Meet our Board of Trustees

(the statements below were provided to the congregation when each was a candidate for the election)

Jen Blum, President (1st term 12/2024-12/2026)

I have been involved with RE for 14 years and counting as a volunteer teacher, Youth Group leader, and on the RE Committee. I have served with energy and interest. My efforts have been acknowledged by other members who have encouraged me to become a candidate for the Board. In Covenant means that we respect each other, the Board, the congregation and the UU denomination to guide us to make good decisions for the congregation. Just as other groups who experience aging membership, we need to encourage opportunities for our youth to participate and contribute currently, hoping to foster continued membership in our church. By virtue of having such a significant charitable effort for the RDC, we have set a wonderful example to achieve the goals of the larger UU organization. In addition, we endeavor to recognize lesser-known groups with our plate collections every month. We continue to serve the local community by maintaining a little food pantry, Narcan access, the Community Kitchen meals twice a week, and various other activities.

Ralph Putnam, President-Elect (appointed Treasurer during 2nd term 12/2023-12/2025, elected as Treasurer (12/2025-12/2027; resigned as Treasurer after election as President-Elect 12/2025)

I have been a member of UU Lansing for 36 years and have participated in church life and leadership in many ways. Now recently retired, I felt it is time to take on the responsibility of serving on the Board of Trustees.

I see UU Lansing at a watershed moment. We’ve made a strong start on realizing our vision of supporting and serving the South Lansing community–an important impetus for moving to S. Pennsylvania Ave.

At the same time, the COVID pandemic hit us hard, keeping us from gathering in beloved community for so long! Much of our social structure–worship services, religious education classes, committees, and groups–has frayed and we’re having to relearn how to be and do things together. I think this is a time for us to be intentional about rebuilding the programs activities that bring us together. How do we want children, youth and families to participate in church life? How can we reinvigorate small- group ministry? What are other ways we can gather to do the work of the church?

I feel it’s important that we support the UUA through our annual giving and that we continue to participate in national and regional activities. Having members attend GA is an incredibly enriching experience that contributes both to the broader UU movement and our own congregational life. I’d also like to see us doing more connecting with other Michigan UU congregations, for example, through music and youth activities. We’ve done this in the past, but the level has dropped off since COVID.

We have done SO MUCH to reach out to and partner with others since we moved to South Lansing. I hope this trend continues!

Ned Jackson, Secretary (2nd term 12/2026-12/2028)

UUCGL has helped shape our family's social and spiritual growth via RE programs—coming of age, OWL, HS sleepovers, mentoring--and the freedom and fun of group events—Yankee Springs trips, bike rides, circle suppers, etc. Outside of professional and neighborhood contexts, UUCGL connects us to friends with talents, interests, and experiences that broaden our appreciation of the world. Otherwise, as a chemistry professor, I might be stuck contemplating methane. We must build community, "keeping the faith" by working to know and appreciate each other ever more deeply. We must help our minister, church leaders, and partners to grow in a dynamic exchange of ideas, insights, and love. The less top-down, hierarchical structure the better. It can be messy inventing the rules as we go along, but that is how active dialogue and mutual understanding are developed. The huge changes of recent years—building move, interim and then new minister, COVID, policy governance, and the contentious state of our society—have weakened the traditions and practices that built bonds among us. My appreciation of UUCGL people was built via shared service, linking us in common cause as coming of age mentors, choir singers, committee members, creators of lay-led services, etc. We can still learn from past practices that brought us together. We must support the denomination’s work for social and environmental justice, fighting dehumanization. The sharpening focus on differences rather than commonalities is a concern in both the right’s radical intolerance and the left’s identity politics. Dividing people into special categories with sensitivities for each category is alienating. I wish to reach those inclined toward division, not by telling them how wrong they are, but by finding paths to empathy and connection. The denomination should help us learn how to build those bridges. I’m proud of our outreach via work with the RDC, SCK, community gardens, share-a-bike, blessing box, and plate collections. But as a welcoming congregation in a midwestern state now tilting toward intolerance, we must be a resource and refuge where all may come and be valued in their unique misfit ways. Our doors must be open both to people fearing mistreatment in society, and those questioning cruel viewpoints they absorbed from media and cultural polarization.

Laura Ray, Past-President (1st term ended12/2025, continues to serve on the Board as Past-President)

I have previously been a member of the board, and I feel that I could be an asset now with the current leadership we have. I would like to see the church live its stated value of providing diversity throughout the church community. I think that we have stated for many years that we want to be a helpful part of our community, and I would like the leadership to continue to make those relationships and connections with the whole wider Lansing area. I think it is time to be who we say we want to be, and I am here to support that initiative.

