Rev. Victoria Safford, Lead Minister
vsafford@wbuuc.org / 651.426.2369 x101
Pronouns: she/her/hers/herself
A native of New York State, Victoria came to Minnesota in 1999, following a ten-year ministry at Northampton, Massachusetts and five years of work with the American Friends Service Committee as a community organizer and activist. Reverend Safford is a graduate of Vassar College and Yale Divinity School.
She says,
Rev. Sara Goodman, Assistant Minister
revsara@wbuuc.org / 651-426-2369 x103
Pronouns: she/her/hers/herself
Sara loves creativity and movement, and she loves to laugh and to cry with people. She loves feeling useful and whole, and looking out her windows and seeing green things. Sara is a raised UU, transplant from California, mom of Jamie, married to Shawn, and is so much more than the sum of her parts.
She says,
Amy Peterson Derrick, Director of Religious Education
dre@wbuuc.org / 651.426.2369 x106
Pronouns: she/her/hers/herself
Amy Peterson Derrick comes to us from serving as Professional Lifespan Religious Educator for 10 years at the Unitarian Universalist congregation of Flint, Michigan.
She says,
Nico Van Ostrand, Assistant Director of Religious Education
reassistant@wbuuc.org / 651.426.2369 x108
Pronouns: Name in place of pronouns, or they/them
Nico brings to Religious Education work a passion for justice grounded in a BA in Women’s Studies and Social Justice, aspirations for a graduate degree studying US colonialism in the Philippines, and Nico’s own lived experience as a genderqueer Filipino American. These identities and passions shape Nico’s approach to teaching; Nico believes that hope for a better future lies in raising antiracist, feminist children, and Nico strives to create curriculum and classroom experiences with such a future in mind.
Nico says,
Jack Gaede, Director of Congregational Community
jgaede@wbuuc.org / 651.426.2369 x110
Pronouns: he/his/him/himself
Born and raised in northern Minnesota, Jack has spent half his life in the Twin Cities. After attending United Theological Seminary, he completed his ministerial internship in Kansas City, Missouri, and he is so glad to be back.
He says,
Thaxter Cunio, Director of Music & Director of the Adult Choir
thaxter@wbuuc.org
Thaxter has served as Director of Music since 1996. He is a former soloist and assistant conductor at the First Unitarian Church in Rochester, NY, and is currently a voice faculty member at MacPhail Center for Music. Thaxter holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Wisconsin, a Master of Music degree from the State University of New York, and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music.
He says,
Carol Caouette, Assistant Director of Music and Principal Collaborative Musician
caouette@wbuuc.org / 651.426.2369 x110
Pronouns: she/her/hers/herself
Carol has served as principal musician and assistant to the Music Director of White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church since 1998. She brings social justice and resistance music to her role as a song leader of community singing, accompanies the choir, collaborates with featured and guest musicians, and provides solo music for services. Carol studied piano and voice at the University of Minnesota and has decades of performance and recording experience. She holds B.A. degrees in English Literature and Education from Hamline University. She is a first place winner of the 2018 Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network Silliman Congregational Song Competition.
She says,
Mary Duncan, Pianist
Pronouns: she/her/hers/herself
Mary has served as pianist since 2008. She lives in Marine on St. Croix where she teaches piano and decorates eggs. Since getting both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, she has played piano and organ and taught music at all levels from pre-school to college.
She says,
Russell Packard, Children’s Choir Director
russellpackard@yahoo.com
Russell has been directing the Youth Choir since 2001. He currently teaches Music, Arabic and Spanish at Academic Arts High School in West Saint Paul, instructs for the Concordia Language Villages and provides private music lessons, and has twenty years of teaching experience at Friends School of Minnesota. He completed independent ethno-music research while performing and working throughout Latin America, the Middle East, Europe and parts of Asia. He established Crossing Borders: A World Music Ensemble to promote cross-cultural understandings through performance, artistic exchange, and to host international artists.
He says,
Anna Gehres, Operations Director
agehres@wbuuc.org / 651.426.2369 x107
Pronouns: she/her/hers/herself or they/them/theirs/themself
Anna joined the WBUUC front office staff as Operations Director in 2010. She is a social worker by training and brings many years of nonprofit administrative experience to her work in supervision, human resources, finances, IT, and facilities management at WBUUC. Anna volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters and enjoys music, reading, writing, dogs, and slow food. She lives with her partner in Minneapolis.
She says,
Betsy Bance, Communications and Data Coordinator
bbance@wbuuc.org / 651.426.2369 x109
Betsy joined the WBUUC staff in 2013. She received her Master of Arts in English in 2011 and has contributed to several publications such as the University of St. Thomas’s Irish Studies journal—New Hibernia Review, and the Minnesota Literacy Council’s literary magazine, Journeys.
She says,
John Sisterman, Custodian
John has served as Custodian since 2000.
He says,
Connie Ruiz, Facilities Associate
Pronouns: she/her/hers/herself
Connie started at WBUUC in 2017 and says she really enjoys working at WBUUC. In her spare time, she likes to cook and spend time with her nieces and nephews.
She says,