The Governing Board’s Governance Advisory Committee is pleased to present our 2022 – 2023 Slate of Candidates to run for open seats on the Governing Board. The names of our nominees and their candidate statements appear below. Elections will take place at the Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 2:00 pm. Everyone is invited to participate in the meeting although only voting members will be allowed to vote. 

The Governance Advisory Committee called for nominations and self-nominations in February and has sought to develop a slate that would foster diversity and broad representation from our membership. We spoke with interested candidates to be sure they were fully informed of the duties of the position and able to commit to service. Candidates for these positions have learned about the responsibilities by conferring with members of the board. The board was notified of proposed nominees and approved the proposed slate on April 19, 2022.

The following slate of candidates along with candidate statements provide background information about their commitment to First Parish. We believe that these candidates share our passion for the mission of First Parish. 

NOMINEES AND THEIR STATEMENTS

Board Chair – Sylvia Wheeler (she/her/hers) 1 year term followed by non-voting, ex-officio 1 year term as Past President.  

Serving as vice chair this past year has prepared me to be ready for anything with the assurance that I can rely on an incredible team of a governing board, staff and congregation with so many fiercely dedicated people.  Being engaged in positive action, in caring about and for others, and seeking spiritual growth in community have grounded me in our work together.

We have all been through a litany of losses with the pandemic, polarized politics, dramatic climate change impacts, and flaring strife in many parts of the world including the grueling witness of the wanton destruction of the peaceful country of Ukraine.  These deeply disturbing world events wear us down and have pushed many to experience stress and mental health consequences.  

With all of this we are getting better at dealing with uncertainty.  I have long been a fan of change, but the pace has certainly increased exponentially in my lifetime.  We can be prepared for both the welcome and unwelcome sides of change.  My resilience is fed in community.

I know that we have much to look forward to as we return to in-person gatherings and worship while we learn to adapt to multi-platform ways to continue our commitment to inclusion.  We have made great progress in creating a vision for the restoration and renovation of the Meetinghouse that has inspired us to seek creative ways to engage with the broader community to make it a reality.  We have re-invigorated our lay pastoral care capacity and reached out to as many in the congregation as possible to check in and let congregants know that they are part of a caring, loving community.

And we are ready to reflect on how the pandemic and change are impacting our own future at FPC.  There are many opportunities ahead when we stick together.  I look forward to helping us reconnect with FPC’s potential for impacting social justice, spiritual growth and partnership with others who have shared values in Cambridge and beyond.  

Board Vice-Chair – Cade Murray (he, him, his) 1 year term, eligible for 1 year term as Chair

I began attending First Parish in 2010, shortly after moving to Cambridge from the San Francisco Bay area.  I joined the Finance Committee in 2012, served as Chair for 5 years, and then was elected to the Governing Board as Treasurer from 2018-2022.  During this time, I have also been active in other areas of the congregation, including religious education, governance transition, the Youth Homeless Shelter, personnel, and most recently the building. In all of this work, my primary motivation has been to help First Parish better serve all members of our congregation, as well as to reach out and become more involved in the larger community. I particularly like working on structural and organizational issues that allow us to be more effective advocates for our vision and values, and I look forward to continuing this work as Vice-chair.

Treasurer, Lindsay Lucke(she/her/hers) 2 year term, eligible for second 2 year term

I am honored to have been asked to serve as Treasurer of our Board. In a way, taking on this role is selfish. In my experience with my humanist religious congregation in Washington DC, the more I contribute to the community, the more I will get out of it. 
 
As I see it, we are creating community together. Our intentional community is where we can practice the kinds of behaviors that honor others and make the world a better place. We can practice such skills as seeing the good in every person, telling our truth with kindness, forgiving others for their mistakes and ourselves being forgiven for ours. It is a sacred project.
 
I moved to Somerville almost six years ago, and began shopping for a congregation. The first time I attended a service with Rev. Adam Dyer, I knew I was home. In Washington I served as treasurer for The Washington Ethical Society. I worked for 15 years with credit unions, first with the regulator and then as a consultant. 
 
