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Governance

click here to read the 25/26 annual report
Click Here for Our NUUC Covenant

What is Governance?

Governance is a shared agreement for how the church community envisions its future, sets direction, monitors goals, makes decisions, resolves disputes, and stewards resources. 

Effective governance is grounded in the church’s principles and values, builds on trust, respects all voices, and is guided by clear, inclusive, transparent policies and tools.

In short, Governance is how the congregation participates in the important decisions of the church

Mission

Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church creates and grows an inclusive religious community connected by love, spirit, and service.

Values

In keeping with our mission, we are guided by these values:

  • Love
  • Spirit
  • Service
  • Community

As a self-governing body, the congregation of Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church elects Board members, adopts an annual budget, calls a senior minister, and addresses key questions and decisions at its annual meeting.  Throughout the year, the nine-member Board of Trustees works in close partnership with the Senior Minister to guide the Church toward fulfilling its mission, making decisions and using resources in ways that reflect our values and principles.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

KIM MILLIKEN HAYDEN, PRESIDENT

Kim (she/her) has been a member of Neighborhood for 25 years. She has been grateful to serve…

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Lynn Miyamoto, Vice President

Lynn Miyamoto (she/her) has been attending Neighborhood Church since 2000. Lynn has had the honor of serving…

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George scherer, Treasurer

George (he/him) has been a member of Neighborhood Church since 2005. He has shown a consistent commitment to service… 

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Nadia Hillman,
Trustee

Nadia Hillman has been an active member of Neighborhood Church for over 15 years, contributing her talents to various roles such as…

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Ann Rector, Trustee

Ann Rector’s (she/ hers) connection to Neighborhood Church spans generations; her family has been active members since the early 60s…

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Beth Powers,
Trustee

Beth Powers (she/hers) has been an enthusiastic Neighborhood Church member for over 10 years and enjoys doing a variety of…

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Margaret Wilcox, Trustee

Margaret Wilcox (she/her) joined Neighborhood Church in 2021 after moving from her Northern California home and the UU congregation…

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Ferol Mennen, Trustee

Ferol Mennen has a long history at Neighborhood Church. She came to California to join…

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LOUISA VILLENEUVE, Trustee

Louisa (she/her) has been a member of Neighborhood since 2004. Louisa is currently a Children & Youth Spiritual Exploration…

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OUR COVENANT

In 2019, Neighborhood Church’s members voted on a Covenant of Right Relations that places our values of compassion and tolerance at the forefront of our interactions with each other. Here is the language on which we agreed:

We the congregational members, leaders, ministers, staff, and friends of Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church are a welcoming faith community that believes a better world is brought about through our daily actions and interactions. It is with this spirit that we covenant to act with integrity so that the needs of the individual and the greater faith community can be in harmony. We covenant to honor one another, engage one another, and give to one another and our institution. 

We hereby covenant to honor one another.

We aspire to live our shared values and shared ministry through our daily interactions. We listen appreciatively being mindful, present, and respectful, assuming good intentions, and seeking to understand one another. We aspire to resolve conflict in a loving, compassionate way, and to forgive each other out of generosity of spirit.

We hereby covenant to engage one another.

We commit to sharing our authentic selves by expressing our needs and ideas, communicating honestly, respectfully, directly, courageously, and without anonymous statements. We take responsibility for the impact of our statements and actions. We remain engaged, even in conflict, through daring and difficult communication, collaboration, and facilitation.

We hereby covenant to give to one another and our institution.

 We contribute our time, skills, and other resources. We commit to understanding and supporting our church structure, including administration and governance. We commit to advancing ethical conduct and addressing misuse of power within the policies and procedures of Neighborhood UU Church. When we are unable to come to an understanding with one another, we will engage members of the Right Relations Committee for support.

We as a community will do our best to abide by this Covenant.

