From Your Congregational Administrator, Emma Barnum
I’ve been dreading writing this farewell message. As most of you hopefully know, on February 22nd I will be leaving the UUS staff team to take on a new job in finance and pledge processing at United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties. After nearly 12 years serving as your administrator, it’s hard to put into words how much you all have meant to me and how big a place UUS has in my heart. It is even more difficult to describe how hard it is to be leaving.
When I joined the staff in 2012 I was fresh out of law school, freshly married, and looking for a stable position to get some experience in the nonprofit sector during a time when nonprofit jobs were hard to come by. I didn’t know much about Unitarian Universalism, but I was excited to be able to walk to the cute little building downtown and was impressed by the collaborative and friendly nature of both the staff and congregation. I never expected to stay for more than a couple of years, and certainly didn’t expect to be here a decade later and a town over!
What started as a “simple” office administrator position quickly grew into a full career filled with professional development opportunities. Working for UUS has allowed me to learn and take on human resources administration, bookkeeping and accounting, multiplatform AV coordination, website management, graphic design, volunteer coordination, project and vendor management, and a heck of a lot of data analysis. It’s been at times overwhelming to hold so much responsibility, but I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to develop and hone these skills. And it’s been wonderful to use those skills to serve the Society.
As my skillset grew, so did my family. Many of you may remember that UUS allowed me to bring both my boys to work with me for the first year of their life, for which I will forever be grateful. I have fond memories of Dean crawling down the hall of the Worthley building to visit Carol Throckmorton and the office volunteers, and of Henry falling asleep in a bouncy chair set up in the closet of the bedroom I worked out of while our new building was built in the backyard of 2355 Oakdale Road. My kids love the “new” building and are disappointed to no longer be able to hunt for mushrooms on the trails, walk the labyrinth, or visit the skull cave when they tag along with me to work. They’ve made me promise to bring them back to visit (which wasn’t hard to agree to!) and they’re both excited to join in several of the amazing camps Nic and Emily are planning for the summer.
Over the years I’ve witnessed an enormous amount of transition beyond just my job description. From the vote, capital campaign, and construction/move to the new building; to the interim ministry and transition to policy based governance; to the challenges of running a vibrant and engaging programming calendar safely during COVID, plus a million more growing pains and challenges for our staff, leadership, groups, and individual congregants. If you think about navigating change like exercising a muscle, UUS is ready to join a bodybuilding competition– it’s been inspiring to learn to flex, pivot, and adapt alongside you as we learn new ways of working and being together.
In my tenure at UUS I’ve worked with three ministers, five DLREs, three congregational staff positions, five music directors, and almost more coordinators, accompanists, and assistants than I can count. Almost without exception, every staff member I’ve worked alongside has been a delight to work with. This Society attracts talented and hardworking people, and it’s amazing to see what can be accomplished when such a small but dedicated team works together. I hope you all realize how lucky you are and have been with your staff.Â
I’ve also worked closely with so many amazing volunteers and leaders that I hesitate to call out anyone in particular- the list of everyone who has helped me or collaborated with me would fill the directory and I am so grateful for every one of you, especially those of you who have served on the board, or a team or committee that has worked closely with me. I do think it’s worth the risk to extend particular thanks to Gay Mikelson, Deb Schoelerman, and Sue Kann, all of whom have operated as long-term, unpaid staff to help run the office, facilities, and rental programs. I wouldn’t have stayed in this role as long as I have without their guidance and support over the years and I hope you all know how much they do for this congregation. I also have such strong love for the people who help with all the thankless, unsexy tasks of running an organization like UUS: the building and grounds volunteers who pull weeds, build shelves, and keep the trails clear; the aesthetics and historical records volunteers who make sure our building and history are kept beautiful and documented; the stewardship and income teams who find unique and engaging ways to connect fundraising with beloved community; and the AV and tech volunteers who make sure our services and programming are accessible and welcoming to congregants and visitors near and far. I’d love to call you each out by name but will have to settle for hoping I can run into you in the future to extend my thanks in person.
A special privilege of this position that I hadn’t expected was the opportunity to learn about UU values and participate in the myriad ways you embody the principles and practices of Unitarian Universalism within the congregation, community, and wider world. From helping with the Love Bus back at 10 S Gilbert, to coordinating social justice partnerships and donations, to taking photos at the Pride Parade, to working with all the justice teams on programming and outreach, it’s been indescribably fulfilling to know that just by coming to work I was siding with Love.
Thank you for your compassion, your patience, and your support during the last 11 years. Thank you for welcoming me, accepting me, and letting UUS be my home. Thank you for being people I am proud to know, work with, and call friends. Thank you.
Love,
Emma Barnum
