board of trustees nominees 2018
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Bianca Rodriguez
It has been a privilege to serve on the Board of Trustees this past year. I'm excited for the opportunity, if elected, to deepen my commitment to the Board and the church by stepping into the role of Vice President. I’m particularly excited about the Building Project. As part of the Board, I've been very involved, including raising funds for the Capital Campaign; I am very excited at the prospect, if elected, of being President of the Board when our building is finished in 2020! I’m very passionate about this church. I’ve been able to do amazing things here as well as meet incredible people. I chair the Finance Committee and enjoy duties as a counter. I love being in the Choirs, the musicals, Chairing the Music Team, being in the sound room, and volunteering with the Community Church Concert Series. I've learned so much here through the SEA courses and covenant group; I’ve even learned to knit from the Clickers! I enjoy taking part in annual church events, such as the Service Auction and church greening. I am so proud that our church voted to become a Sanctuary church: I have taken the training and look forward to volunteering my time to assist in this really important work. The relationships I have established here and continue to develop with new and old friends is a driving force in my commitment to and enjoyment of this church. I learn and grow so much from the congregants here. Outside of church, I’m a Customer Service Representative and Bookkeeper with two dogs I absolutely adore. I fill up free time with loved ones. Even 500 miles away, my brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, etc., always keep me on my toes. In quiet times, I read voraciously, spend a good deal of time reflecting, and take long walks in nature. |
Caroline Sherman
Doug Shier
When Joan and I attended our first service at The Community Church UU two years ago, we knew this was the place for us. Previously, I had been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clemson, where I served on the Endowment Committee, the Membership Committee, and the Shared Ministry Committee. My professional background has been in government service (CDC and NIST) and in academia (College of William and Mary, and Clemson University). As well as a regular faculty member in Clemson’s Mathematical Sciences Department, I gained administrative experience as their Graduate Coordinator for four years and as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the College of Engineering and Science. After retirement, I continue to serve as a journal editor and am on the Board of a nonprofit concerned with incorporating music and dance into a retirement community.
Since joining The Community Church UU, I have been active in the Sanctuary and Immigrant Support Ministry, am a member of the Endowment Committee, have joined a Covenant Group, and have enjoyed being part of the recently-formed Men’s Group. I have been greatly impressed with the social justice efforts of this church and its outstanding RE program, and I want to continue advocating for them. I believe that my prior administrative experience and my desire to give back to this church can assist in advancing its long-term goals.
Scott Edinborough
I moved to North Carolina from Washington State this summer. I am currently teaching English as a Second Language at Jordan High School in Durham. Previously, I’ve taught English as a Second Language for Washington State and Western Washington Universities. Where most of my university students were wealthy, or at least well-off, my current students are mostly immigrants and refugees. Seeing their struggles, even relatively briefly in the classroom, has made me realize the need to be more active in our society to affect change. I feel that the Unitarian Universalist Church has the capability to affect, and the history of affecting, that change.
At times when there would be a lack of students coming to the U.S. for English, I would work at construction/remodeling jobs. While at school in Kansas, studying Architecture, one of my required classes was Residential Construction. I worked during the summer of 2015 with a small contractor on remodeling. In 2016-17, I helped remodel an entire home for a homeowner. This included completely demolishing the inside and rebuilding. In 2017, I worked as a cabinetmaker, building and assembling drawers, doors, and hardware for a small cabinet shop in Bellingham, WA. My time in construction provided me with a sense of satisfaction at seeing projects progress. It was quite a switch from the long-term progress I usually see in Education.
While I was teaching at the university level, I also got involved in leadership positions. I was an active voice for improvement while at Washington State and served on the Faculty Committee. When I accepted my position at Western Washington, I quickly joined the Assessment and Curriculum Committees. Within two semesters, I was Chair of the Assessment Committee. In this position, I oversaw how our program evaluated our students. This meant checking our major assignments—mid-terms and finals in particular—against our student learning outcomes and reporting our findings to the Program Director. As Chair, I worked closely with my committee and with each faculty member in our program. One key skill I feel that this really helped me to develop was listening. I listened to our senior faculty; they had the experience. I listened to our younger faculty—of which I was considered—they had new ideas for improvement. The challenge of the position as, I feel, with any leadership position, is to find the best balance by listening to the advice of others, as many and as often as possible.
After moving here, I realized that I wanted to be a part of a community. When my spouse, Jordan, and I attended The Community Church of Chapel Hill, we felt welcomed and wanted to get involved. I helped with Hogwarts on the Hill, volunteered to help at the Manse, joined the 20s and 30s group (even though I’m 41, shhh!), and looked for more opportunities to help.
I look forward to the opportunity to serve on the Board of Trustees. I feel that I can bring new eyes and ears, building project experience, familiarity with diverse populations (including those new to the country), a comfortability with leadership roles, and a willingness to listen and learn.
I moved to North Carolina from Washington State this summer. I am currently teaching English as a Second Language at Jordan High School in Durham. Previously, I’ve taught English as a Second Language for Washington State and Western Washington Universities. Where most of my university students were wealthy, or at least well-off, my current students are mostly immigrants and refugees. Seeing their struggles, even relatively briefly in the classroom, has made me realize the need to be more active in our society to affect change. I feel that the Unitarian Universalist Church has the capability to affect, and the history of affecting, that change.
At times when there would be a lack of students coming to the U.S. for English, I would work at construction/remodeling jobs. While at school in Kansas, studying Architecture, one of my required classes was Residential Construction. I worked during the summer of 2015 with a small contractor on remodeling. In 2016-17, I helped remodel an entire home for a homeowner. This included completely demolishing the inside and rebuilding. In 2017, I worked as a cabinetmaker, building and assembling drawers, doors, and hardware for a small cabinet shop in Bellingham, WA. My time in construction provided me with a sense of satisfaction at seeing projects progress. It was quite a switch from the long-term progress I usually see in Education.
While I was teaching at the university level, I also got involved in leadership positions. I was an active voice for improvement while at Washington State and served on the Faculty Committee. When I accepted my position at Western Washington, I quickly joined the Assessment and Curriculum Committees. Within two semesters, I was Chair of the Assessment Committee. In this position, I oversaw how our program evaluated our students. This meant checking our major assignments—mid-terms and finals in particular—against our student learning outcomes and reporting our findings to the Program Director. As Chair, I worked closely with my committee and with each faculty member in our program. One key skill I feel that this really helped me to develop was listening. I listened to our senior faculty; they had the experience. I listened to our younger faculty—of which I was considered—they had new ideas for improvement. The challenge of the position as, I feel, with any leadership position, is to find the best balance by listening to the advice of others, as many and as often as possible.
After moving here, I realized that I wanted to be a part of a community. When my spouse, Jordan, and I attended The Community Church of Chapel Hill, we felt welcomed and wanted to get involved. I helped with Hogwarts on the Hill, volunteered to help at the Manse, joined the 20s and 30s group (even though I’m 41, shhh!), and looked for more opportunities to help.
I look forward to the opportunity to serve on the Board of Trustees. I feel that I can bring new eyes and ears, building project experience, familiarity with diverse populations (including those new to the country), a comfortability with leadership roles, and a willingness to listen and learn.