Kathy Lovell (1st term 12/2025-12/2027; elected Treasurer by the Board after Ralph Putnam resigned to become President-Elect)

I have been a member of UU Lansing for over 40 years, since my daughter started in the Religious Education program. I have served in many aspects of church life and leadership, including Board of Trustees, Finance Team, Stewardship Team, Music Programs and Website Team. The beloved community has been the motivation for my continuing involvement. Since the move to our current building, we have made a strong start on realizing our vision of serving the greater Lansing community, and this should continue as a priority. After the COVID pandemic, many of our social structures, groups and teams have not returned to earlier vibrant levels. Financial and leadership constraints have led to challenges in restoring and enhancing the RE program. I think we should evaluate the major changes that were made in our governance system in the last few years and determine which practices make our church better, and if there are aspects that should be modified to better fit our church’s size and structure. We also need to initiate a process to enhance our planning for the future. One of the major functions of the Board should be listening to congregants to ascertain the priorities and strategies that can best serve the goals of the entire congregation; the recent small group conversations were an important step in that direction. As a Board member, I will work to help enhance communication and develop strategies to achieve our objectives, as we evolve together as an active, vibrant community.

Byron Vorce (1st term 12/2024-12/2026)

I define Covenant: a solemn agreement to regulate the behavior of both individuals and a social organization under the current UUCGL Board covenant. I feel the church is in a time of challenge and evolution. It takes all members of the church to step-up in this time of change. I would like to see this transformation of the church lead to first and foremost, to prioritize all the resources needed to insure UUCGL & its members survive this transition. Secondly, support the larger UU denomination in treasure, a training site and in shared priorities and mission. Last but not the least, support only economically feasible outreach and partnerships with local organizations. All activities would need to demonstrate their economic viability. In other words, their survival will not be dependent upon our involvement. I provide this statement as a manifestation of my Covenant with the UUCGL and its members.

Mike Nestell (1st term 12/2025-12/2027)

I am standing before you as a candidate for the board of the UU Church of Greater Lansing. When Jann and I first attended (2016) and later joined this beloved community (2017), we did so not because of some religious doctrine, but because of your commitment to community, nature, and peace and justice. By accepting this candidacy, I am pledging to step up my efforts even more (as Jann has already) to the above standards. I make this pledge assuring you that I will abide by the covenant that is the centerpiece of this beloved community. I am a retired high school teacher and counselor. For the last ten years I have served The Davies Project. I am a volunteer driver providing transportation to and from medical appointments for families with transportation issues. In addition, I am part of a team that prepares and files income tax returns during the tax season for no charge. I also am serving in my 49th year as a Track and Field and Cross Country official. I am also the proud grandfather of marvelous twin granddaughters.

Amy Geishert (1st term 12/2025-12/2027)

I have been a member of UUCGL for over 20 years and have been involved in a variety of activities during that time. I participated in and led numerous Covenant Groups, cofacilitated a Cakes for the Queen of Heaven class, served briefly on the Stewardship committee, and more recently, I serve on the board and am an active member of Chestnut Grove, our church’s local CUUPS (Covenant of UU Pagans) chapter. During my years as a UUCGL member, I have witnessed many changes, from our move from East Lansing to South Pennsylvania, turnover of ministers, and the impacts of COVID. I have seen our membership grow and contract and I have seen us wrestle with the growing pains associated with all these big changes we have been through. Now that I am retired (March 2025), I would like to devote more of my energy to our beloved community by serving on the Board of Trustees. Besides bringing a calm and steady presence in completing the nuts-and-bolts work of the Board, I also come with other interests; I am interested in working with congregational members to foster growth (how can we continue to attract and retain new members?). I would like to examine how we can become more accessible and diverse, including exploring the needs of our online community/attendees. And finally, I would like to be an advocate for courageous conversations concerning conflict within our community, any growing pains we are still facing as we navigate this time of continuing change, challenging economics, and political turmoil. What can I bring our church? I have 30 years of case management/training/human resources experience. I am a steady presence, organized and methodical, and I would like to think I can consider viewpoints outside my own when making decisions. Ultimately, I want to support our church and its members—growing and thriving while being a compassionate, welcoming beacon in the Lansing area.

Margery (Marge) Weldon (1st term 12/2024-12/2026); on leave from the Board to be interim Children/Youth Faith Development coordinator

I was led to accept candidacy to the board because, as John Marc so eloquently put it, "I love this church." For me, being in covenant with our congregation, in particular as a board member, means listening. As a church we are continually evolving, "growing and changing together" I think we used to say. And of course that has changed too. But I think the important thing is to listen to each other, so we are evolving as a community. I am excited about our expanding engagement in improving our larger community with RDC, local grade schools, the Justice League, community gardens, Southside community kitchen, the bike project and the organizations we help fund through our special plate collections. Personally, I would like to see more engagement/collaboration with other faith based and social justice organizations in our community. Good communication is vital for everyone to feel like we are all part of this wonderful community.