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Kim (she/her) has been a member of Neighborhood for 25 years. She has been grateful to serve our faith community in several different capacities: facilitating membership classes and newcomer orientations, K-1 spiritual exploration teacher, Senior Minister Search Committee, Ministerial Advisory Committee, and annual Pledge Drive Canvass Chair. Additionally, Kim served on the staff team as the Director of Membership and Communications for ten years under two previous senior ministers and represented Neighborhood on professional committees through the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Pacific Western Region. Professionally, Kim is the Senior Director of Development Operations for a national nonprofit working to ensure equitable access to educational opportunities for high school students, advancing racial wealth equity and economic mobility. Kim lives in Altadena with her wife Kelly and 14-year-old daughter Elise. When not trying to keep up with the adventures of their three older adult kids, you’ll find Kim either on the pool deck or softball field supporting her sporty family.

Lynn Miyamoto (she/her) has been attending Neighborhood Church since 2000. Lynn has had the honor of serving on multiple committees at Neighborhood Church. This has included: the Ministerial Search Committee (Chair), Ministerial Advisory Committee, ACAC Committee, Social Justice Task Force, Pledge Drive (Co-Chair), and Neighborhood People of Color. Lynn also had the great joy of teaching fourth through sixth graders in NUUC’s spiritual exploration program. On a denominational level, Lynn has served as the Co-Chair of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) Board of Trustees, as well as the Chair of the Governance Committee of the UUSC. She is currently a member of DRUUMM (Diverse & Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries). Lynn has served on numerous non-profit boards which include Jericho Road of Pasadena, California State PTA (advocating for meaningful family engagement and arts education), and Keiro Services, which provides programs to improve the quality of care for senior adults and their caregivers. Nearing the end of her career as an immigration attorney, Lynn looks forward to spending more time traveling with her husband, Kevin, older daughter Corrie and her wife Joana, and her younger daughter, Saralyn. You will often find Lynn at home in La Crescenta with her dog, Mookie, rooting for the Dodgers!

George (he/him) has been a member of Neighborhood Church since 2005. He has shown a consistent commitment to service since joining the church. George has been a member, and later Chair, of the Welcome Committee. He has served as a Chalice circle facilitator multiple times, and led the Sailors of Sadness depression support group for four years. George served as Board Secretary on the Neighborhood Church Board of Trustees in 2010-2012. More recently, he has been a member of the Pastoral Care Committee, and the 8th Principal Steering Committee. Professionally, George earned his Ph.D in Physical Chemistry at Harvard University, and worked as a research scientist and department director in the Space Sciences Laboratory at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo for 33 years until he retired in 2019. He is currently living in Monrovia, enjoying retirement, and (occasionally) teaching yoga.

Nadia Hillman has been an active member of Neighborhood Church for over 15 years, contributing her talents to various roles such as teaching, committee work, and leadership. Her commitment to the community extends to activities like Church Camp and the Preacher in You program, reflecting her spirit of service and exploration. While Nadia values the sacred space that the Neighborhood Church community provides, she also cherishes her private spiritual practice. 

Professionally, Nadia serves as Assistant Superintendent of Education Services in Duarte, shaping young minds and inspiring future leaders. Alongside her husband Tim, a location manager in the motion picture industry, Nadia shares a passion for music, performing in a Chicago cover band and hosting popular house concerts. These concerts have been popular Dining for Dollars offerings for several years. Nadia’s adult children, Max and Ben, live nearby and contribute to the family’s dynamic with their own career pursuits. Outside of her busy schedule, Nadia enjoys outdoor activities like running, hiking, skiing, and exploring new destinations. Nadia Hillman’s story is one of dedication, community, and curiosity—a testament to the transformative power of faith, family, and passion.

Ann Rector’s (she/ hers) connection to Neighborhood Church spans generations; her family has been active members since the early 60s. Ann’s parents, Irving and Shelby Rector, spent decades in the comfort of friends at Neighborhood Church. In recent years, Ann has served on the Pledge Drive Committee (2025), the Canvassing Committee (2026), Pastoral Care Volunteer, and many Chalice Circles.

