Leadership Nominations, 2023
Deacons
Moderator
Peter Eichten
Peter is the life long partner of Jane; they have five grown children and five grandchildren. Peter and Jane were Peace Corps Volunteers in Iran in the 1970s. Peter spent 10 years in the family shoe business; he has been a high school teacher and coach. He has worked in Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Montana. For 26 years he served as a church administrator in both Catholic and Protestant churches. For the past 12 years he has been an adjunct professor at Metro State University. At Plymouth he has served on the Board of Outreach, the Leadership Council, the Racial Justice Initiative, the Lead Minister Search Committee, and the Beacon Leadership Team, and among other things is presently one of the co-chairs of the Campus Task Force.
Jasper Jonson
Plymouth has played a significant role in my life over the last 20 years. My wife, Nina, and I were married here. Our two daughters, Zinnia and Adella, have only been a part of one church their entire lives. I believe that the future of our church lies with our willingness to expand our horizons and speak for those who are not able to speak for themselves. I strive to support this type of work both in my personal life and in my profession as an educator. I am hopeful that our church will fight for the equitable rights of others, continue to create solutions for issues that impact the lives of others, and support those who may need a helping hand during their toughest times in life. My days are currently spent at St. Michael-Albertville High School as an Assistant Principal. I have been in education for 18 years (10 years as a teacher, 8 years as an administrator). At Plymouth, I have served on the Board of Children, Youth, and Families; Board of Worship; Board of Deacons; Ministerial Search Committee; and Ambassadors. My family and I reside in Brooklyn Park but relax on Madeline Island.
Clerk, Deacon
Annette Atkins
I joined Plymouth for many reasons, especially our commitment to be on a spiritual journey in community. That journey’s path for me has been enriched by so many Plymouth people, sermons, activities, actions. I am currently on the Board of Deacons and have been grateful to Katie Dillon for her faithful clerking for the church. I am a Minnesota/United States historian. I taught for my career at Saint John’s University/College of Saint Benedict. I live within walking distance of Plymouth Church—but rarely do! I write, knit, ice skate, and like to try new things.
Treasurer
Mike McCallister
I am delighted to continue in my role as Treasurer of the Deacons. Serving as Treasurer for the last year has been a new and interesting way to contribute to the church, and it has deepened my understanding and appreciation for how Plymouth operates. In the past I have served Plymouth as a board member and on the Leadership Council, and I remain active as a Church School teacher and on the Committee for Children, Youth, and Families.
I was born in South Dakota but raised in Florida, where most of my family still lives. I’ve lived and worked in many states, but we have made our home here in Minnesota since 2001, and now we can’t imagine leaving. I live in Golden Valley with my wife, Heidi, and our school-age daughters, Clara and Nora.
Leadership Council
Elizabeth Glidden, Chair
I’m honored to chair the Leadership Council and strengthen my engagement with Plymouth Church members, staff, and clergy. I am wife to Eric Pusey and mom to Cecelia and Emily. During my career, I’ve spent over a decade as an employment lawyer, served as an elected local government official, and now am the Deputy Executive Director at the Minnesota Housing Partnership. Plymouth has been my chosen church home for over 15 years. We have been blessed to participate in many children and youth activities, including choir, festivals, summer camps, and church school; we’ve enjoyed attending 100 hands as a family; and currently, I have deepened my commitment to Plymouth as an involved member of the Racial Justice Initiative and its subcommittee, Re-imagining Community Safety. Plymouth has been a trusted space to my family, and especially my kids, at times we needed it most, and I am glad to join the many Plymouth members who give back through service and collective action.
Tom Anderson, Chair-Elect
My relationship with Plymouth has grown in depth and breadth over the last three-and-a-half decades. My first year here, I was happy finding a quiet spot in one of the side pews on a Sunday morning and escaping after the service without talking to anyone. I have gradually added friends and activities.
