Get to Know Your Board
On behalf of your board of trustees, welcome to the new church year! This year’s board officers and members are:
Mara Sprain, president (serving through June 2026); Will Jernigan, vice president (2028); Monica Youngman, clerk (2026); Jim Gamble (2026); Susan Andrew (2027); Ben Fleming (2027); Melissa Himelein (2027); Ken Brame (2028); and Marty Friedman (2028).
There is brief biographical information in Sandburg Hall and online about each of us. And our nametags are green for quick identification on Sunday mornings—please say hello and reach out with any questions. There is also a board email address, board@uuasheville.org, monitored by the president, Mara Sprain, which can be used to contact the board.
Our broad priorities for 2025-26 are Board Effectiveness, Financial Sustainability, and Mission & Ministry.
We’ve already held our annual planning retreat, and we will be finalizing the details on our list of priorities in a special meeting later this month. (Last year’s retreat was cancelled in the aftermath of Helene.) New board members have been introduced to our policy governance system, and all members have a better understanding of what we’re doing and why. We plan to increase our communications with you, the members, throughout the year.
A primary focus for Financial Sustainability is to maintain the momentum from our hugely successful Annual Budget Drive last spring (including the donor matching fund) and special fundraising events coordinated by the FUNraising team. Thank you to all who signed pledges to support our community. As we’re a quarter of the way through the church year, if you’re donating in installments, please be sure your pledge contributions are up to date. (Log in to Realm to see your pledge donation status. Contact Lauren in the church office to make corrections and/or adjustments.)
With regard to our Mission and Ministry work, we’ll be looking at ways to more fully incorporate the UUA Article II values (JETPIG: justice, equity, transformation, pluralism, interdependence, and generosity) with Love at the center in our congregational life. We are also actively participating in the churchwide Collective Liberation program coordinated by Revs. Audette and Claudia, with the goal to, in the words of Rev. Audette, “help us make our 8th Principle vote not merely a passive stance, but a lived experience of our faith here at UU Avl.”
We’re excited and look forward to working on your behalf!
Mara Sprain
Board President