LeadershipEach year, UUCSC’s membership has the opportunity to elect members of the Board of Trustees, the Nominating Committee, and the Endowment Fund Committee. Meet our current leadership team.Board of TrusteesPresidentBarbara AllenBarbara (she/hers) is a retired Chiropractor. She moved to the area four years ago from the East Coast to be closer to her adult kids who live in the Valley. She was first drawn to Unitarianism years ago in Northampton, MA where her kids attended the RE program. ...Vice PresidentReid SwansonReid has been active in Unitarian Universalist churches for over 40 years. He and his wife, Jane, became members of UUCSC in 2004. Reid and Jane celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary this year. They have one son, Ryan, who lives with his wife, Hannah, in Portland, OR. ...SecretaryGreg GoldenGreg grew up in Tarzana with atheistic Jewish and atheistic Methodist parents, and never went to a church nor temple until his teen years, when he visited occasional services with friends. He attended an Episcopal church in his late 20’s but did not find Unitarian Universalism until age 57. ...Co-TreasurersJeanne McConnellJeanne first came to UU of Studio City about 15 years ago. She decided to attend a service after reading that our founders were Deists, which is a religion that was a precursor to Unitarian Universalism. Jeanne was immediately enlisted to help plant the Alder Tree and Peace Pole and she has never left! Over the years she has volunteered on the Worship Committee, the Building and Grounds committee, and taught in our Religious Exploration program. ...Jenny AsheJenny Ashe grew up in Atlanta and came of age in Manhattan. Along the way she studied at Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, American Ballet Theater School, HB Studios, The Neighborhood Playhouse, amongst others and enjoyed a 10-year career as an actor in NY. ...Committee Council ChairChristina MathersChristina hails from Massachusetts and belonged for forty years to First Parish of Brookline UU Church. There she served on the Parish Board, chaired the Religious Education and Welcoming Congregation Committees, taught RE, co-chaired the Fundraising Committee and participated in the search for a settled minister. Outside of church she volunteered at Rosie’s Place, a shelter for houseless women, Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic, and was on the Board of Trustees of Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA. ...Nominating CommitteeHeather Stewart JordenHeather joined UUCSC in 1990. She has been a member of the choir consistently since 1991, only taking off 6 weeks from rehearsals to have a baby. Within the first few years of membership, Heather joined the Nominating Committee and held several positions on the Board of Directors, including President. Heather met her husband, Joe, at UUCSC, and they were married in this church. ...Gene HerdAfter his college years in Oklahoma he went straight into the nightclub entertainment biz working out of San Francisco, Portland, and Las Vegas. After 18 years of thrilling highs and heartbreaking lows Gene landed in Los Angeles where he worked odd jobs while attending LA Valley College studying journalism. In 1981 he took a job at the Hollywood Radio & TV Society (HRTS), a networking association for the industry’s top execs, clerking for its International Broadcasting Awards (IBA), a global competition for radio and TV commercials. ...Teri WittenbergerTeri was born and raised in Houston and became a midwesterner when she followed husband, Steve, to WI for grad school, then the Chicago area, where they lived for 30 years before relocating to Sherman Oaks four years ago. Teri graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in public relations, and in a mid-life career change, attended the Lutheran School of Theology for a master’s degree. ...Frank DunganNominating Committee Born and raised in Philadelphia, Frank came to LA in 1975, worked part-time jobs, pitched jokes to comedians at the Comedy Store and wound up enjoying some 25 years as an award-winning comedy writer/producer. He is a graduate of Bowling Green State University (1967) and served in an Infantry Scout Dog Platoon, Vietnam (1969). Over the years, he has volunteered at homeless shelters, literacy walk-in centers and two ER’s. Frank is the proud grandfather of Eve Sierra, daughter of his son Jesse and wife Stephany. “I became a member of UUCSC in 2018.” As to the Church Nominating Committee, it has been said that it is the most important committee in any church. This is because the committee, ...Endowment Fund CommitteeRichard (Dick) BennettEndowment Fund Committee Dick is currently retired. In his professional life he was an electrical engineer, computer scientist, lawyer, marketing and sales executive with Lockheed, and business owner of a technology corporation.Dick and his wife Carol were members of Neighborhood Unitarian Church in Pasadena when Reverend Hannah was a minister there, and they followed her to Studio City. Dick is a member of the Men’s Fellowship and was Service Chairman for that church group. He has helped on the Finance Committee and is now chair of the Endowment Fund Committee.Dick’s interests are photography (creating photo books of his granddaughters), cooking, reading, exercising, and volunteer work. After retirement he attended Glendale Community College, where he received enough credits for an associate ...
