2025 Nominees for Board of Trustees, Moderator, and Nominating Committee
At the 2025 Annual Congregational Meeting, we will elect candidates for the Board of Trustees, the Nominating Committee, and the Moderator.
Petitions for these candidates will be posted in the Atrium beginning Tuesday, May 8. There are two nominees for the Board of Trustees, four nominees for the Nominating Committee, and one for the Moderator. This year we need four candidates for the Nominating Committee because two of the current members are unable to serve out their terms and the Board of Trustees has had to approve temporary replacements for them. The petition for each candidate requires signatures from 20 members.
Please vote for these candidates at our Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday, June 8 at 11:30 a.m.
Petitions for these candidates will be posted in the Atrium beginning Tuesday, May 8. There are two nominees for the Board of Trustees, four nominees for the Nominating Committee, and one for the Moderator. This year we need four candidates for the Nominating Committee because two of the current members are unable to serve out their terms and the Board of Trustees has had to approve temporary replacements for them. The petition for each candidate requires signatures from 20 members.
Please vote for these candidates at our Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday, June 8 at 11:30 a.m.
The 2025 Nominees
Tracy Simpson, nominated for a three-year term to the Board of Trustees, (2025–2028).
Tracy has been a member of MLUC for five years. She was raised Jewish at Brith Achim in King of Prussia, where she was Bat Mitzvah and Confirmed. MLUC is her first experience with a UU church.
Tracy has been a Worship Associate since 2022 and is currently the team leader. She serves as an Usher as part of the Welcome Team and has worked with the Passover seder team since 2021. Tracy has been a member of a Small Group since 2020 and credits her connection with the Group as the glue that kept her at MLUC through Covid.
Tracy earned a Doctorate in Cybersecurity from Capella University and a Masters in Computer System Management from University of Maryland Global Campus. She works as Cybersecurity Associate Fellow for Lockheed Martin in King of Prussia. Tracy holds a BS in Education from Penn State and as a Board Member of the Montgomery County Literacy Network, is committed to providing availabilities for working adults to get their High School Equivalency by connecting the people who need literacy help with Montgomery County Organizations that provide adult literacy assistance. The members of the MCLN board are experienced educators and community business leaders who volunteer their time to organize the MCLN events.
Tracy enjoys volunteering with the Scouting America Devon Troop 50 where her son Shane earned his Eagle Scout rank. She is a Merit Badge counselor with the Troop for badges including Citizenship in Society, Personal Fitness, American Heritage, Crime Prevention and Reading. Tracy lives in Tredyffrin Township on Valley Forge Mountain with her son, Shane and her mom and dad, Stewart and Thea Millman.
Cathy Cordes, nominated for a three-year term to the Board of Trustees, (2025–2028).
Cathy has been a MLUC member since 2021 when she and her husband relocated from Bedford, MA in order to live closer to their grandchildren. (…and their parents, of course!) Raised Catholic, she left that faith home in 1969 and was unchurched until she moved to Bedford. In 1981 she and her family attended a week at Star Island and were introduced to the UU faith. They felt instantly “at home” with both Star Island and UUism – it stuck! They continue to return to Star Island every summer – for 44 years! She currently serves MLUC on the Partner Church Committee and also the Memorial Services Committee.
Through her church in Bedford, she was introduced to their partner church in 1995. She had “retired” from a teaching position in order to work in her husband’s new business. Enamored with Transylvania, they traveled for their first visit in 1996. She volunteered with the UU Partner Church Council, served on the board, and was hired to be the first Executive Director – a position she held until 2016. She worked with UU in the US in partnership with Unitarians in Transylvania, Hungary, Czech Republic, India, the Philippines, Uganda, Burundi and Kenya. She also served as the interim director of the UUA International Office in 2005–06 (half-time).
Cathy was both a volunteer and an elected official in town government in Bedford, MA – serving on the Capital Expenditures and Finance Committee. She was elected 4 terms as a Selectman and elected as Moderator of Bedford’s Open Town Meeting. She is excited about the possibility of serving on the MLUC Board of Trustees and thanks you for supporting her nomination.
Roderick Wolfson, nominated for a three-year term as Moderator, (2025–2028).
