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>> About >> Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees
The Officers of the church are the President of the Congregation, the Vice-President for Program, the Vice-President for Finance, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Assistant Secretary-Treasurer. The President and two Vice-Presidents are elected annually by the Board of Trustees from among its members; the Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer are elected by the congregation and are ex-officio members of the Board of Trustees. These six officers constitute the Executive Committee of the Board.
The Board of Trustees consists of the church officers and twelve additional members who are elected by the congregation for staggered two-year terms. Board members may be re-elected for a second term and, if elected to an office, may serve up to six consecutive years. The ministers of the church meet with the Board ex-officio, except when requested to be absent for executive sessions. From time to time, the Board may invite other staff members or chairs of program boards or committees to meet with it.
2007-08 Board of Trustees:
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President, John Greene, a veteran of the energy
industry, is now is part owner of a natural gas marketing company. He
and wife Allison have two children. The Greenes joined All Souls 12
years ago. Although he was raised on the east coast as a Catholic and
explored Lutheranism in the mid-west, he found the openness of
Unitarian Universalism a better fit for his belief system. Currently
John is on the Building and Maintenance committee and serves as the
chair of the Board of Trustees' Parking committee. As chair of that
committee, John hopes to resolve the issues of parking and neighborhood
accessibility. He enjoys sports such as cycling, and running, and
outside work projects. To reach John phone (918) 629-3437.
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First Vice President, Kathryn Hinkle has been working
at St. Simeon's Episcopal Home for ten years as Continuing Education
Director, Quality Improvement Coordinator, and Plants and Animals
Keeper. She joined All Souls in the late 1980s after finding Unitarian
Universalism more compatible with her own belief system than the
Presbyterian Church in which she was raised. Kathy's hobby is community
activism. At the community level, she serves on the Board of Parents,
Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Tulsa Partners (Emergency
Preparedness), and the League of Women Voters. At All Souls, Kathy has
been active in the GBLT project, the Garden Committee, two Branches
groups, the Long Range Planning Committee, a stewardship campaign, and
has chaired the Adult Religious Education Board. Kathy is in her second
term on the Board of Trustees. She and her husband Bill have two grown
children, a six-year-old, a cat, and Simone the Wonder Dog who helps
everyone at St. Simeon's. Contact Kathy by email KHinkle@SaintSimeons.org.
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Second Vice President, Jim Rusher and his wife Dianne
joined All Souls in 1998 when the older of their two daughters began
asking if they believed in God. Jim's interest in supporting his
daughters' exploration of religion led him to teach a church school
class for a year and then serve six years on the Children's Religious
Education Board. While on the Board of Trustees, Jim has worked on the
Board's auction as well as the stewardship campaign. Jim's law practice
with Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle is primarily in commercial
litigation; he also handles probates, estate planning, and some family
law matters. Jim enjoys all sports. An avid runner, he has completed 14
marathons and plans to do more. Jim looks forward to working to ensure
that All Souls continues to provide an open, caring, and tolerant
environment for all members to pursue their own paths to spiritual
growth as All Souls grows. Contact Jim by email jwrusher@arhlaw.com.
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Treasurer, Leonard “Len” Eaton, is a retired banker and
now owns World Travel Service. Len was raised as a Methodist but did
not agree with a ‘God told me, I told you, you better do it or you'll
be sorry, really sorry' brand of religion. Len and Patty found John
Wolf's sermons, as well as the covenant to ‘dwell together in peace, to
seek the truth in love, and help one another,' inspiring, so he and his
wife Patty joined All Souls in 1972. In addition to being on the church
Board of Trustees, Len has served on the pastoral committee, and the
board of Meadville Lombard Seminary. He supports All Souls' continuing
leadership in improving our community and believes it is vital that
Tulsa has an open, non-creed-based church. Len wants All Souls to
continue building a strong, caring, liberal church and remain committed
to the ideals of social justice. In his service to the greater
community Len is a member of the boards of the Community Hospital
Authority, Tulsa Children's Coalition, Ransom Center for the Humanities
at the University of Texas, and Morningside Foundation. The Eatons
enjoy travel and spending time with their children and grandchildren.
Contact Len by phone (918)-743-8856, or email leaton@worldtvl.com.