If accepted for this position, I look forward to joining the team that has kept First Parish going through these difficult times.

Member At Large – Tod Hibbard (he, him, his) 2-year term; completing first 2-year term
 I was raised Catholic, and that early experience put me off organized religion altogether.  It wasn’t until my wife Cynthia and I had children of our own approaching school age that we decided they needed a religious education –  ideally one that was liberal, open and inclusive.  Though neither of us had been raised Unitarian Universalist, we thought that might provide the right spiritual home, so we visited our local UU church, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Wellesley Hills.  The UUSWH proved to be a wonderful, sustaining community for our children and for us.  Cynthia and I both taught in the religious education program which our kids attended before going on to flourish in the active youth group there.  I also organized the annual church auction and the annual oriental rug sale, I served as chair of the finance committee, chair of the annual all member canvass, chair of the standing committee, as a member of the bequest society, and as auditor.  Cynthia chaired the welcoming committee and was a member of the ministerial intern committee.   We were members of UUSWH for twenty years until, as empty-nest-ers, we moved back to Cambridge (where we had met in college 40 years ago).   

Since joining First Parish in 2018, I have served as one of First Parish’s liaisons to the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (“GBIO”) and as a member of the Development Ministry Team, and Cynthia has been co-chair of the Environmental Justice Task Force – and I go to all of her demonstrations and she comes to all of mine.  Professionally, I am retired after a long career in banking, finance and community economic development, most recently as head of treasury operations at Tufts University.  I am honored to have been nominated to serve a second term on the First Parish Board and, if elected, I hope to bring my energy, perspective and experience to our shared work of nurturing, supporting and sustaining our First Parish community and its work in the larger community.  

Member at Large – Valerie Fullum (she, her, hers) 1 year, completing unexpired term, eligible for 2-year term
 I grew up in the Unitarian Universalist church in Wakefield. My mother was one of the church leaders participating in all aspects of church life as well as being active in the UUA. My brother and I attended the RE program. This church community was key in formulating my UU identity. It was a small warm community whose members loved to share their laughter. I remained involved throughout my college and graduate school years.
 
I am a social worker by training. Twenty years of my career was spent practicing in a large teaching hospital in Boston. Here, I encountered people struggling to make sense of complex medical issues and the impact on their lives. It was during this time that the mental health profession realized the importance of discussing religious and spiritual beliefs and practices with those receiving care.  As someone who always believed that my faith in tandem with my clinical training was so important in my job, this was a huge step forward that helped so many people.
 
I have been a member of First Parish since May of 2012. The year before I began attending this church I spent many Sunday mornings visiting UU churches around the Boston area. My neighbor was a UU guest minister who invited me to accompany him on these adventures. It was delightful!
 
My participation at First Parish has centered around the Welcome Team. I joined the team shortly after I joined the church and most recently am one of its team leaders. I co-led a Covenant Group for three years, engaged in Beloved Conversations and am presently in a Soul Matters group. I serve on the Prayer Chest team and the 2022 Auction team . Each group has introduced me to getting to know people in smaller settings facilitating a sense of connection that is vital in my church life.
 
I am retired after closing my psychotherapy practice at the end of 2021. It was daunting to work with health care professionals on the front line during the Pandemic. Members of this church helped sustain me through those difficult times with their words and gestures of encouragement and support. I am so grateful for their generosity and kindness.
 
First Parish provides me with an oasis in a deeply troubled country and world. In the uncertain times ahead there will be challenges and opportunities. I look forward to continued involvement and commitment to my lifelong UU values in this community.

CONTINUING BOARD MEMBERS

Past Board Chair – Jan Puibello (she/her/hers) Non voting, ex-officio 1 year term

Board Clerk – Carolyn White (she, her, hers) Year 2 of 2-year term, eligible for second 2-year term

Board Member at Large – Jane Stabile (she, her, hers)
Year 2 of 2 year term, eligible for second 2 year term