Ann is a retired educator and community leader with deep roots in South Pasadena. After growing up in the local area, she spent her professional career serving the public education system, transitioning from the classroom as a middle school teacher to the District Office as the Health Programs Director in Pasadena Unified School District. In retirement, Ann enjoys playing pickleball and serving on Boards of charitable foundations.

Beth Powers (she/hers) has been an enthusiastic Neighborhood Church member for over 10 years and enjoys doing a variety of activities with the congregation. Over the years she has been a member of the choir, active with the Chalice Circles, CUUPs pagan events, camp retreats, among others. She loves to walk the labyrinth in the courtyard and relax in the meditation garden and attends services both online and in person. She’s been most focused on the Chalice Circles where she started out first as a member, then as a facilitator, and later as a member of the oversight committee. Professionally, she is a licensed clinical social worker and has worked in various capacities both as a mental health clinician, a supervisor for minority-focused community agencies, and now as a contract manager with Los Angeles County. She and her cats split their time between her bungalow in Pasadena and with her partner and his teenage son in Altadena, and enjoys comedy shows, travel, and finding new bakeries.

Margaret Wilcox (she/her) joined Neighborhood Church in 2021 after moving from her Northern California home and the UU congregation there. During her 14 years with that congregation, among other activities, she served on the Board in several roles. Since joining Neighborhood, she has been on the governance team, the Ministerial Search Committee, and chaired the recent Installation Celebration Team. Her career was as a psychologist, University lecturer and administrator.  She is delighted to have discovered Neighborhood and its welcoming spiritual community.  In her free time, she’s likely to be happily hiking in the mountains surrounding her home in Redlands or riding her Icelandic horse.

Ferol Mennen has a long history at Neighborhood Church. She came to California to join the faculty of the University of Southern California School of Social Work in 1988. She is an enthusiastic social worker and worked as a clinical social worker in children’s mental health before returning to USC for a PhD and an academic career where she taught clinical practice and did research related to high-risk children and their families. In 1990, she started to look for a Unitarian Church to find a compatible community. Neighborhood was the third UU church she visited, and she officially joined 3 weeks after her first visit in February of 1990. She met her husband, Dick Smoak, a few weeks later and they were married in the church garden in 1994. (It seems her search for a larger community was successful!) She quickly got involved with a strong interest in social justice activities. She served on the Search Committee that brought Lee Barker to Neighborhood Church. During Lee’s ministry, she joined the Board and was President from 2001-2003. She led a Pledge Drive during Jim Nelson’s ministry. Ferol continued to be a frequent volunteer over the years and was chosen, with Frank Colcord, to chair the Search Committee for the interim minister after Rev. Lissa Gundlach’s ministry ended. After choosing Rev. Teresa Cooley, she and Frank continued to chair the Transition Team that assisted Rev. Cooley in the healing process that readied us for a new called minister. Ferol was part of the Pledge Team for the ‘25-’26 pledge drive. She loves Neighborhood Church and is looking forward to rejoining the Board to continue her service as an “elder stateswoman.” She retired from USC in 2021 and loves to cook and garden. She and Dick are two of the Altadena Fire refugees and are living in downtown LA while they wait for their Orange Grove condo to be renovated. They are eager to return to beautiful Pasadena and enjoy a five-minute drive to church.

Louisa Villeneuve (she/her) has been a member of Neighborhood since 2004. Louisa is currently a Children & Youth Spiritual Exploration teacher and member of the CYSE Committee. She was on the Ministerial Search Committee and the Ministerial Advisory Committee, and prior to COVID, she also served on the Nominating Committee and Technology Committee. Louisa and her wife, Anna, were married at Neighborhood in 2005 and have three kids who are all active in the CYSE program: Luc (17), Madeleine (14), and Jacob (14). You might have seen Madeleine and Jacob in the pulpit this past February for the ROP service and Luc for the senior high service in April. Louisa is a tenured biology professor at Chaffey College.

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