Roderick grew up attending MLUC starting at age two until he went off to college. He returned in 2013 with his daughters Charlotte and Lydia, who enjoyed the MLUC religious education program. Roderick taught regularly in RE for years after his children were in college. He has found teaching the Coming of Age curriculum to 8th and 9th graders as particularly rewarding; mentoring teenagers to develop their own religious values. Roderick was a MLUC trustee from 2016–2018 and was president of the Board for the last two of those years. Prior to returning to MLUC, Roderick and his wife Beth lived in Philadelphia and attended the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. Roderick also served on First Church's Board and as president of the Board. As property committee chair at First Church, he led their historic preservation work for a decade and helped found an interfaith preservation fundraising coalition.
Professionally, Roderick is an architect and works at Swarthmore College as senior planner/project manager in the Capital Planning and Project Management. He is leading the College's campus master plan process and involved in the campus's conversion from fossil fuel to geo-exchange heating and cooling. For much of his career, Roderick worked at Bower Lewis Thrower Architects (BLT) in Philadelphia. When MLUC conducted an architectural selection process in 1988 to renovate the church, Roderick and his firm were included, and later selected as MLUC's architects. Roderick had previously designed churches for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and the UU Fellowship of State College, PA. Roderick served as project architect for MLUC's renovation planning, and then after a fire at the start of construction, for the design of the current MLUC building.
Roderick and Beth lived in Ardmore for 25 years while raising Charlotte and Lydia. They moved to West Chester, PA three years ago to be closer to nature but farther from Starbucks. This spring, he is completing a four year term as trustee and property committee clerk at Friends' Central School. Roderick paints watercolors en plein air as a spiritual practice to connect with nature. He is looking forward to bringing his decades of UU congregational meeting experience to the role of MLUC's moderator. Congregational meetings should be meaningful events in the life of this religious community.
Kristen McDevitt, nominated for a one-year term to the Nominating Committee, (2025–2026).
Kristen was appointed by the Board to fill an open position on the Nominating Committee for the 2024–2025 church year.
Kristen came to MLUC in 2023 and has been a member since then. She began her UU journey in the early 2000’s at Wellsprings UU in Chester Springs, searching for a faith community with shared values. She lives in Phoenixville, with her husband Vince and recently engaged daughter, Jessica.
Kristen has been an active member, beginning with facilitating a Small Group, then starting food collections for Phoenixville Area Community Services. While attending Meditation Groups, she began serving on the Meditation Group Steering Committee and started an evening Meditation Group with Jann Nielsen, as well as co-leading an evening Meditation Book Group. She recently left the Book Group in other capable members’ leadership to join the Welcoming Committee, which will serve the congregation through new ways to welcome and support LGBTQIA individuals and families. In the current political climate, she hopes to start a new group encouraging Good Trouble with other congregants and clergy at MLUC.
Kristen left a career as a Speech-Language Pathologist to be a full-time parent, and now nearly empty-nested, has found civic and community service to be a new focus. She is a Democratic Committeeperson for East Pikeland, in Northern Chester County, organizing election volunteers, poll watchers and canvassers. She volunteers at the John James Audubon Center in Audubon, PA, where she assists with school programs and raptor-handling. She also volunteers at the Phoenixville Area Community Services, Ann’s Heart, Jenkins Arboretum. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, kayaking, exercising and gardening.
Carrie Reif, nominated for a two-year term to the Nominating Committee, (2025–2027).
Carrie was appointed by the Board to fill an open position on the Nominating Committee for the 2024–2025 church year.
Carrie and her husband Greg have been members at MLUC since 2016. They have been involved with the Children’s programming and their three children have enjoyed some of the special activities at MLUC. Harrison, Ella and Ben participated in the naming ceremony back in 2018.
Carrie lives in Devon and is active in the community with school events within the TE district as well as working at a local primary care medical office. She is a family nurse practitioner and her mission is focused on providing preventative care while also working to heal those that are in need.
Carrie enjoys participating in local events to support health in the community and support her children in their spiritual and athletic growth. She is coaching lacrosse this spring for a local girls group. The Reif family is also active at Martin’s Dam Swim and Dive Club in the summer.
Tina Adams, nominated for a three-year term to the Nominating Committee, (2025–2028).
Tina Adams has been a member of the church since Spring 2022. She began virtually attending the Sunday early morning meditation group that Winter. The group was so welcoming and inspiring it became clear she needed to attend a Sunday morning service as well. Upon entering the doors she knew that she had found the spiritual home and community that she had been seeking all of her life!
Tina enjoyed Green Striping and Greeting as her first volunteering experiences. Branching out from there she served on the Membership Committee. Being invited to join the Worship Associate Team and Music Committee are positions she continues to be honored to do, and is thrilled to be invited to join the Nominating Committee at this time.