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Secretary, Judy DeCamp Jarvis, retired after thirty
years as a social worker and supervisor in Child Welfare, was with the
University of Oklahoma for five years, then returned to Child Welfare
work part-time. The Jarvis family joined All Souls in 1973. Judy and
husband Jim felt at home in the church, and welcomed All Souls
challenges and opportunities. They appreciated the liberal religious
education available for their two children and found opportunities to
serve there. Jim was on the Religious Education Board and Judy taught
in the church school, served on the Children's Choir Board, they
chaperoned many youth trips and chaired a stewardship campaign. Judy
served on the Adult Religious Education Board, is on the editorial
board of Simple Gifts, the journal published by All Souls, and works on
special projects such as All Souls recent 85th Anniversary Celebration.
Judy's vision for All Souls includes continuing church growth and
community influence through outreach and advocacy, with Simple Gifts
development being a part of that. Contact Judy by email jdjarvis@cox.net.
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Assistant Secretary/Treasurer, Marilyn Ihloff began
attending All Souls fifteen years ago after breast cancer led her to
reexamine her spiritual beliefs and practices. She has found All Souls
to be “…a wonderful and committed congregation which inspired and awed
me.” In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees, and a stewardship
campaign, Marilyn, with her husband Greg Bledsoe, is working to develop
the Green Sanctuary Program at All Souls and ultimately obtain the
Unitarian Universalist Green Sanctuary Certification. (She encourages
you to find about more about this program at: http://uuministryforearth.org/cgi/news.cgi)
Marilyn has owned Ihloff Salon and Day Spa for 27 years. She enjoys
spending time with her sons and grandsons as well as yoga, cooking, and
gardening. Contact Marilyn by cell phone, (918)-810-5582.
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Bill Ainsworth grew up attending All Souls then moved
away from Tulsa. He and his wife Carol moved back to Tulsa six years
ago and he returned to All Souls with his family. The Ainsworths joined
when they realized the important role of the Church in their own lives
and their young son's. Bill has been active in a Branches group and he
and Carol chaired a stewardship campaign. He hopes that ASUC's
influential liberal voice will continue to shape our community. Bill
owns Magneto Partnership, the agency he launched after twenty-years in
advertising. He enjoys outdoor activities, especially hiking in the
Rockies, and introspective pursuits like art and writing. Contact Bill
by cell phone (918)-724-5715, work phone (918) 280-8200, or email bill@magnetopartnership.com.
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Laura Hailey-Butler has a 26 year history at All Souls. Her family joined when she was in the fifth
grade. Laura participated in the
Children’s Religious Education Program and choir. After ten years in Norman,
Oklahoma Laura and her husband Edwin chose to return to Tulsa and All Souls in
order that their two children could have, in her words, “a Ruby and a
Rocky"…caring adults that would nurture their self-confidence and
spiritual development as Ruby Buchner and Rocky Stegman had done for her and so
many other children during their time at All Souls. While the move was intended primarily to
benefit her children, Laura has found that her own involvement in the
Children’s Religious Education program as a teacher, and as a member and
president of the CRE Board, has profoundly affected her as well. Because of
this she hopes for more involvement from the larger congregation in our
Children's Religious Education and Youth Departments and that both groups will continue
to be nationally recognized models for other Unitarian Universalist churches.
Laura also sees advocacy in the Tulsa
community as a strength of All Souls and hopes that we continue our leadership role
in addressing social issues locally and beyond. Finally, Laura hopes for growth
in our Endowment Fund to ensure a spectacular future. When not found in the west wing of All Souls,
look for Laura on the golf course, or reading a good book. She is Vice
President of Mission Advancement at the YMCA of Greater Tulsa. Contact Laura by
e-mail at lhb@ymcatulsa.org, or call 269-0699.
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Peter Allan Childs is a retired First Vice President of
Merrill Lynch. He managed money for HNW (high net worth) individuals
and continues to manage his family's assets, as well as consulting for
individuals and organizations. Peter has BA from Westminster College,
serves on their Board of Trustees and has endowed a scholarship. He is
on the Board of the 600-suite Sandestin Beach Hilton Hotel in Destin,
Florida, where he has an ownership interest. Peter is on the All Souls
Garden Committee and manages an endowment that he set up for the
memorial garden. He has been a mentor at Nimitz Middle School for the
past five years and currently mentors two boys there. Peter's wife
Rosalie is a member of Temple Israel. Contact Peter at by phone
(918)-742-6709, or email Petois@aol.com.
