Graduation 2007

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 Summer 2007

Meadville Lombard Graduating Class of 2007                      

Front row, left to right: Patty Hanneman, John Cullinan, Bret Lortie, Michio Shinozaki, Mark Morrison-Reed, Jack Miles, Barbara ten Hove, Ellen Cooper-Davis, Ivanka Fiserova, and Suzanne Wasilczuk. Middle row, left to right: Margaret Beard, Anya Sammler, Kathleen Green, Julia J. Aegerter, Lisa Presley, Claudene Oliva, Carol Schneider, Eliza Galaher. Back row, left to right:  Stephen Atkinson, Fred Hammond, Justin Schroeder, Sandra Wilson, Aaron McEmrys, Russell Elleven, France Yoli Joseph, Robert Janis Dillon, Edward Loomis.    Not pictured: Kathryn Lore, Michael Tino, Archene Turner, and Eric Johnson.  

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Lavan Scholar selected; Bradburd Scholarship Announced 

Meadville Lombard is thrilled to announce that Christina Leone (right) has been selected to receive the first Spencer and Susan Lavan Scholarship for Excellence.  Leone, currently a resident of Memphis, has decided to leave Memphis University where she was enrolled as a doctoral student in clinical psychology in order to enroll in the residential Master of Divinity program at Meadville Lombard.  She begins her studies in September, 2007.

We are also thrilled to announce that another full, merit-based scholarship has been fully endowed by Arnold and Julia Bradburd.  The Bradburds are long-time friends of Meadville Lombard and recognize the need to support excellence in ministry in Unitarian Universalism. A recipient of this scholarship will be selected in the spring of 2008 for acceptance in the fall of 2008.

From Lee

Board of Trustees

We would like to offer our gratitude to members of our Board of Trustees who recently retired: Arnold Bradburd, Donna Dutton, Carol Groppe, Leon Spencer, Rev. Suzanne Meyer, and Rev. Roberta Nelson. We are so grateful for your insight and guidance over the last several years that truly helped move Meadville Lombard forward to change lives to change the world.

We would also like to welcome our new Board members, Carol Ross and Larry Terry. 

We would like to congratulate former Board member Leon Spencer on his recent selection as the recipient of the 2007 Annual Award for Distinguished Service to the Cause of Unitarian Universalism.

Faculty and Staff

Returning from the Fourth of July holiday, our community was devastated by the news that Cornelius Lockhart was murdered on the evening of July 3. Cornelius worked as a maintenance assistant at Meadville Lombard for just more than a year, but it was long enough for him to touch the lives of many students, staff and faculty. His kindness was only matched by his sense of humor and his sense of duty. He leaves a son and a daughter, a partner, a mother, and brothers and sisters who deeply miss "Corny." As do we, the Meadville Lombard community.

Anthony Heacock was voted in as the Vice President of the Chicago Area Theological Library Association (CATLA).

Simon Leverett joined the staff in July, filling the position of Plant Manager after the resignation of Jon Rice, who held the position for 14 years. Simon was born and raised in England (Surrey) and trained as a stonemason. Since coming to the United States in 1995 he has worked extensively in masonry restoration, renovation and remodeling of buildings, and landscape design--most of that time has been in Milwaukee where he has had his own business. Simon is married to Lisa who will be starting a PhD program in art history at the University of Chicago in September.  Lisa and Simon have two daughters, Helena and Alexandra, who will be attending Murray Language Academy.

Tamika (Meek) Purnell recently joined the staff as our maintenance assistant. Meek is a Chicago native and graduate of Harlen High School.  Meek has most recently worked at Children's Memorial Hospital in environmental services. He has also been working part-time with First Unitarian's plant manager, Mr. Al Carter. He will continue in that liaison role. Meek has four children, Charlotte, Antonio, Kenyatta, and Malik.

Students

Tera Little, a student in the Modified Residency Program, was awarded $500.00 through the St. Lawrence Foundation for an essay she wrote about her mentor, Phyllis Daniel, “who has been a steady source of inspiration and encouragement since 1998. This is the first time I’ve received an essay award and I am really delighted.”

India McCanse, who is transitioning from the Modified Residency Program to the Residential program, was featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Metro newspaper as she leaves her position as president and chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee to make that transition.

J. “Purple” Rodela, fourth-year student, shares that her essay "Becoming a Decent Dissenter" won first prize in the annual contest sponsored by the St. Lawrence Foundation for Theological Education. “The winning essay is an adaptation of the final history paper I wrote for David Bumbaugh's UU History class last year,” says Purple. “It examines my own call to prophetic witness through the example of John Haynes Holmes' ministry.”

Christopher Rodkey, a DMin student, reports he has just been named a Doctoral studies Fellow for the coming academic year by the United Church of Christ.  “I was a Fellow last year, also, but they tripled my funding and this will cover nearly all, if not all, of my expenses for my coming dissertation year.”

Renee Zimelis Ruchotzke, incoming MRP student representative on the Board of Trustees, had an article on Caroline Bartlett Crane published on the UU Biography page. 