Tina works as a musician, teacher and Energetic Healing Practitioner. She is very involved with her role as a grandmother and shares a wonderful life journey and a home with her soon to be husband Brian Warren and their dog Ella.
Nancy McDowell, nominated for a three-year term to the Nominating Committee, (2025–2028).
Nancy and her husband Peter joined MLUC in 2002, after Nancy’s job transferred her back to her hometown. Their initial goal was to expose their two young children, Tyler and Julia, to the values of a liberal church. It wasn’t long before they developed their own love for and commitment to MLUC. As the kids went through RE all the way up to being presidents of their respective YRUU youth groups, Nancy participated as teacher, RE Committee member, then member of the Board of Trustees—all while working full time running a private investment firm.
Nancy continued her commitment to the church through a stint as Vice Chair of the Capital Campaign and chair of the QC2 Committee. After her retirement in 2021, she joined the Nominating Committee to help elect Church leaders and the current Search Committee. She returned to the Board in January of 2023 for what started as a six-month stint and turned into two and a half years (term ends June 2025).
Nancy looks forward to helping the Nominating Committee find leadership candidates, adding her recent experience as a board member.
Tracy has been a member of MLUC for five years. She was raised Jewish at Brith Achim in King of Prussia, where she was Bat Mitzvah and Confirmed. MLUC is her first experience with a UU church.
Tracy has been a Worship Associate since 2022 and is currently the team leader. She serves as an Usher as part of the Welcome Team and has worked with the Passover seder team since 2021. Tracy has been a member of a Small Group since 2020 and credits her connection with the Group as the glue that kept her at MLUC through Covid.
Tracy earned a Doctorate in Cybersecurity from Capella University and a Masters in Computer System Management from University of Maryland Global Campus. She works as Cybersecurity Associate Fellow for Lockheed Martin in King of Prussia. Tracy holds a BS in Education from Penn State and as a Board Member of the Montgomery County Literacy Network, is committed to providing availabilities for working adults to get their High School Equivalency by connecting the people who need literacy help with Montgomery County Organizations that provide adult literacy assistance. The members of the MCLN board are experienced educators and community business leaders who volunteer their time to organize the MCLN events.
Tracy enjoys volunteering with the Scouting America Devon Troop 50 where her son Shane earned his Eagle Scout rank. She is a Merit Badge counselor with the Troop for badges including Citizenship in Society, Personal Fitness, American Heritage, Crime Prevention and Reading. Tracy lives in Tredyffrin Township on Valley Forge Mountain with her son, Shane and her mom and dad, Stewart and Thea Millman.
Cathy Cordes, nominated for a three-year term to the Board of Trustees, (2025–2028).
Cathy has been a MLUC member since 2021 when she and her husband relocated from Bedford, MA in order to live closer to their grandchildren. (…and their parents, of course!) Raised Catholic, she left that faith home in 1969 and was unchurched until she moved to Bedford. In 1981 she and her family attended a week at Star Island and were introduced to the UU faith. They felt instantly “at home” with both Star Island and UUism – it stuck! They continue to return to Star Island every summer – for 44 years! She currently serves MLUC on the Partner Church Committee and also the Memorial Services Committee.
Through her church in Bedford, she was introduced to their partner church in 1995. She had “retired” from a teaching position in order to work in her husband’s new business. Enamored with Transylvania, they traveled for their first visit in 1996. She volunteered with the UU Partner Church Council, served on the board, and was hired to be the first Executive Director – a position she held until 2016. She worked with UU in the US in partnership with Unitarians in Transylvania, Hungary, Czech Republic, India, the Philippines, Uganda, Burundi and Kenya. She also served as the interim director of the UUA International Office in 2005–06 (half-time).
Cathy was both a volunteer and an elected official in town government in Bedford, MA – serving on the Capital Expenditures and Finance Committee. She was elected 4 terms as a Selectman and elected as Moderator of Bedford’s Open Town Meeting. She is excited about the possibility of serving on the MLUC Board of Trustees and thanks you for supporting her nomination.
Roderick Wolfson, nominated for a three-year term as Moderator, (2025–2028).
