Hey Blog world, I've got some news to share.....and while I can't be a part of finding the next Religious Educator here at Westside....I can tell you, it's a great place to work!
Dear Members and Friends of Westside UU Congregation,
Today we announce that Kari Kopnick is ending her employment here as Director of Religious Exploration for Children and Youth, sometime around the end of May. After seven years, Kari feels that it is time to start a new chapter in her life with new and different challenges. Though this makes us truly sad, we are also happy for Kari because she is wisely listening to her needs to create the next chapter in her life.
In her letter of resignation she said:
“I can’t imagine a better way to have spent the past seven years of my life. Serving this congregation and watching while you grew and built a powerful community filled with love and spirit has been a privilege. It has also been a profound honor to have been invited into the lives of so many precious families. My heart lives inside dozens and dozens of Westside children, youth and now even young adults. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful community. I leave not to take another job, but because it’s the right time to go. I pledge that I will do everything in my power to provide all the resources for a graceful and loving transition for the community and for your new Religious Educator.”
As congregants we will need time for our sadness, and we will want to plan times and ways to express our appreciation to Kari, and to celebrate the programs for which she has provided superior professional leadership. Please begin thinking about ideas for celebrating all that Kari has meant to us.
In the meantime, we are also working to have a search committee appointed by the Board of Trustees. This committee will manage the process of a continental search for a new Religious Educator, utilizing resources of the Unitarian Universalist Association and the professional Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA). As Kari has said, our position will be an extremely attractive one for RE professionals because of the health and vitality of our congregation, and because of the excellent working relationship that has existed between our RE staff, the active supportive RE Council, and our Minister.
We are happy to know that Kari is planning on being a part of our congregation as a regular member, after the appropriate time for her successor to get established. She has visions of singing in the choir and being able to actually attend worship!
Of course you are welcome to contact any of us with your questions. We will keep in communication with the congregation, as will the search committee after it is formed.
Our best to all,
Heather Hisatomi and Amy Hance-Brancati, RE Council Co-Chairs
Jill Fleming, Congregational President
Rev. Peg Morgan, Minister
