After the worship service on June 9th, we are having a Town Hall to present the proposed 2024-25 budget and for the candidates for the elected positions on the Board of Trustees, Endowment Committee, and Nominating Committee. On Sunday, June 23rd after the service we will have a Congregational Meeting where we will vote on the elected positions and upcoming budget. The members of the Nominating Committee extend our gratitude to those completing their terms this year, and to the following members who have agreed to serve in the coming years. We propose the following slate of candidates:
Board of Trustees Candidates
Barbara Brachtl
Nominated for Board, 3-year position
Barbara has been a member of the Woodinville Unitarian Universalist Church since 2005. Previously she served 3 years on the board and has been chair of BAG for a few years. Barbara moved to Bellevue in 2015 and was on the board of her condo association for 7 1/2 years. She moved back to Bothell in June 2023 and is eager to become involved.
John Gamble
Nominated for Board, 3-year position
John and his family (Katherine, Owen, and Ezra) started visiting WUUC shortly after it reopened for in-person activities, becoming members in 2022. At WUUC, John helps to keep the technology running during Sunday services. Before moving to Washington in 2017, John and family lived in Albuquerque, NM. John first got involved with Unitarian Universalism during graduate school, where both he and Katherine were members of First Unitarian Society in Madison, WI. Professionally, John is a physicist, and in his free time he loves bicycles, the outdoors, woodworking, and complicated board games.
Kerrie Vespaziani
Nominated for Board, 1-year position
Kerrie has called the WUUC community her spiritual home for almost 21 years. She has been very involved with the church’s music, including playing her flute, singing in the choir, and serving on the music committee (when it existed). She was a co-leader of family night for several years, taught RE, and has recently been a member of the COVID task force. She also served on the board one other time previously.
When not at church, Kerrie works as a nurse for an elementary school in Snohomish. She is mom to Remy (23) and Camlin (21) and her cat Solsken. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, puzzles, knitting, and margaritas with friends.
Endowment Candidates
Dawn Blomberg
Nominated for Endowment Committee, 3-year position
I have been a member of WUUC for many years and my kids have attended RE and youth groups and remain friends with some of their peers to this day. They are 32, 26 and 23! I have served on the board and on many committees over the years and am currently serving on Membership. I love attending the women’s retreat, helping with the rummage sale and attending community events. I am a pediatric speech/language pathologist and own my own company. I look forward to serving on endowment.
Dewey Millar
Nominated for Endowment Committee, 3-year position
Dewey joined the church in 1992. He’s been very active in BAG, Auction, Rummage Sale, Lay Pastoral Associates, Men’s Retreat and is the organizer and leader of the Blood Drive.
Nominating Committee Candidates
Cora Goss-Grubbs
Nominated for Nominating Committee, 3-year position
Cora Goss-Grubbs has been a member of WUUC for 28 years. She has served on the leadership of many church committees as well as the Pacific Northwest District youth conferences, and even on staff for one year as Youth Group Coordinator. Highlights include the music committee, religious education, a ministerial search committee, heading up the rummage sale, and starting our social justice committee that’s now known as ASJ. Strengths she brings to the Nominating Committee include knowledge of many different church ministries and a desire to get to know new attendees while maintaining connections to long-time members. Professionally she is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Substance Use Disorder Professional, and works at Youth Eastside Services as a high school mental health counselor. She is excited to help develop the elected leadership of our church.
Janet Putnam
Nominated for Nominating Committee, 3-year position
Janet Putnam, who joined WUUC in 2003, co-leads the Zen meditation group and sometimes plays oboe for services at church. She was co-chair of the Search Committee from 2009 – 2010, was a member of the Board of Trustees from 2006 – 2010. Janet has been involved with Sister Circle, RE, Membership, the Rummage sale, and the Women’s Retreat, and she has facilitated the Harmony for Hope concerts at WUUC. She particularly enjoys learning about the hidden talents and passions of the members of our WUUC community.
Steph Young
Nominated for Nominating Committee, 3-year position
Steph has been with the church for 5 years. She has been involved in planning the Women’s Retreat for 2 years and was involved in the kitchen when Rev Lo was here. She is a Boeing engineer. Steph has 2 children. One is graduating from college this year and the other is in high school. She is eager to get more involved with the church.