My journey began as the fourth of four children to Catholic parents.  I have no memory of the holy water at our home entrance, or kneeling to pray nightly before the picture of a bleeding Jesus in a thorny crown that terrified my siblings, as my parents converted to UU when I was 2.  We were raised in the UU Church in Manchester, Connecticut with parents who were extremely active: my father was Board president more than once, including while the church built its first permanent home.  I attended regularly until high school, when employment took precedence.  I attended the University of Florida, where I got my BS and ME in Environmental Engineering, and moved to Wake County with my then husband upon graduation.  After my son, Andrew and daughter Amelia were born, I wanted to reconnect with UUism and tried all the UU Churches in the area.  I ended up at ERUUF, where I taught RE, and sang in the choir and a small vocal ensemble.  With a husband and kids who didn’t want to come to church, and when the beloved minister left, I drifted away over time and didn’t attend anywhere for several years.
After my divorce in 2011, I moved to the North Hills area of Raleigh, and again sought out UUFR.  My first Wednesday night dinner led to the Thursday night choir rehearsal and the Sunday morning choir performance.  I attended for several years as a friend before formally joining.  At UUFR, I sang in the choir, was a song leader, taught OWL, served a term on the Committee On Ministry, and learned to play ukulele with the ukulele “house band” and performed at several events. I have enjoyed participating in a variety of church activities.  The weekend sessions of the Pledge to End Racism sparked an involvement in my employer’s Diversity and Inclusion initiative, and I have facilitated training sessions for staff which may have been more enlightening for me than for them!
I spent 31 years as an Environmental Engineer in State Government, including 23 as the State Administrator for the implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act in North Carolina.  Upon my retirement, I was honored with the awarding of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from Governor Cooper.  I then took my present full-time position with the Orange Water and Sewer Authority in Carrboro helping developers and homeowners navigate the permitting processes necessary to receive water and sewer service.
My hobbies include making and listening to music, DIY, home improvement, and hiking.