Staff and Board
Rev.
Arthur Vaeni
Minister
The Reverend Arthur Vaeni began his service as Olympia's minister in August, 2001. He came from Plymouth, New Hampshire where he had served as minister to the Starr King UU Fellowship for fourteen years. Arthur earned his MDiv at Harvard Divinity School in 1987, a M.A. in telecommunications at Indiana University in 1980 and a B.S. at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1972.
His work life includes time in the army, with a telephone company, as a counselor at a mental health center and his personal favorite - a summer job while in divinity school that included driving a Zamboni at an ice rink. Arthur has two adult children. His wife, Sally Gove, teaches writing at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood.
Sara
Lewis
Director of Religious Education
Sara is in her second year as Director of Religious Education, although she has been part of the OUUC community for seven years. She grew up in Seattle, and has been an Olympia resident for eight years. Her background includes being homeschooled, performing in every Gilbert and Sullivan opera at least twice, teaching dance, National Guard service, and running a home daycare. Sara has a Bachelors of Science and a Masters in Teaching from The Evergreen State College. She also has two young children and a few too many pets. In what spare time she can grab, she enjoys talking to her husband, reading a good book, sewing and crafting, gardening, and hiking.
Troy Arnold Fisher
Music Director
Troy has his BS in Music Education from Chadron State College, in Chadron Nebraska. He did his Masters study in Choral Conducting at Brigham Young University under Ronald Staheli.
Troy is also the staff music director at Olympia’s Capital Playhouse; and he is the founding music director for Olympia's premier youth choir, Kids In Koncert. Under his direction Kids in Koncert has toured to Japan, Washington D.C., and Disneyland.
During his time at OUUC, the OUUC choir has sung in several other congregations in the Puget Sound Region, Vancouver, Washington, as well as Corvallis, Oregon. The OUUC choir also toured to Romania, Hungary and Austria, on a trip that united the choir with OUUC’s sister congregation in Kissolymos.
In Olympia, Troy’s musical and stage direction have also been seen on the stages of Harlequin Productions, The Abbey Players, Timberline Theatre Company, and Capital High School.
Around the country Troy worked for 12 years as the staff music director for Utah Musical Theatre in Ogden, Utah, six years as the staff music director for the Toledo Rep in Toledo, Ohio, and two years as the staff music director for the Fireside Dinner Theatre in Ft. Atkinson Wisconsin. In addition Troy has also freelanced at the Lyceum Theatre in Columbus, Missouri, Music Arts Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia, The Black Hills Playhouse in Custer State Park, South Dakota, and The Post Playhouse in Ft. Robinson, Nebraska.
Bonnie Guyer Graham
Connections Coordinator
Bonnie began working as the Connections Coordinator, as a volunteer staff member, in summer 2011. She has been a part of the OUUC community for fourteen years, teaching children's RE and was a former member of the Family Ministry Team. She has also helped with Green Sanctuary projects for the last several years. Her background includes facilitating enrichment science education classes for children at a science museum, working in a food coop, staying home to raise three children and volunteering in three Olympia schools. In her spare time she likes to read mysteries, garden, be outside at almost any beach, and hang out with kids, sew, and discover new ways to make nightly dinners more interesting.
Darlene Sarkela
Administrator
Darlene Sarkela (a native Minnesotan and 100% Finnish) discovered OUUC through a newspaper ad in 1989. She became the church administrator in 1991. Darlene’s background includes education in sociology and community counseling, Army service, and work with Head Start. She has one adult son and enjoys garage sales, looking up old friends on the internet, and cinnamon toast.
“A new moon teaches gradualness and deliberation and how one gives birth to oneself slowly. Patience with small details makes perfect a large work, like the universe.” - Rumi
Bill Arensmeyer
Caretaker
William Allin Arensmeyer was born on a large cattle ranch in central Montana, the second youngest of 13. His dad said that he was born arguing about the quality of the milk. Bill’s dad was an immigrant from Germany and his mother was a Quaker lady of pioneer stock.