I have done a variety of things at Plymouth, some of them looking inward, some outward, and some of them just for fun. I like doing things. Hand me a shovel or a hand clipper and tell me to dig or prune and I will smile at you. I have also met many wonderful people at Plymouth. In the first years, they were often older than me and I enjoyed visiting with them and having them tell me what they knew. In recent years I have met more people younger than I am, and I have enjoyed hearing about what is important to them and offering a little help when I can.
Most of my friends are Plymouth members. I am lucky to know so many wonderful people. Plymouth is a real anchor point in my world and I am grateful.
Nancy Gores, Secretary
I joined Plymouth years ago as a single woman. I met my now-former husband in Guild Hall. Carla Bailey married us. Vivian Jones baptized our son. Paula Northwood confirmed Jacob. Many years later, Plymouth supported me through our divorce. Our son is now 31, engaged, and thriving in DC. Beth Hoffman Faeth guided my family through the death and celebration of my parents. One of the many things Plymouth does well is walk with us through life. In 2020 I became a retired lawyer and school board member. Over the years, I have enjoyed serving Plymouth in many capacities. Now I offer my services as Secretary of the Leadership Council: the minute taker, the reporter to the congregation. I believe our meeting minutes help inform and connect us as we do the work of our Covenant together.
Dorene Bruns
Plymouth has been part of my life since 1983, and it has been an important part of my life’s journey. The beautiful sanctuary in which to worship, the arts, the music, and the spiritual community have all been part of that journey. I have been a member of the Board of Member Care, and the Legacy Giving and Annual Committees. I have also been a Stephen Minister and am presently a church visitor. I became interested in the Archives because of the stories about Plymouth that I heard from those I visited. I worked in the Archives in 2018 and have been a regular volunteer since 2019. Gaining a deeper understanding of Plymouth’s past helps me see not only the common themes that help define who we are as a church today but also some insights that help us learn from our past. As I continue this challenging role, I know there is a great group of volunteers that will be working together to keep our church history well documented and alive for everyone to enjoy.
Karen Barstad, Racial Justice Initiative Chair
During my years at Plymouth Church, I’ve served on multiple boards and committees and have participated in various groups within the church. Serving as chair of the Racial Justice Initiative feels like a natural next step in connecting to the wider community and helping Plymouth do the same. I’m eager for Plymouth to be a neighborhood church as well as a destination church. I hope to help us to interact with the Indigenous, Black, and Asian American/Pacific Islander people both within and beyond our doors in meaningful, equitable ways that are grounded in our spiritual life. I hope to help Plymouth cultivate lasting relationships with the people who call our richly diverse neighborhood their home, just as it is ours.
Board of Community Life
Linda Seime Co-Chair
I am home at Plymouth, and I felt that from the fall of 2018 when Rick and I first attended Plymouth regularly. I am home in its liberal theology; its commitment to racial, environmental, and immigrant justice; its inclusiveness; and its efforts to look at itself critically from the core. I am challenged and supported in my journey.
We felt welcomed in so many ways as we came into this community, and yet, I know that it takes a constant effort to extend that circle of welcome to those who enter into any relationship with a group. I feel so strongly about what Plymouth is and can be that I want everyone who is touched by this relationship—current members and possibly new relationships—to feel that presence and that feeling of being welcomed and invited to journey along. I am inspired by the confirmation program at Plymouth, and I strive to stay open on my spiritual journey after hearing their stories.
I am part of the Racial and Environmental Justice Committee, Spiritual Exploration committee, Chapel Singers, Care Team visitors, and One More Chair committee. I have been an enthusiastic participant in many classes and am always grateful for the many ways I can grow spiritually and personally as we confront our privilege in the world.
Rick and I have two married children and two grandsons. We grew up in a small farming community in southwestern MN. I graduated from the U of MN in music education, taught briefly in the schools, and then transitioned to private piano teaching for the rest of my career. We lived in WV for 25 years, Rochester for 20 years, and now enjoy living in Richfield.