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Stacey Craig is the one All Souls
Board of Trustees member who has also served as an All Souls staff
member– as Youth Director from 1996 to 2001. Stacey’s
involvement with All Souls began in her childhood when she attended
services with her parents. She joined a Presbyterian youth group when
she was a teenager but that church didn't fit her beliefs, so she
returned to All Souls. In addition to serving as
Youth Director, Stacey has led ASK workshops, been a Youth advisor and
served on the Youth Board as a member and as chair. She
traveled extensively with the youth to regional conferences, on float
and ski trips, and on the first and subsequent senior pilgrimages to
Boston. She has also worked on Habitat for
Humanity houses, co-chaired Mostly Unitarian Moms, and served on the
Long Range Planning Committee. Stacey’s family is also intimately
involved in All Souls. She and her husband Glenn were married here in
1998, and their twin six-year-olds participate in the Children’s
Religious Education Program. They are glad that their daughters will have the opportunity to learn
about religion without being indoctrinated into one way of thinking.
The Craigs value the community of All Souls--part of the village that
is helping to raise their children.
Stacey
would like to see the church offer more family support through tutoring
(at our adopted schools and within the congregation), hold
family-friendly services, create intergenerational space and
programming, and provide aid to families going through life-changing
events like death or divorce. She also values All Souls’ leadership role in Tulsa. In
her words, “I love that I always see members of our church at community
events, from the theater to social action programs. It seems that any
time there is a worthwhile cause All Souls members are there, more
often than not in a leadership role.“ When not homeschooling her children Stacey enjoys playing cello, quilting, skiing, solving Sudoku and other puzzles and games. Email Stacey at SCraigOK@aol.com.
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Alisha Denton Loftin taught liberal arts at the college
level for ten years before returning home to care for her two young
sons and two dogs. She enjoys practicing Shotokan Karate, yoga, and
playing the piano. She hopes to travel more including internationally
as her children get older. Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico,
Alisha's spiritual exploration included teachings from Christian
sources, as well as more mystic approaches to spirituality. Renewed
exploration of her belief system, particularly after the birth of her
children, seemed wholly reflected in the Unitarian-Universalist
practice. She and her husband Richard joined All Souls in 2004. Alisha
has been active teaching Adult RE classes, as a leader of Mostly
Unitarian Moms, and as a volunteer for ORCRC and Village Banking. She
would like to see All Souls remain a pillar of liberal thought and
belief and continue to expand its influence in our community as well as
the nation. Contact Alisha by cell phone (918)-809-8661, or email alishadenton@sbcglobal.net.
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Nancy McDonald has led a life of service. In
addition to a career in education, Nancy has pursued a career in
volunteerism, which began in the Officer’s Wives Clubs of the Air Force. This led her to board appointments at, among others, Rogers
State College, Thornton YMCA, Tulsa Living Arts, Hillcrest Hospital,
Arts and Humanities Council, PFLAG, and the Special Olympics. Her vast
and ongoing community activism has won her local, regional, and
national honors. From 1971 until recently, Nancy
and Joseph, her husband of 49 years, were active members of Hope
Unitarian Church where Nancy served for a time as the Children’s
Religious Education Director. Nancy and Joseph
joined Hope seeking a church that was open to questioning one's own
faith and beliefs. They also wanted their four children to experience
religious education that gave them the tools to develop their own faith. The
McDonalds joined All Souls three years ago when the Church became a
Welcoming Congregation. Currently Nancy serves as Chair of the
Children’s Advocacy Team at All Souls. In her words, Nancy “hopes All
Souls will continue to be a Church for those who seek an inclusive,
understanding, and welcoming congregation; a voice for those persons
who are on the fringes of our society and a role model for other
congregations and individuals in regard to philanthropy, articulation
of values, and service to each other and the larger community.” Nancy
enjoys spending time with her family, including eight grandchildren,
and reading, sailing, needlework, cooking, and RVing. Contact Nancy by
phone at 918-742-8565, or email her at nancymcdo@aol.com.
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Patrick Newman is a native Tulsan. His early religious
experience was in a Christian church where his parents were leaders.
