in 2020. She earned her Masters of Arts from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago (LSTC) with a focus was on faith and justice. Melissa holds a Ph.D. in Ethics and Social Theory from the Graduate theological Union in Berkeley, CA. In addition to serving in congregational religious education and family ministry, she was named as a 2016 Fahs Fellow through the Fahs Collaborative at Meadville Lombard Seminary focusing on helping congregations support trans and non-binary children, youth, and their families. Melissa is the PWR specialist for stewardship, LGTBQIA+ inclusion and gender justice, and non-congregational covenanting communities. She brings nearly 20 years of experience in leadership development, fundraising and grant writing, campus ministry, religious education and family ministry, and teaching.
Contact Melissa at mjames@uua.org. Read Melissa's full bio.
Administrative Staff
Regional Administrator
Hara Madera
Hara Madera is the Pacific Western Regional Administrator and joined the UUA in June 2024. As the PWR Regional Administrator, she supports Congregational Life staff, Congregational Life Event team, and handles many other administrative tasks. She is based in Southern California.
Contact Hara at hmadera@uua.org. Read Hara's bio.
Melanie Buck
Melanie Buck is the PWR Bookkeeper. She manages the books for all four districts as well as the region. She works full time out of her home office in Brighton, Colorado.
Contact Melanie at mbuck@uua.org. Read Melanie's bio.
Address & Email
Pacific Western Region
P.O. Box 567
Brighton, CO 80601
(720) 778-6682
pwr@uua.org