Bill has worked as a Minister, Teacher, Fire Fighter, Botanist and Wetland Biologist, Cowboy, School Administrator, and Farmer.
Bill came to Unitarianism after graduation from a Methodist Seminary, and was minister of the Olympia UU Fellowship in 1978.
Bill has been a member of OUUC since 1978 and established the UU Social Advocacy Program (which became Out of the Woods) in 1994. In 2006 Bill helped start the OUUC Buddhist Sangha.
Rev. Carol McKinley
Affiliated Minister, Community Minister
The Reverend Carol McKinley, an Olympia resident since 1970, received her MDiv from Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry in 2004. She is a community minister endorsed by OUUC, and serves as coordinator of Washington UU Voices for Justice, a state legislative advocacy network.
She received her BA in English literature and writing from the University of Washington. She has taught English in secondary schools and community colleges, owned an Olympia out-of-print bookstore, and was, in New Jersey, executive editor of the international magazine of the antiquarian book trade. Prior to attending seminary, she was the indexer in the Washington State Code Reviser’s Office.
She has two grown daughters, two almost-grown grandsons, and lives with her partner, Barbara Gibson.
Rev. Eric Ness
Affiliated Minister, Retired Hospice Chaplain
The Reverend Eric Ness is a retired hospice chaplain for Providence Sound Home Care and Hospice. Eric is a Seattle native, a graduate the University of Washington, Antioch University, and Starr King School for the Ministry. Eric is married to Kathryn Ness.
Board of Trustees
Kelly Thompson
President
Kelly has been associated with Unitarian Churches since 1975, and a member of OUUC since 1991. The OUUC is the community that supported the Thompson family through medical crises, and helped raise 3 kids that are now all planetary citizens and gainfully employed. In addition to organizing Pirate parties, Middle school activities and discussions, and working with various committees, Kelly had the opportunity to work on the board when OUUC first moved into the current location. Wow was that fun!
Kelly and Mary Ann log quite a few miles on touring bicycles each year, and Kelly recently began doing his negotiating work from a houseboat/office on Budd Bay....its awesome.
Gail Gosney-Wrede
Vice-President
A member of OUUC since 1993, Gail became a Unitarian Universalist in the mid-1980’s after being raised as a Catholic. Gail’s passion has been religious education for all ages, but is evolving into an interest in pastoral care and inclusion for all members and visitors.
Gail is employed as a planner/grant writer with the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. When not working, Gail loves to garden, hike, travel, and cook/entertain (not necessarily in that order). Her new passion, besides her family, is triathlons!
Steve Tilley
Treasurer
Steve joined OUUC in the early 1990s. He found himself teaching middle school RE that year and learned a lot about UU history and practice. In the late 1990s, he served on the Board and helped update the Board policy manual. While on the Board, he went to leadership school which was a transformative experience. Steve and his wife, Christine, moved to Saipan in 2003 and returned in 2009 to be closer to family and friends, especially the OUUC community. Steve has been active on the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Disaster Preparedness Committee, and the 2010 Stewardship Drive. He would like to help the Board and congregation transition to the new organizational structure. He would also like to continue getting to know more members of the congregation because UUs are such interesting and committed people!
Bonnie Shorin
Secretary
Bonnie first came to OUUC in the fall of 1996, and knew from the first visit that she'd be “signing the book.” Since that time she has helped out in the Nursery, taught RE in all grades from Preschool to grade 6, was a member of and served as chair of the Committee on Ministry, and has been a member of and the Chair of the RE committee. She is currently one of the teachers of the middle school group. Bonnie clearly has a passion for sharing a sense of faith and learning about UU values with the young people of this congregation. She likes the grown ups pretty well, too!
Bonnie's life outside OUUC includes 19 years working for state and federal government in resource stewardship. She is licensed as an attorney but has shifted her bar status to inactive. Her oldest child is in college, her second child in high school, and her youngest child attends the middle school RE class. She and Joe Shorin regularly participate in Dinners for Eight, and have hosted several UU auction dinners at their home ("where all the cooking is done by Joe, thank goodness!").