Bill Read, Co-Chair
Bill and his wife, Barbara, joined Plymouth in 2007. They served in the Peace Corps in Chile for two years in the mid 1970s and returned to live and raise their two children in Eau Claire, WI, where he worked as a pediatrician for over 20 years. He and Barbara retired to Minneapolis, and he has served Plymouth on the former Board of Membership, the Growth Task Force, the Third Sunday Community Meal, One More Chair, and the Board of Community Life. He coordinates volunteer hosts for the our Welcome Table at the entry into Jones Commons.
Sara Ohotto Bauer
Janet Howard
I’ve had an interesting evolution in my spiritual life. I grew up in a rural North Dakota in a Lutheran church. In my adult life I enjoyed visiting a variety of churches and exploring other aspects of my spiritual life.
I was attracted to Plymouth for a variety of reasons. I have always loved the music. I had formerly worked with Paula Northwood in a faith in action project in the Summit University neighborhood in Saint Paul. I also was acquainted with a number of former colleagues from my professional life. And finally I was impressed with the commitment to social justice in many ways.
Since I have been a member, I have enjoyed attending adult forums, participating in centering prayer and meditation, taking part in book groups and workshops, and reading the introduction to the congregation. In the last year I have volunteered in our church library and have increased my spiritual reading substantially. I recently became the president of the Twin Cities Area Church Library Association, of which Plymouth is a member.
I have long career in community and public health. I retired four years ago from the state health department and was recently asked to serve part time in the office of rural health and primary care.
I look forward to serving on the Board of Community Life and in whatever way I can contribute.
Sue Specker
Sue grew up in Denver but went to college in Iowa, where she met her husband. They moved to Minneapolis after college and found Plymouth almost immediately, drawn to it by the ministry and the fellowship for both themselves and their two sons. There was a 23 year absence when they lived in California, but Plymouth was always in their minds and hearts, and they moved back to Minnesota in 2007. In her career in California, Sue created content for and then managed several corporate intranets. She was previously on the Membership Board at Plymouth, and was part of the founding group of One More Chair. Sue is looking forward to re-engaging at the board level at Plymouth.
Board of Finance & Administration
Gina DelCorazon, Co-Chair
Gina and their family moved to Minneapolis in August of 2021, but it didn’t start to feel like home until last fall, when Gina and their son, Toño, attended Rally Sunday at Plymouth and have been here nearly every Wednesday and Sunday since. A Senior Manager for Research Science at a network of preschools for low-income families by day, Gina is a huge women’s sports fan and loves running into other Plymouth folx at Lynx games. Gina was active in their local Unitarian church growing up in Iowa, where they founded the first high school gay-straight alliance in the state in 9th grade. Gina was baptized two years ago after finding a queer and trans led progressive UCC church on the East Coast, where they lived before, and has been glad to find a thriving community at Plymouth committed to building a more just world. They are eager to commit more of their gifts to shaping the future of this church and are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it.
Rick Seime, Co-Chair
Linda and I moved to the Twin Cities in 2019 from Rochester where we had lived for 20 years. I am a retired clinical health psychologist and an Emeritus Consultant at Mayo Clinic. We joined the congregation in February 2019. Previous church leadership and service roles include Church Council, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Morgantown, WV; Moderator, Board of Deacons, First Presbyterian Church, Morgantown WV; and Personnel Committee, Zumbro Lutheran Congregation, Rochester, MN. I have served two years on the Board of Finance and Administration and I look forward to serving as co-chair to facilitate the important work of the Board of Finance and Administration.
Peg Birk
Excited about the Campus Task Force Report, Peg looks forward to the congregation engaging in a process to discern how Plymouth Church is being called to be now and into the future. Peg has served on the Board of Spiritual Life, Racial Justice Task Force, Deacons, Lead Minister Search Committee, Human Resources Committee and the Campus Task Force. Peg hopes that these experiences, in addition to being an attorney and interim CEO, will be of value to the work of the Board of Finance and Administration.
