Serving Our Congregation

Our Elected Leadership: The Board of Trustees

Carol Barclay

President

Carol Barclay brings her experience as a coordinator of volunteers for an HMO, membership coordinator for the UU Church in Minneapolis and her long-term experience with the League of Women Voters of Lee County and Florida to her position as President of the Board of Trustees. Carol has lived in 17 different places around the country and became a Unitarian Universalist in the 1970's because "I am a Humanist and believe that we need to act out our faith in how we live and interact with our fellow humans, animals, and the environment." She and husband Hugh joined the UUCFM to help support a voice for fair treatment of all in our community. She has chaired and continues to be active with our Welcoming Congregation Committee and believes that Unitarian Universalism provides a special opportunity for people of many different views to come together and make a difference in the community.

Molly Riordan

President Elect

Molly Riordan selected her own last name to express her Irish heritage. In Gaelic, "riordan" means poet or minstrel and reflects Molly's great interest in the arts. Now retired, yet serving as a substitute teacher, she was as assistant superintendent in the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation, an agency Executive Director and an adjunct professor of Political Science at the University of Toledo. With her husband Ralph Stallsworth she shares five children and three grandchildren. Molly became a Unitarian Universalist because "its principles resonate with me," and joined the UUCFM because she sees it as the one, true Unitarian Universalist community in our area. She believes that the promise of our faith is "its commitment to liberal ideas, actions and our children," and previously she served as Vice President of Ministerial Services.

Barbara Mannix

Secretary

Barbara Mannix had been a UU in Michigan for 2 ½ years before joined UUCFM in 1998. and volunteered for a fall clean-up work party. In March of 2001 she joined the Board of Trustees as Member-At-Large and in May 2001 became Director of Operations to fill that unexpected vacancy. In 2003, Barbara became Treasurer and in April 2004 she became Vice President of Finance for a two year term. This year she returns to the Board as Secretary.

In between or along with Board terms Barbara served on the search committee that brought Sara York to UUCFM as interim minister, the Space Use committee in 2003, and was convening chair of the Welcoming Congregation Task Force. The twice yearly rummage sale needed a new chair, and Barbara performed that task for five years saying that rummaging was the most fun. She also chaired the search committee for a new settled minister from July of 2006 to May 2007. UUCFM is an important part of Barbara’s life and volunteering here is how she gets to know other members.

Fran Rose

Vice President of Finance

My husband Jack and I moved to Fort Myers in 2002, deciding to come south before retirement just to get away from the cold winters of Massachusetts. We have not regretted it for a minute and one of the best decisions we made since moving here was to join the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers. I first attended a UU church in 1982 and realized that the seven principles were consistent with my own philosophy. I belong to the Social Justice Committee and my claim to fame at our church is coordinating the Fair Trade Coffee sales. I also coordinate the Monday Morning group called Thoughts on Life. I volunteer in the community and try to participate wherever there is a need at church. I am a Registered Nurse, now retired. During my career I held many administrative positions dealing with payrolls, budgets, and projecting financial needs for my department year to year. I am committed to keeping the church financially solvent.

Kevin Mack

Treasurer

Kevin Mack Make no mistake, Kevin is a New Zealander, not an Aussie. He comes from the land of the Kiwi and brings with him the remarkable versatility of so much of the flora and fauna there. He is particularly suited to his job as Treasurer because he served as a budget manager in the Navy for 20 years and had responsibility for major purchasing for the service. He also has a BA in Science and Information Systems Management and is certified to teach business and computer courses in middle and high school Kevin served as the director of our 2007 pledge drive and with his wife Heidi and their three children Josh, Syndee and Aaron takes an active role in many UUCFM activities. As he explains, "Unitarian Universalism represents the values we want for our family and we are happy to be here."

Aric DiPiero

Vice President of Operations

Aric DiPiero believes that "no single 'flat earth' religion has an exclusive license on the ultimate truth," and that the compassion inherent in our broad acceptance of new and different philosophies teaches us to continuously be alert to the trap of 'us versus them' thinking." His background in sales management and current employment in mortgage lending give him the kind of sound business perspective essential to his position of Vice President of Operations. He has also had experience working within the church as a member of the Welcoming congregation Task Force and Chair of the 2007 Nominating committee. Aric came to Unitarian Universalism as an ex-Catholic seeking spiritual centering and a community of like-minded people. "I believe in and live by the seven principles and believe that our adherence to the democratic system ensures that we never fall into the stagnation of dogma and empty ritual." Aric loves the movie The Matrix, has seen it twelve times and is eager to discuss its many layers of meaning and creativity with others. He and his wife Megan with their young son Koan make clear their commitment by being in church nearly every Sunday.

Elaine Swank

Vice President of Ministerial Services

Dawn Lienhardt

Vice President of Programming

Mary Murray

Member At Large

Mary Murrayhas been a UU member for over 10 years and a member of this congregation for 3 years, joining after she and her husband Frank moved to the area from Washington DC. She retired after serving 20 years with American Red Cross Disaster Services and is pursuing her second career as a Volunteer Naturalist with Lee County Parks. She is active in our CUUPs chapter and a supporter of the Holton Eco-Preserve. The natural world has always called to Mary and it was in nature that she found her spiritual home. She was delighted to discover that there was an organized church with people who agreed with her about the importance of the natural world and challenged her to think too! It doesn’t get much better than that for Mary.

Helen Leddy

Past President

Helen Leddy, Past President of the UUCFM congregation has wide experience in education and human resources. She has served as an assistant professor of education, directed a pediatric recreational therapy program, served as a personnel director and as an adoption/foster family educator. She is also a "closet" Broadway musical star who envisions life on the Great White Way even for those who, as she points out, may have lesser talent. Currently she is an on-call librarian for the Lee County Library System. She became a Unitarian Universalist to celebrate life and our world with like-minded individuals and joined the UUCFM because she found it the right community in which to share her personal and spiritual growth. Helen believes that the promise of Unitarian Universalism is its message of peace, love, acceptance, thought and the integration of diverse people and ideas.

Our Ministerial Leadership

Interim Senior Minister (Contact)

Mr. Jon Braddy
Religious Education Director (Contact)

Ms. Millisa Bell, Congregational Administrator (Contact)

Ms. Chris Wasko, Music Director

Supporting Our Membership

• Ms. Megan Just, Sunday Nursery Care Attendant
• Ms. Jill Carville, Office Assistant
• Mr. Mickey Kellam, Building Supervisor