Meet Your Newest Board Members for FY 18-19

Welcome new Board members!
​Vice President/President Elect FY18-19 / Past President FY20-21: Rhiannon Smith.
Treasurer (1-year term): Sue Marberry.
Trustees (3-year term): Kathleen MacLeod, Angela Garcia-Sims, James Long.

Rhiannon Smith, Vice President
Upon moving to San Diego from Boston in October of 2013, Rhiannon immediately found a spiritual home in First UU’s Young Adult group. Although she was not raised in any faith tradition, she felt a deep connection to this community and to Unitarian Universalism almost instantly, and dove in head-first to all First UU has to offer. She is also a member of DRUUMM and recently joined the Women’s Choir. She has had the privilege of attending two General Assemblies as well as this year’s International Council of Unitarians and Universalists conference in Nepal, and serves on the DRUUMM Steering Committee. Rhiannon joined First UU’s Board of Trustees in June 2016 and currently serves as Secretary in addition to her role as chair of the Board’s Sanctuary Subcommittee. Serving on the Board for the last two years has been such an incredible honor and she is so grateful to have the opportunity to be considered for the Vice Presidency so that she may deepen her connection and commitment to this faith community that has given her so much.

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Angela Garcia-Sims
​Through great good fortune, Angela was born into a large Mexican American family in Tucson, AZ, where she earned a bachelors, teaching credential, and masters while working at a U of AZ research center. She moved to the California Bay Area to study at Stanford University, where she earn a doctorate, met and married her husband, then moved to Texas to teach and conduct research for two years before returning to the Bay Area to work as a professor, consultant and K-16 researcher, and consulting in the Dominican Republic, Peru, and Central America. In 1992, she and her husband moved to the San Diego area, where she directed curriculum and evaluation at a local school district, then founded a consulting firm to provide evaluation and professional development to local, state and national clients. After participating in social justice actions at First UU Church of SD for several years, Angela formally became a member in 2010. She helped found the SOLACE visitation program, organized several church-wide conferences (Love in Action, Doctrine of Discovery, detention visitation) and currently serves as worship associate, usher, and committee member at the South Bay and Hillcrest campuses.

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James Long
​James grew up in San Diego, and currently lives in El Cajon with his wife, Kaori. He first joined Unitarian Universalism and First Church San Diego in 2013. He has enjoyed being involved in the community helping out at Social Hour, serving on the Adult Religious Education Committee, and also co-chairing the Climate Justice Ministry Team. James also enjoys volunteering for local activist community group SanDiego350, where he serves a co-chair of Inter-faith coalition building Team.James enjoys many activities at First Church, including the Men's group fall renewal, Cosmos Discussion Group, Ambassadors of Joy, and facilitating classes for Planetary Boundaries, and Kirtan. James currently works for the city of San Diego in the Comptroller's office as an accountant. James hopes that by serving on the Board of Trustees, he can give back to the community that has meant so much to him and has been a source of support and friendship.

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Kathleen MacLeod
​Personal: Native San Diegan; raised in the South Bay; B.A. and MPA – SDSU; divorced, no children; age 75; have chosen to live in diverse underserved neighborhoods in Southeastern San Diego for 40 years.
Career: Peace Corps Iran 1964-66 ESL teacher; 5th Grade Teacher, New Orleans, LA 1966-67; Mexican-American Advisory Committee (MAAC), National City, 1967-1971; County of San Diego: health care administration 1974-1978, Family Planning Coordinator 1979-1993, Tobacco Control administration 1993-2003.
Community and Boards of Directors: Southeastern and Encanto Neighborhoods Community Planning Groups for 12 years; League of Women Voters of San Diego: Volunteer Director, Action Director and Treasurer; Coalition of Neighborhood Councils: Board Director; Peace Corps Iran Association: Impact Co-chair (to support the Iran Nuclear Agreement).
Unitarian-Universalism: Raised Protestant in Christian-dominant Chula Vista; learned religious tolerance from Muslims in Iran who socialized with Zoroastrians, Jews, Bahais, Assyrian and Armenian Christians, and agnostics; was secular for over 20 years until referred by a UU work colleague “to a church that doesn’t believe in Hell”; joined First Church in 1989 and the Beyond Racism Task Force right away; set up UU’s Interfaith Gospel Choir in the ‘90s; participate in the UU Partner Church Committee and went to Malingin, Phillipines in 2008; participate in church forums to dismantle white supremacy and the local UU Justice in the Middle East study group. As a volunteer, I coordinate the Welcome Table and participate on the Connections Committee.
Trustee Qualifications: As a church member, participated in calls for a lead minister twice, attend most annual meetings of members and vote. My career in administrative work includes budget development and monitoring expenditures, supervision and performance reviews, policy development, strategic plan accountability, grant administration and contract oversight. As a citizen, I speak up in public forums and City Council meetings. My experience in board governance brings knowledge of fiduciary duties, a focus on mission and vision and appreciation of the separate roles of trustee and management.

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To view all of our current board members, see our Governance page.