Presented by the Nominating Committee: Deb Connet, Ilija Hardage, Kelly Huggins, Mara Southorn, Kristen Tang, and Jill Wallace.

Candidates will serve in their positions beginning at the close of the annual Business Meeting on June 5, 2022. Terms are noted in the position descriptions.

President of the Board of Trustees, Ann Arellano

Ann was raised a UU in Rockford, IL, and joined this church in 1995 to raise her son Ben as a UU, too. She was recruited to join the Fellowship team shortly thereafter and has since been a member of the Board three times, co-chair with Neil Lichtman of the Sanctuary Capital Campaign, a member of a previous Search committee, served on various other committees and teams, helped launch the new website this year, and is currently Board VP, chair of the Governance Advisory Committee, and on the Auction team. In her spare time as a retiree, she spends time with her and Carl’s grown boys and their families, bikes, hikes, and is looking forward to resuming international travel and nurturing her new garden as the weather begins to warm.

Position description – President/Board of Trustees Officer: The President of the Board of Trustees is responsible for the effective and orderly performance of the Board and serves as a voting member of the Board. Some of the President’s specific responsibilities include to preside at Business Meetings of the Board and Congregation, serve on the Finance Advisory and Governance Advisory committees, initiate and lead (or delegate) Board activities in accordance with annual goals aligned with Congregational Conversations, the Mission and Vision of the Church, and Ends established by the Minister and Congregation, and to ensure that the Governance Calendar is followed by the Board. The term is two years.

Trustee at Large, Caroline Bailey

Caroline Bailey grew up in a Unitarian congregation in Maryland. She officially joined DUUC in 1990 (after being affiliated here several years). She had started studies at the UU Meadville Theological School in Chicago, but changed career focus to social work. Her daughter participated in our Religious Education program and Caroline taught RE at several levels from first grade through being a high school Transition Affirmation and Graduation mentor. She has been an active member of the Sunday Services Committee for many years, and has been elected in the past to the advisory Committee on Ministries and the Nominating Committee. Caroline served twice on ministerial Search Committees at DUUC. Most recently this winter she led an Adult Enrichment class using the Building Your Own Theology curriculum.

Caroline is semi-retired from a career as a mental health social worker in an agency in nearby Kane County. After graduating from college she lived and taught English for two years in Japan, so recently she has been studying Japanese at the local community college. She has been an enthusiastic supporter of the church auction, ever since she met her husband Robert at an auction event picnic in 1998!

Position description – Board Member and Trustee at Large: The Trustee at Large serves as a voting member of the Board of Trustees. The Trustee at Large will participate in the Board’s strategic and goal-oriented planning based on our mission and annual vision of ministry as derived from conversations with Staff, Lay leaders, and the Congregation. The Trustee will take part in Church policy writing and review, delegation of program management to the Minster and Staff, and assessment and evaluation of goals set at the Board’s annual planning retreat. The term is two years.

Member of Nominating Committee, Chris Knight

Chris first discovered UU at the Unitarian Church of Hinsdale in 2001. After moving to the western suburbs in Lisle, he and his wife Sandra started attending services as visitors at DUUC in 2015. They joined as members in October 2017. Their daughter Lulu has been attending RE since that time and has played cello several times for services or in ensembles. Chris joined the choir in November of 2017 and sang as a tenor until choir performances stopped due to Covid. He has stepped in a few times to help with hymn singing since that time. Chris has volunteered for PADS with the DUUC group and with PADS directly for several of their fundraising events. He has also volunteered as an RE helper and as a member of the AV team. He enjoys running the cameras for services or science Sunday and has been helping during Covid at least once a month. This is his first time volunteering for a committee position at DUUC. Chris works from home for a small company designing electronics. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, reading, cooking and occasionally performing in local community theater.

Member of Nominating Committee, Carol Manthy

Carol joined  DUUC along with her husband Russ in 2012. Since then she has served in several capacities. She has been and is currently a greeter for Sunday services. She was committee  chair for Memorial Receptions since Elsie’s departure. She was in charge of AM PADS until COVID stopped the in person service. She was also an alto in the choir for several years. Carol spends several days of the week taking care of her three grandchildren after school. She is glad Sunday services are at the church again. Hopefully it will remain that way.

Position description – Committee Member: The Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying and fostering leadership abilities of Church members in order to select and present a slate of candidates for elected positions of the Church. The term is two years.

Board Appointed Positions

Per the Bylaws, Article VI, Section 2, vacancies in any Officer position, Trustee-at-Large position, Nominating Committee position, or other elected position as described in the Policy Manual will be filled by vote of the Board for the remainder of the unexpired term. Kaiya Iverson was appointed Vice President of the Board of Trustees in May of 2022. She will serve starting in June of 2022 until the term ends in June 2023. Ilija Hardage was appointed Member of the Nominating Committee in October of 2021.  He will serve until the term ends in June of 2023.

Vice President of the Board of Trustees, Kaiya Iverson

Kaiya grew up a UU, took a nearly 25-year break and then joined DUUC around 1998.  She has served in elected roles on a search committee, the committee on ministries, nominating committee, and  public ministry.  She also served as board president from 2006 to 2010.  She helped charter the interweave committee and has served on numerous task forces and other committees.  Outside of DUUC, Kaiya serves on the board of DuPage chapter of the National Organization for Women.  In addition, she serves as chapter president and as an instructor for the Fox River chapter of the Association for Supply Chain Management.  She recently had a blast learning to play “Cards Against Humanity” at an auction event.  In her spare time, she is the productivity manager and sustainability champion for the Connected Home & Security business of Resideo.

Position description – Vice President/Board of Trustees Officer: The Vice President serves as a voting member of the Board of Trustees and will act in the absence of the President to preside at meetings of the Board and Congregation.  Specific responsibilities include to serve as a member of the Personnel Advisory Committee and to maintain the Board’s Google calendar for Board-specific activities. Kaiya will serve as Vice President until June 2023.

Member of Nominating Committee, Ilija Hardage

Ilija has been a member of the DUUC Community for 11 years. Ilija first became aware of UU sometime in the early 1990s through a born and raised UU college roommate. After having given up on the multiple religions he was both raised in and exposed to during his childhood, and after serving in the U.S. Army, on the front lines of the Persian Gulf War, Ilija chose to investigate UU as a path to follow.

In 2010, when he and his family moved from Texas to Illinois, Ilija made the choice to attend and become a member of DUUC. Over 11 years, Ilija has served as a steward/usher, attended Men’s Group, volunteered with PADS, participated in a few services, and when possible/called upon, eagerly helped with physical labor – e.g. moving stone for construction of the Sanctuary, setting up/tearing down for an Art Show, driving stakes and tying knots in rope for outdoor tents, and much more.

Ilija works in the IT field for the U.S. EPA, has been married 19 years, and has two children ages 15 and 11. In his spare time, Ilija likes to walk, view wildlife, practice yoga, view a good movie/show, listen to music, read, and surf the ‘Net/social media.

Position description – Committee Member: The Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying and fostering leadership abilities of Church members in order to select and present a slate of candidates for elected positions of the Church. Ilija will serve as a Member of the Nominating Committee until June 2023.