Kevin Walker
Dobby West
I was fortunate enough to be married to Jane Haugen, a lifelong member of Plymouth—and the daughter of a lifelong member—in 1969 by Howard Conn. All three of our children were baptized and confirmed at Plymouth, and two were married here. In addition to being a Church School teacher and babysitter, I have been a Trustee (including chair of the finance committee and chair of the Trustees) and a Moderator. I have also been on at least two ministerial search committees and many other committees during my time as a member. I have served on a variety of for–profit and not–for–profit boards. Currently, I am a member of the board of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota State Arts Board. I am retired after a long career as a transactional business attorney and another career as a private equity investor.
Board of Fine Arts
Dan Dressen, Chair
My relationship with Plymouth Church began in 1978 when I started serving as the choir’s tenor soloist and section leader. Struck by the rich fabric of worship I encountered here, the open and inclusive nature of the theology, the active engagement with life in the neighborhood and beyond, and the robust integration of music and the arts into the practice of spirituality, becoming a member of Plymouth Church two years later appeared to be an obvious choice for me. I have benefited from service on several boards that include the Board of Fine Arts, Transitional Policy Board, Leadership Council, and the former iteration of the Deacons. If approved by the congregation at the 2023 annual meeting, I look forward to continuing the good work of the Board of Fine Arts as its chair in the next year.
Sue Crolick
I first went to Plymouth in 1996, during a challenging time in my life. The ministers and congregation were so healing to me! I had just made a big leap in my work life. For 30 years, I’d been an art director and designer, and now found myself wanting to help kids from low-income families.
In 1995, I founded a nonprofit called Art Buddies, which pairs creative mentors with children in need. We started working with kids in Plymouth’s neighborhood and now work with kids in many high-needs schools across the Twin Cities.
Today, I’m retired from Art Buddies but so glad it is still going strong. I love to see us keep bringing creative joy to children! I am also the lucky mom of a beloved daughter, and the lucky grandma to her three kids. (But not so lucky because they live in Idaho.)
During my years at Plymouth, I’ve been inspired by many church outreach efforts and programs,
including a workshop on the 1619 Project and a women’s retreat with the marvelous poet Sam King. I appreciate all the good people at Plymouth and look forward to sharing my love of the arts with them!
Deb Hendricks
Having grown up in Congregational churches in western Minnesota, Plymouth felt like home when I joined in the mid-1970s and sang in the choir. After some time away, I rejoined Plymouth about 10 years ago, serving on the Board of Stewards and participating in spiritual development and social activities. Now retired after a career in public health at Ramsey County and the University of Minnesota, which focused on social justice and family health, I enjoy spending time with my two adult daughters and new granddaughter. If approved, I look forward to serving on the Board of Fine Arts, having participated in vocal and instrumental groups and attending theater and musical performances. As a knitter and a would-be weaver, I especially enjoy fiber arts. I am passionate about travel with its opportunities to experience different cultures through connecting with people and appreciating all forms of artistic expression.
Doug Hoverson
Doug joined Plymouth in 1986, and he and Kerry were married here in 1987. They are the parents of two grown children. Doug joined the bass section of the choir immediately and continues to value this aspect of life at Plymouth. He was also in Plymouth Music Series/VocalEssence for 25 years. He has been a teacher for 35 years, most of them at Saint Thomas Academy. He specializes in American history but also teaches American Studies, United States and comparative government, and economics. He has written two books and many articles about the history of the brewing industry in Minnesota. He has particular interest in the history of art, architecture, and material culture. Doug hopes to bring a spirit of curiosity and openness to the Fine Arts Board. He is looking forward to seeing how Plymouth can lead the community in recognizing new voices and outlooks in art while honoring our traditions.
Jackie Lotsberg
Back in 1979, I was looking for a place that exuded not only spirituality but also joy and beauty. Plymouth’s music pulled me in; in 1980 I met Allan (speaking of joy) and began sharing a pew. We were married in the chapel with balloons in 1982. Plymouth was in our bones. I lost track of Plymouth for a time while I was taking care of Allan. After he died, Plymouth nudged me—hard—and now this sacred space is back in my bones. I often wallow in joy and I am truly looking forward to the beauty of the Board of Fine Arts.
