MEET OUR
Staff and Leadership
reverend daniel lawlor
minister
Rev. Daniel Lawlor has served as minister for UUCHV since 2022.
As a half-time minister, Rev. Daniel is with us for two Sunday
services per month. He is also regularly on site or in the area for
pastoral care, meetings, special events, and for weekly office
hours on Wednesdays.
Prior to serving at UUCHV, Rev. Daniel was the affiliated Community
Minister with the First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn.
Rev. Daniel was ordained to the UU Ministry at First Church Boston,
and is a graduate of Brown University, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Boston University School of Theology, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. At BU, he was inspired by the ongoing legacy of Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman, a 20th Century Civil Rights leader and teacher who was committed to inter-faith, inter-racial work for justice and healing.
In addition to the UU Congregation of the Hudson Valley, Rev. Daniel is the part-time Co-Director for the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth, a public ministry to promote spiritual grounding, education and accountable actions with our Unitarian Universalist congregations to cultivate environmental justice.
Rev. Daniel and his wife Yumi live in Brooklyn. Yumi is an NYU grad, an attorney at Etsy, and is committed to non-profits supportive of young women's empowerment. They are grateful to call New York their chosen home.
Jane Podell
Director of RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
Jane Podell has served our congregation as Director of Religious Exploration (DRE) for the past 14 years.
Before that, she served as DRE at the UU Fellowship of Poughkeepsie for 17 years. In addition to working half-time at UUCHV, she also holds part-time positions at the UU Congregation of the Catskills in Kingston as DRE; at Vassar College as the weekend concerts supervisor; and at Cappella Festiva, a community choir in Dutchess County, as Administrator.
Jane has been a UU for 30 years and says that Unitarian Universalism has been the center of her life. She adds, "There is little separation from what I do and who I am." Her position as DRE calls her to minister to children of all ages as they engage in spiritual seeking and discover their own path, always with a sense of wonder.
Rita Ruotolo
Administrator
Rita has been a Cortlandt Manor resident for over 30 years, previously working in corporate accounting for over 18 years, and has been UUCHV’s administrator since 2006, handling a lot of the behind the scenes work that is essential to our congregations success.
In addition to working half-time at UUCHV, she has been the bookkeeper at the First Unitarian Society of Westchester (Hastings) since 2017 and most recently (April 2023) holds a part-time administrator position at the UU Congregation of the Catskills in Kingston.
BLAKE ROWE
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Blake Rowe is a pianist, songwriter, composer and educator living in Croton on Hudson, NY.
He has spent many years fostering a love of music with young children at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, and performing in village fairs and open mics. He attended Peabody Conservatory and graduated from Manhattan School of Music with a degree in piano performance.
OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jim Russell, President
Nora Mulligan, Vice President
Susi Dugaw, Secretary
Chris Fenton, Treasurer
Pat Krugman, Trustee
Teri Lukin, Trustee
Michael Kemper, Trustee
The Right Relations TEAM
Bob Hudson
Teri Lukin
Matt Clayton
Our Committee Chairs
ARTS
Susi Dugaw
BUILDING & GROUNDS
Betsy Tomic
INCLUSIVITY TEAM
Marjie Kemper
MEMBERSHIP
Sheri Brown
MUSIC MINISTRY
Michael Schwartz
SAFE CONGREGATION TEAM
Marjie Kemper
SHARING & CARING
Tina Mayer
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Bearni Croft
Teri Lukin
WORSHIP
Anne Pearl, co-Chair
Nenette Kress, co-Chair