Pat studied psychology at Phillips University and met his wife Jane
there. Later he completed his PhD and has been in private practice as a
counseling psychologist for more than twenty years. Pat and Jane were
introduced to All Souls in 1980 by his brother Mike and here they found
a church community where they felt at home. The Newman's two children
were enriched by growing up in the embrace of All Souls. Pat and Jane
have sponsored the youth programs, co-chaired the CARE team, and for
the past eight years have facilitated a parenting class in conjunction
with the ninth grade Coming of Age program. Now in his second term on
the Board of Trustees, Pat has been First Vice President and Program
Council Chair, on the Senior Minister ministerial relations committee,
and chaired the search committee for our current Assistant Minister.
Pat hopes that All Souls will continue to grow in size, service, and
sense of community. “I feel we have a special voice in our time in
history and I want to be a part of the larger conversation locally and
in the larger world through the unique opportunity provided by All
Souls.” Pat's hobbies are reading, poetry, music, and outdoor
activities including running, hunting, and fishing. Pat can be reached
at (918) 582-4696, or email patjanenewman@sbcglobal.net.
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Jim Perrault is a native Tulsan. He and his wife Lisa
were brought up in the Catholic Church and attended Catholic schools.
Jim and Lisa sent their son and daughter to Catholic schools too, but
when their son was reached high school he began to question the
family's religious tradition and looked to All Souls for his own
spiritual development. The family tried attending both churches for a
period of time before determining All Souls was, “the best home for our
questioning souls.” The family officially joined the church in 2006. The
Perraults have become active in the Children’s Religious Education
program. Board of Trustees membership is Jim’s first foray into church
service. He hopes to discover more about the church and ways to use his talents to forward the mission of All Souls. He
enjoys outdoor activities including fishing, camping, and skiing, as
well as home repairs. Jim graduated from the University of Tulsa in
mechanical engineering and is a licensed professional engineer. He is
Director of Product Development and Marketing for McElroy Manufacturing
Company. Call Jim at (918) 831-9290 or email jperrault@mcelroy.com)
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Mona Pittenger believes that All Souls has changed the
face of Tulsa forever. The CEO and sole owner of Pyramid Real Estate
Services, LLC, Mona joined the Church in 1997 when she discovered
liberal religion. Mona was particularly impressed with All Souls
non-creedal, intellectual approach to religion. In addition to spending
time with Phoenix her giant Schnauzer, Mona and her partner Claudia
Woody enjoy international travel, and outdoor activities such as
backpacking and hiking, water sports, golf, and riding horses. Mona
would like to see the development of a building sinking fund to provide
the replacement of All Souls building components. Mona serves on the
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Committee. Contact her by email,
mpittenger@PyramidRealEstate.com.
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Maurice Storm (or Storm as he prefers to be called) is originally from Southern California. He comes from a family that did not
practice a religion or attend church. Storm began attending church on his own when
he entered his teens and was actively involved in both Methodist and Baptist
churches until he completed college. After completing graduate school Storm
moved to Tulsa,
but could not find a church that tolerated intellectual curiosity about
religious and spiritual matters. Eventually, church and the religious
experience faded again from his life. Six years ago he started attending All
Souls and was pleased to find a church that embraces individuality, freedom of
thought, and freedom to search for answers to the spiritual questions that abound
in the world. Storm is a geologist by training, with a Bachelor of Science with honors in geology. He lives near
the church with his beautiful wife Leah, three wonderful children, and two well-behaved
dogs.
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Theodore C. (Ted) Sherwood, is a third-generation
member of All Souls Unitarian Church. After earning his JD at the
University of Oklahoma, Ted and his wife Rebecca settled in Oklahoma
City. The Sherwoods with son Ted Jr. returned to Tulsa in 2001, and Ted
launched his own law practice specializing in health care and tort law.
Ted is a leading member of the congregation; he currently serves as
President of the Board of Trustees and previously served as the
treasurer. Ted has also chaired an auction committee, and he and
Rebecca have chaired an annual stewardship campaign. His goals for his
tenure as president are to assure that All Souls is financially sound
through successful stewardship; to preserve the legacy of All Souls
through expansion of All Souls endowment fund; to expand the reach and
influence of All Souls within the community and the UUA; to better
serve our members with adequate staffing, parking and buildings.
Contact Ted by phone (918)-592-1144, or email tedlaw@swbell.net. |
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