Leaving on Internship 

Ten of our students are either commencing or returning to their internships in learning congregations throughout the United States:

Anne Barker will intern at First Unitarian Church in Denver, Colorado and will be supervised by Rev. Michael Morran.

David Breeden will intern at Eliot Unitarian Chapel in St. Louis, Missouri and will be supervised by Rev. Dr. Daniel O’Connell, DMin ’96.

Karla Brockie will intern at Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Chandler, Arizona and will be supervised by Lone Jensen, MDiv '92.

Erik David Carlson will intern at Community Church in New Orleans, Louisiana and will be suprevised by Rev. Jim VanderWeele, MDiv '00.

Janet French will continue her internship at People’s Chruch in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  She is supervised by Rev. Jill McAllister.

Lynne Garner will intern at the Unitarian Church of Hinsdale, Illinois and will be supervised by Rev. Edward Searl.

Eric Kaminetsky will intern at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Annapolis, Maryland and will be supervised by Rev. Frederic Muir.

Leslie Kee will intern at Cedar Lane Unitarian Church in Bethesda, Maryland and will be supervised by Roger Fritts.

Scott Lewis will intern a the First Unitarian Church of St. Louis, Missouri and will be supervised by Rev. Suzanne Meyer, MDiv ’83.

David Pyle will intern at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Evanston, Illinois, and will be supervised by Rev. Barbara Pescan.

John Saxon will begin his internship in September at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Raleigh, North Carolina and will be supervised by Rev. Thomas Rhodes.

Tracy Springberry will intern at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse in Moscow, Idaho and will be supervised by Rev. Kayle Rice. 

Rev. Hisami Okamoto Visits

Rev. Hisami Okamoto, in the United States for a family visit, stopped by Meadville Lombard for a very brief visit. Rev. Okamoto is the Deputy Director of the Konkokyo International Center in Tokyo, Japan. He attended classes at Meadville when he was a seminarian. As part of his visit, he toured the campus with Rev. Dr. Neil Gerdes and joined students in their Friday afternoon theological discussion group.  Here, he is pictured with Deane Oliva, Michael Leuchtenberger, and Neil Gerdes.

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Ralph Mero, Jr., BD '65 DD '93, was featured in an article originally published in 1993 but rerun in the Health section of the New York Times on August 9, 2007. The article, titled  "There's No Simple Suicide,"  by Lisa Belkin, gives an in depth look at the work Mero has done with the group, Compassion in Dying,  which is working within the law to help terminally ill residents of Washington State die as and when they wish to. 

Randy Becker, D Min '72, became the first full time minister to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Key West in February 2007. He wonders what Meadville Lombard people think about a new National UU Ministers Study Group, perhaps in March in Key West.

Stan Sears, MDiv '81, sends word that his wife, Linda, died on February 18, 2007. "Since we were one of the few couples who remained intact during that period, many of the students got to know Linda.  She was one of the founding members of the original "Spice Group" of ML spouses," he says. 

Jeanne Lloyd, MDiv '02, has settled in her role as parish minister of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Greenfield, MA, by unanimous vote of the congregation, on June 11, 2007.  She received final fellowship as a Unitarian Universalist minister in April 2006. She also continues in her roles as affiliated community minister at Unitarian Universalist Society: East (Manchester, Connecticut) and President of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities' (AAIDD) Religion & Spirituality Division. Jeanne resides, with her family, in Canton, Connecticut.

Randy Hammer, DMin ’04, is proud to announce the recent publication of his third book, The Talking Stick: Forty Children's Sermons With Activities (Pilgrim Press). Previous books include Everyone A Butterfly: 40 Sermons For Children (Skinner House, 2004), which was his Doctor of Ministry project in seminary, and Dancing In The Dark: Lessons In Facing Life's Challenges With Courage And Creativity (Pilgrim Press, 1999).  Currently, Dr. Hammer is pastor of First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, of Albany, NY.

Christine Hillman, MDiv ’04, reports that she gave the Confluence Lecture this year at the CUC annual meeting in Vancouver.  “In addition,” she writes, “I was elected as a member of the CUC Board of Trustees.  And finally, I've been invited to be a Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Fellow at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit.  It has been an explosion of opportunities!”

James ‘Chip’ Roush, MDiv ’05, celebrated his installation as the Senior Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse, Michigan, on April 22, 2007.

Beth Ellen Cooper-Davis, MDiv ’07, was ordained in a ceremony at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, on June 1, 2007.  And, Ellen and her husband Andy Cooper-Davis are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Lilith Rebecca Cooper-Davis, on July 21, 2007.

Eliza Galaher, MDiv ’07, was ordained at a ceremony on June 10, 2007, at the Third Unitarian Church of Chicago, Illinois.

Fred Hammond, MDiv ’07, was ordained in a ceremony at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury, Connecticut, on Sunday, May 27, 2007.

Deane Oliva, MDiv ’07, was featured in a write-up about her graduation and ordination in the Bowling Green Daily News.  She was also ordained at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Bowling Green Kentucky on March 10, 2007.

Vilius Rudra Dundzila, DMin ’06, reports that the Board of Directors of the City Colleges of Chicago approved his promotion in rank from Associate Professor to Professor, effective fall semester 2007.

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