Board of Outreach
E.j. Kelley, Chair
E.J. has long felt pulled towards outreach and justice work. He also is a practitioner of centering prayer and believes that contemplation and action are mutually supportive and reinforcing. E.J. would like to see our community take even more steps to put into practice the radical hospitality and compassion that we espouse on Sundays. E.J. loves spending time outdoors – in all seasons – and finds this time to be an important part of his spiritual journey.
Lynette Black
Lynnette is a retired global medical device marketer for 3M Healthcare and Medtronic. She especially values leading and collaborating with global teams whether they are in the corporate world or in the art world.
Spiritual studies, art making, curating, gardening, traveling, baking, biking, and hiking with family are important.
Of particular interest to Lynnette now is participating in outreach programs at Plymouth and working with youth.
Lynnette is the wife of David Black, also retired and a member of St Michael’s Lutheran Church in Roseville. She is the mother of sons Daniel Black, Rochester, NY, and Steven Black, Saint Paul. Lynnette also has three grandchildren: Evelyn, 8 years; Andrew, 6 years; and Lydia, 4 years.
Lynnette’s volunteer activities:
2017–2023 member of Plymouth Fine Arts Board, and Curator and Co-Chair of the Gallery Committee.
Jim Christenson
My wife, Sandy, and I began attending Plymouth about 12 or 13 years ago and became members shortly thereafter. In addition to serving on the Board of Outreach for the past three years, I have been significantly involved in Plymouth’s Habitat for Humanity program, One More Chair, Third Sunday Meal service, and several building maintenance and repair projects.
Karl Jones
Karl Jones has attended Plymouth since the 1980s, has sung in the choir, and been involved with numerous boards and committees. He was ordained as a UCC minister in our sanctuary in November 2014. Since then he has served as a chaplain in health care settings, currently serving as a hospice chaplain. He has a particular passion for addressing our changing climate crisis.
Rusty Nelson
I have spent my entire career in various aspects of the food industry, from research and development to ingredient sales. My last job was with SuperValu in the private brands division, and I am currently retired.
My association with Plymouth Church began when I was in second grade. I was confirmed here and am a 50-plus-year member. I have served on the Board of Stewards and Board of Deacons and have been a member of the Benevolence/Plymouth Community Fund Committee for many years. I hope that my contribution to the Board of Outreach will benefit both this body and Plymouth.
Cynthia Smith
I have been a member of Plymouth since 1989. My daughter Abigail was baptized and confirmed at Plymouth. I am retired from a career at Ramsey County Human Services. My primary responsibilities were in leadership with Adult Protection, homeless programs, and services to people living with serious and persistent mental illness.
Leah Young
Leah grew up in the Twin Cities before moving to Chicago and then Washington, D.C. She returned to Saint Paul in 2017 with her husband, Jeff, and their two school-aged sons. She has spent most of her career as a newspaper and magazine journalist writing about education, but over the past year has shifted to part-time freelance writing and editing, and part-time teaching. She loves the outdoors and finds it a perfect place to imagine the work of building a more just world—work she is eager to do as part of the Board of Outreach.
Board of Spiritual Formation
John Gisselquist, Chair
I’ve been attending Plymouth for several years. My daughter Maria and I became members in October 2019. Shortly before the pandemic, I started serving as a greeter and usher then began to seek new ways to grow and serve at Plymouth. I enjoy worship, music, and all the educational opportunities. Serving on the Spiritual Formation Board is a great way to work with others, support our education programs, and foster spiritual development.
