“It’s our goal to make everyone feel welcome and included from the moment they walk in the door, during worship and afterwards. If they make the effort to come, it’s our task to make them feel at home and comfortable being part of the church.”

Marc plans weekly worship services and special events; and directs the acclaimed UUMC choir. He sees his mission as developing and nourishing disciples, so they may serve not only during worship but during their daily lives. “We are committed to high quality worship while still meeting people where they are in their hearts. We’re not about putting people down or making them feel ignorant, but lifting them up, no matter what their station or relationship.”

Natasha was UUMC’s Interim Director of UUMC’s Early Childhood Center before taking on the role of Director of Children’s Ministries in August 2010. Natasha worked at the ECC for three years in various capacities and before that taught Spanish to elementary school-aged children in Austin. She is currently completing her teaching certification in Elementary Education at Austin Community College.  She studied Spanish and sociology at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA.

Nancy enjoys working in the church office, “the hub,” as she calls it. It’s never dull, she points out. She has been driving to UUMC every weekday from her home in Kyle. She works closely with LoveWorks at Christmas time, wrapping gifts for children of incarcerated parents. She also helps decorate the LoveWorks giving tree. Nancy is admired and appreciated for her ability to remember every staff member’s birthday, and for her delicious birthday cakes.

Diana joined UUMC in 2012 as the director of communications. She’s responsible for coordinating the church’s publications, website, social media and more. A former family and faith columnist and magazine writer, Diana shares her daily newspaper reporting and graphic design experience with the congregation. She’s currently pursuing a master’s degree in Spiritual Formation at Austin’s Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest. Diana is a mom of three, a slow-poke long-distance runner and an avid star and cloud watcher.

Mary Ann Kaiser grew up on the coast of Florida where she studied Organizational Communication while working for the Wesley Foundation and volunteering with her church youth. After college, she moved to southeast Nigeria for a service year focused on issues of health in local communities. Since then, she has worked as a hospital chaplain and completed her MDiv at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary where her passion for the intersection of theology and concrete lived experiences was formed. She is thrilled to have this opportunity to work with young people and the wider UUMC church on issues of justice and their relation to the gospel.

Joining  UUMC and the church choir in 1996, Jan finds working behind the scenes in the church office fascinating as she manages the church database, membership reports and the church calendar. She also assists in the preparation of worship services. Jan leads the Centering Prayer group that meets at UUMC on Sunday mornings. When she’s not at church, she substitute teaches at Lee Elementary. Her husband, Jim, is a video editor and her daughter, Lily, is a recent graduate of Occidental College in Los Angeles. Jan holds a degree in Music from UT and has sung in the chorus of the Austin Lyric Opera.

Madelynn Fierova-Martinez is UUMC’s Early Childhood Center Director. She has a BA in psychology from Texas State, where she also attended graduate school.  She was previously an assistant director at a preschool in San Marcos, and she interned at San Marcos High School working with at-risk youth.

UUMC member Cindy Reeves joined the staff in August of 2010, and has also been our Wedding Coordinator since her own wedding here in 2008. She is responsible for accounts payable, contribution statements, payroll and budgeting. She also manages bookkeeping for the Early Childhood Center (ECC). Cindy has been involved with the Open Door Ministry at UUMC since she joined the church in 2007. She is also on the board of a non-profit that is affiliated with the church, Cooking up English. Some of Cindy’s favorite activities include volunteering with the Texas Exes, planning events and weddings, and attending UT football games.

Originally from Guatemala, Hugo has been on staff at UUMC for more than 10 years. He says his work background is “a little bit of everything,” including construction work, preparing food at Bob’s Barbeque in Round Rock and even washing dishes. His homemade chicken soup is, quite simply, the best we’ve ever tasted. Hugo enjoys working in the church environment. His philosophy: “I like to be happy all the time. I take pride in everything I do, even cleaning restrooms. I still have to do it anyway, so I might as well enjoy it.”

With a friendly word for everyone and a joke for every occasion, Jorge says he enjoys everything about working at UUMC, but most especially the Sunday morning donuts. Originally from Puerto Rico, he is a certified welder who moved to New York City in 1968 and to Austin in 1997. He worked previously as a banquet steward and in room service at major hotels, and also at St. David’s Hospital. He is married with one boy, 7, and a girl, 2.