Christine Gulrajani
Christine has been attending OUUC for over 4 years. She was previously involved with First Unitarian in Milwaukee, WI and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Midland (Michigan). She has been a member of the RE Family Ministry Team for 3 years, serving as chair for 2 years, and sings in the choir.
Christine holds a bachelors degree from the University of WI-Milwaukee in Theater and Dance. Previous leadership positions include Business Manager of a non-profit theater company and Manager of a Mortgage Lending Division for a Community Bank. She lives in Olympia with her partner, Erich Brown and their three children Myles 9, Zoie 6, and Sojourn 4. All are actively involved with the congregation and the community.
Neil Marsh
Neil joined the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Olympia in 1989. He and his wife, Mary Jean, were married at University Unitarian Church in Seattle (where she was a member at the time) in 1991. In 2000 he served as the registrar for the PNWD AGM. Neil is an active member of the South Sound chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and recently retired after 15 years from the Board of Directors for Cascade Mental Health Care in Lewis County. Working nights and weekends as a police officer precluded Neil’s participation in OUUC activities for many years, making him an “invisible member.” He has very much enjoyed being able to participate regularly since retiring from Law Enforcement late in 2006. Neil, Mary Jean, and their daughter, Rebecca, live in Chehalis.
Pat McLachlan
Pat came to sing in the OUUC Choir in 1998 and found her spiritual home. She feels truly supported in her journey to find meaning, truth and spiritual growth at OUUC.
In addition to being a choir member, Pat served four years on the Space Committee that completed the first phase of building construction and is now working with the committee on the next phase. She has co-facilitated Small Group Ministry/Circles of the Spirit groups and worked on the Landscape Subcommittee of Buildings and Grounds, the Green Sanctuary Committee, as a Program Council Representative, and as Aesthetics Committee Chair.
Pat has recently retired as a Program Manager for the Department of Commerce where she managed state-wide housing repair, weatherization and lead-based paint programs for low-income families and contracted with twenty-six community action agencies and housing authorities. To her service as a OUUC Board member, she brings extensive experience in program management, problem solving, policy and grant writing, budgeting, communications, technical housing issues, and contractor education.
Pat’s other interests include hiking with the Trotters, gardening at her home, developing her small photography business, and traveling with family and friends.
Curtis Tanner
Curtis and his partner Wendy have been active at OUUC since 2001. Their relationship with the church began in 1998 when they chose the Sanctuary for their wedding. Since then, they have grown increasingly involved in the life of the church, and found a home in the community it provides.
Curtis is a five year veteran of the Fundraising Committee and twice chaired the Stewardship Drive. He has emerged as the unofficial church cook and stalwart supporter of the Annual Community Dinner. He joined the Board in 2008 and has recently begun serving as a Religious Education volunteer.
Curtis grew up in the Protestant tradition in Texas. He first came to know Unitarian Universalists during his six summers at the Isles of Shoals, Maine, home to both Shoals Marine Laboratory where he studied and worked, and Star Island Conference Center, summer retreat of UU’s.
Curtis works as a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Puget Sound coastal habitat restoration. He and Wendy share a love of outdoor activities, sometimes missing Sunday service for time in “God’s Great Green Cathedral.”
Ann
Yeo
Ann found Unitarian Universalism, and OUUC, in 2000 - after what she calls “30 years of spiritual wandering,” having drifted away from the Protestant Christianity of her childhood in small-town Virginia. She credits the Building Your Own Theology course, and almost 6 years’ service on the worship committee, with thoroughly grounding and immersing her in this liberal religious tradition.
Ann is a retired military nurse, also a nurse-midwife who no longer delivers babies but provides gynecologic care to women from their teens thru’ senescence.
She and her husband Ken - a New Zealander by birth, and a former Catholic who is increasingly drawn to Unitarian Universalism – settled in Olympia in 1991. She predicts that they will be here for the rest of their lives (unless they win the Lotto and can then afford to move back to the Hawaiian islands, where they met and wed in the 1970’s!)