Farewell from Carol Marks
After 30 years of working as a church administrator (administrative assistant, church administrator, and finally director of administration) at the same congregation, I decided earlier this year after many months of discernment that I would end my employment as of December 31, 2022. For the most part, this has been the most fun I have ever had at work, and I’ve enjoyed working with a variety of interesting ministers and other church staff over the years. I have also been thankful for the AUUA all through those years, for providing me with colleagues who really “get” what we do for a living, listening ears, and a lot of mighty fun times. I am happy with the kinds of opportunities the AUUA continues to provide for its members in the form of training, shared resources, and good offices assistance.
I will be leaving the AUUA Board and taking some time away from Unitarian Universalism for a while, to clear my mind and figure out what is next for me, but you are in good hands with our remaining AUUA Board members. They are all insightful and helpful people, and it has been a real pleasure to work with them. I have known Christina Fulton for over 25 years, and she is truly a leader in her field. She will be coming in from serving as Vice President, to become President of AUUA, as I step away after five and a half years of service on the Board this time around.
I wish all of you the very best in your professional endeavors, with regular substantial raises in pay, generous vacations, healthful working conditions, congenial co-workers, and UUs around you who are all trying to make the world a better place.
Happy trails!
Carol Marks
AUUA President June 2021 through Dec 2022
UU World LGBT Article
From the AUUA Board
March 8, 2019
As a professional organization within the UUA, we, the Board, on behalf of the members of the Association of Unitarian Universalist Administrators (AUUA), are called to seek the best in our fellow religious professionals, to work to uphold the Unitarian Universalist Principles and to ensure that our colleagues within the organization, those serving as other religious professionals, our congregants, and indeed the world at large, are treated with dignity and respect. Our own Code of Professional Practices calls us to strive to be models of ethical leadership and to honor our liberal religious imperative to work for social justice.
The events of the past week surrounding the After L, G, and B article in the Spring issue of UU World have raised many challenges for each of our congregations, our denomination and for many of our own administrative professionals. It is not our place to judge the intentions of the article, but rather to recognize the impact on our peers and on many in our congregations.
Members of the transgender and genderqueer community, including those within the AUUA, are feeling pain, anger and betrayal. A community that is already marginalized feels excluded, unseen and unheard. We want our transgender and genderqueer colleagues to know that we have heard them. We will commit to follow their lead by encouraging members of AUUA to read the TRUUsT (Transgender Religious professional Unitarian Universalists Together) response and their suggestions for how to be better allies. We recognize the inequalities endured by our transgender and non-binary gender colleagues. We pledge to do better at recognizing and naming these inequalities and truly working to ensure the inherent worth and dignity of all.
From Your Board
March 7, 2018
Dear AUUA members,
Last week, our colleague Christina Rivera, Director of Administration and Finance at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church in Charlottesville, VA, was the target of a racist note received in her mailbox. Once again, we are reminded that we have a great deal of work to do within ourselves and our congregations to address individual and systemic racism. Continue reading “From Your Board”