Happy Holidays from the AUUMM board
Board End of Year Update
16 Dec 2025
Happy holidays to our beloved AUUMM family! The weather outside may be frightful, but your presence in AUUMM is delightful. Thank you for continuing to contribute to the growth and development of this wonderful organization.
Your board of trustees has stayed busy this fall, working to confirm details on our upcoming 2026 conference, advocating at the denominational level for shared ethics around care in conflict, and providing opportunities to stay connected through online workshops and beyond. We have some new initiatives we will be launching early in the new year, so please stay connected!
In July, you voted to elect John Ector to the AUUMM Nominating Committee, who will replace departing member, Shawn McCann. Thank you, Shawn, for your service to AUUMM over many years! You may also recall that we presented an incomplete slate of candidates at our annual meeting in Atlanta, and committed to presenting a full slate for your consideration early in the new year. Your board commits to presenting a slate of nominees by January 30, 2026, to be voted on via absentee ballot. New terms for board members and nominating committee members will start July 1, 2026.
The conference in Atlanta was OFF THE HOOK! We surpassed our attendance numbers AGAIN, and had approximately 189 onsite attendees, and 23 virtual attendees. That’s a total increase of about 25 more people than last year - let’s keep it going! Huge thanks to our conference host, Donald Milton and all of the staff and volunteers at UUCA. Your gracious hospitality was deeply appreciated. Donald, we will miss you, and wish you the very best as you explore your new musical chapters. We know that you will shine!
The Conference Planning Committee is already in full swing, working to get everything in place for our conference in Milwaukee, WI, July 29 - August 2. Our administrator, Allison King, and rev. theresa rohlck made a quick site visit to Milwaukee, and are thrilled with the church and the hotel. We can hardly wait for summer! It’s not too early to start thinking about what kind of workshop you want to offer to your colleagues. Workshop proposals will begin to be accepted in January.
We've had 109 new members this year, bringing our total to 383 members. However, 129 of you are waiting to renew your memberships, so let’s get that done and get those numbers back up.
In January, we will celebrate our beloved executive administrator Allison King’s second anniversary! Under Allison’s care, AUUMM has revamped our website, migrated to a new events platform, and transitioned to a new Conference Planning team leadership model. Allison keeps the wind in our sails and ensures AUUMM stays on course. We are so grateful for her tireless work. Thank you, Allison!
Finally, thank you for all you do to help create vibrant, energizing, and transformative worship in our congregations. You are helping to keep our Living Tradition alive and well.
With love and blessings,
The AUUMM Board
Jen Hayman, President
Laura Weiss, Moderator
Deb Weiner, Secretary
Matt Meyer, Treasurer
Rev. Bran Lennox, Trustee
Anderson Manuel, Trustee
Rev. Verdis Robinson, Trustee