Barbara AllenBarbara (she/hers) is a retired Chiropractor. She moved to the area four years ago from the East Coast to be closer to her adult kids who live in the Valley. She was first drawn to Unitarianism years ago in Northampton, MA where her kids attended the RE program. ...
Reid SwansonReid has been active in Unitarian Universalist churches for over 40 years. He and his wife, Jane, became members of UUCSC in 2004. Reid and Jane celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary this year. They have one son, Ryan, who lives with his wife, Hannah, in Portland, OR. ...
Greg GoldenGreg grew up in Tarzana with atheistic Jewish and atheistic Methodist parents, and never went to a church nor temple until his teen years, when he visited occasional services with friends. He attended an Episcopal church in his late 20’s but did not find Unitarian Universalism until age 57. ...
Jeanne McConnellJeanne first came to UU of Studio City about 15 years ago. She decided to attend a service after reading that our founders were Deists, which is a religion that was a precursor to Unitarian Universalism. Jeanne was immediately enlisted to help plant the Alder Tree and Peace Pole and she has never left! Over the years she has volunteered on the Worship Committee, the Building and Grounds committee, and taught in our Religious Exploration program. ...
Jenny AsheJenny Ashe grew up in Atlanta and came of age in Manhattan. Along the way she studied at Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, American Ballet Theater School, HB Studios, The Neighborhood Playhouse, amongst others and enjoyed a 10-year career as an actor in NY. ...
Christina MathersChristina hails from Massachusetts and belonged for forty years to First Parish of Brookline UU Church. There she served on the Parish Board, chaired the Religious Education and Welcoming Congregation Committees, taught RE, co-chaired the Fundraising Committee and participated in the search for a settled minister. Outside of church she volunteered at Rosie’s Place, a shelter for houseless women, Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic, and was on the Board of Trustees of Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA. ...
Heather Stewart JordenHeather joined UUCSC in 1990. She has been a member of the choir consistently since 1991, only taking off 6 weeks from rehearsals to have a baby. Within the first few years of membership, Heather joined the Nominating Committee and held several positions on the Board of Directors, including President. Heather met her husband, Joe, at UUCSC, and they were married in this church. ...
Gene HerdAfter his college years in Oklahoma he went straight into the nightclub entertainment biz working out of San Francisco, Portland, and Las Vegas. After 18 years of thrilling highs and heartbreaking lows Gene landed in Los Angeles where he worked odd jobs while attending LA Valley College studying journalism. In 1981 he took a job at the Hollywood Radio & TV Society (HRTS), a networking association for the industry’s top execs, clerking for its International Broadcasting Awards (IBA), a global competition for radio and TV commercials. ...
Teri WittenbergerTeri was born and raised in Houston and became a midwesterner when she followed husband, Steve, to WI for grad school, then the Chicago area, where they lived for 30 years before relocating to Sherman Oaks four years ago. Teri graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in public relations, and in a mid-life career change, attended the Lutheran School of Theology for a master’s degree. ...
Frank DunganNominating Committee Born and raised in Philadelphia, Frank came to LA in 1975, worked part-time jobs, pitched jokes to comedians at the Comedy Store and wound up enjoying some 25 years as an award-winning comedy writer/producer. He is a graduate of Bowling Green State University (1967) and served in an Infantry Scout Dog Platoon, Vietnam (1969). Over the years, he has volunteered at homeless shelters, literacy walk-in centers and two ER’s. Frank is the proud grandfather of Eve Sierra, daughter of his son Jesse and wife Stephany. “I became a member of UUCSC in 2018.” As to the Church Nominating Committee, it has been said that it is the most important committee in any church. This is because the committee, ...
Richard (Dick) BennettEndowment Fund Committee Dick is currently retired. In his professional life he was an electrical engineer, computer scientist, lawyer, marketing and sales executive with Lockheed, and business owner of a technology corporation.Dick and his wife Carol were members of Neighborhood Unitarian Church in Pasadena when Reverend Hannah was a minister there, and they followed her to Studio City. Dick is a member of the Men’s Fellowship and was Service Chairman for that church group. He has helped on the Finance Committee and is now chair of the Endowment Fund Committee.Dick’s interests are photography (creating photo books of his granddaughters), cooking, reading, exercising, and volunteer work. After retirement he attended Glendale Community College, where he received enough credits for an associate ...