Kate Taber
Kate Taber and her family moved to Minneapolis last summer after stints in South Carolina, Jerusalem, and Atlanta. She serves professionally as a Congregational Organizer at Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. In previous roles, she was a college chaplain, a mission co-worker to Israel and Palestine for the Presbyterian Church (USA), and a minister in an urban congregation. Kate has worked almost entirely with adults and young adults, but has a 2 year old and 6 year old at home and has spent the last several years fascinated by children’s spirituality. She is excited to think about how to nurture the spirituality of fellow Plymouth members across the lifespan. She also brings a background in (and passion for!) Our Whole Lives comprehensive sexuality education, trained in the curriculums for K–1 and young adults. Kate and her husband Nathan live with Rosie (6) and Charlie (2) in South Minneapolis by Lake Hiawatha.
Board of Worship
Becky Dougherty, Co-Chair
I grew up in the Minneapolis area and have lived in Montana and Wisconsin for much of my adult life.
When our three adult children all ended up working and living in the Twin Cities, it was a no-brainer to return to Minnesota in 2012 after my husband Dan and I retired. Dan sings in the choir. I do not sing. I do enjoy and appreciate the Sunday Forums, Women’s Book Club, Reflection Circle, and various study and group opportunities, and this last year I joined the Handbell Choir.
I did serve on the Spiritual Formation Board in the time before Covid and look forward to being part of the Board of Worship as we live and worship amid and “after Covid,” whatever that may prove to be.
I am excited about the future for Plymouth, not because we have the answers all figured out but because we are willing to ask the questions and vision of a community of faith, embracing the diversity of our understandings of God.
Jill Nelson, Co-Chair
When I joined the Plymouth Choir in 1982, I knew I had found my church home. The choir has been like a family to me, and the music we’ve created together has been one of the greatest gifts in my life. The texts of the anthems and hymns have guided, inspired, and comforted me over the years.
Plymouth’s focus on the arts has been especially meaningful to me. I participated in a Writing Group, attended Women’s Retreats led by poet Sam King, and had the pleasure of performing in four plays with The Eat Street Players.
Woven through it all have been the worship services. The reverence reflected in the music, sermons, and pastoral prayers continues to sustain me. The calls for social justice have encouraged my activism, beginning with Plymouth’s Gun Violence Prevention Group, which led me to accept a Statewide position as an Arts Outreach Lead for Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense in America. Understanding and working to dismantle racism has been a more personal endeavor that has been spurred on by Plymouth’s work in this area.
It is an honor to be asked to be part of shaping the future of our worship together.
Jon Bauer
Jim Leslie
Raised among well-educated Evangelicals, I had an epiphany almost fifty years ago listening to the Christian Universalist message of Howard Conn. Plymouth has been my church home ever since then. Over those many years, Plymouth has afforded me opportunities to serve as a lay leader (chair, Board of Deacons), to help with the launch of OneVillage Partners in Sierra Leone by making several trips to that West African country, to make sure that some of our oldest members got to church by driving the church bus on Sunday mornings for ten years, and to get to know some Plymouth members well through our wonderful Andante social group, which has been together for twenty-two years. The Plymouth community has also supported me through a divorce, through the brain cancer death of my son Ted, and through the death of my second wife, Lynnanne Warren, two years ago. To the important work of the Board of Worship, I bring the experience of being a lay member for four years (2009 to 2013) of the Committee on Ministry (COM) of the Minnesota Conference (UCC) where COM’s ceremonial duties required me to worship in a number of Minnesota UCC churches.
Trish O’Brien
A year ago, Scott and I visited Plymouth for the first time. We received a very warm welcome and could see there is a strong sense of community, which is what we were looking for. In this year, I became an Ambassador, joined One More Chair, and participated in a book study. I especially enjoy the spirited and dynamic sermons by our ministry team. I’m going to be an Ambassador for Mental Health Connection which PCC will hopefully be participating in, as a part of a 38-church consortium. I’m delighted to be nominated for the Board of Worship to bring ideas for furthering spirituality and openness to our services. I have assisted in Sacred Journey, a former Sunday service of HAUMC, where I helped with planning and participated in the services. Currently, I am a Co-Chair of Women In Recovery, which provides education and spiritual growth for women in 12-step recovery.