Roderick grew up attending MLUC starting at age two until he went off to college. He returned in 2013 with his daughters Charlotte and Lydia, who enjoyed the MLUC religious education program. Roderick taught regularly in RE for years after his children were in college. He has found teaching the Coming of Age curriculum to 8th and 9th graders as particularly rewarding; mentoring teenagers to develop their own religious values. Roderick was a MLUC trustee from 2016–2018 and was president of the Board for the last two of those years. Prior to returning to MLUC, Roderick and his wife Beth lived in Philadelphia and attended the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. Roderick also served on First Church's Board and as president of the Board. As property committee chair at First Church, he led their historic preservation work for a decade and helped found an interfaith preservation fundraising coalition.
Professionally, Roderick is an architect and works at Swarthmore College as senior planner/project manager in the Capital Planning and Project Management. He is leading the College's campus master plan process and involved in the campus's conversion from fossil fuel to geo-exchange heating and cooling. For much of his career, Roderick worked at Bower Lewis Thrower Architects (BLT) in Philadelphia. When MLUC conducted an architectural selection process in 1988 to renovate the church, Roderick and his firm were included, and later selected as MLUC's architects. Roderick had previously designed churches for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and the UU Fellowship of State College, PA. Roderick served as project architect for MLUC's renovation planning, and then after a fire at the start of construction, for the design of the current MLUC building.
Roderick and Beth lived in Ardmore for 25 years while raising Charlotte and Lydia. They moved to West Chester, PA three years ago to be closer to nature but farther from Starbucks. This spring, he is completing a four year term as trustee and property committee clerk at Friends' Central School. Roderick paints watercolors en plein air as a spiritual practice to connect with nature. He is looking forward to bringing his decades of UU congregational meeting experience to the role of MLUC's moderator. Congregational meetings should be meaningful events in the life of this religious community.
Kristen McDevitt, nominated for a one-year term to the Nominating Committee, (2025–2026).
Kristen was appointed by the Board to fill an open position on the Nominating Committee for the 2024–2025 church year.
Kristen came to MLUC in 2023 and has been a member since then. She began her UU journey in the early 2000’s at Wellsprings UU in Chester Springs, searching for a faith community with shared values. She lives in Phoenixville, with her husband Vince and recently engaged daughter, Jessica.
Kristen has been an active member, beginning with facilitating a Small Group, then starting food collections for Phoenixville Area Community Services. While attending Meditation Groups, she began serving on the Meditation Group Steering Committee and started an evening Meditation Group with Jann Nielsen, as well as co-leading an evening Meditation Book Group. She recently left the Book Group in other capable members’ leadership to join the Welcoming Committee, which will serve the congregation through new ways to welcome and support LGBTQIA individuals and families. In the current political climate, she hopes to start a new group encouraging Good Trouble with other congregants and clergy at MLUC.
Kristen left a career as a Speech-Language Pathologist to be a full-time parent, and now nearly empty-nested, has found civic and community service to be a new focus. She is a Democratic Committeeperson for East Pikeland, in Northern Chester County, organizing election volunteers, poll watchers and canvassers. She volunteers at the John James Audubon Center in Audubon, PA, where she assists with school programs and raptor-handling. She also volunteers at the Phoenixville Area Community Services, Ann’s Heart, Jenkins Arboretum. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, kayaking, exercising and gardening.
Carrie Reif, nominated for a two-year term to the Nominating Committee, (2025–2027).
Carrie was appointed by the Board to fill an open position on the Nominating Committee for the 2024–2025 church year.
Carrie and her husband Greg have been members at MLUC since 2016. They have been involved with the Children’s programming and their three children have enjoyed some of the special activities at MLUC. Harrison, Ella and Ben participated in the naming ceremony back in 2018.
Carrie lives in Devon and is active in the community with school events within the TE district as well as working at a local primary care medical office. She is a family nurse practitioner and her mission is focused on providing preventative care while also working to heal those that are in need.
Carrie enjoys participating in local events to support health in the community and support her children in their spiritual and athletic growth. She is coaching lacrosse this spring for a local girls group. The Reif family is also active at Martin’s Dam Swim and Dive Club in the summer.
Tina Adams, nominated for a three-year term to the Nominating Committee, (2025–2028).
Tina Adams has been a member of the church since Spring 2022. She began virtually attending the Sunday early morning meditation group that Winter. The group was so welcoming and inspiring it became clear she needed to attend a Sunday morning service as well. Upon entering the doors she knew that she had found the spiritual home and community that she had been seeking all of her life!
Tina enjoyed Green Striping and Greeting as her first volunteering experiences. Branching out from there she served on the Membership Committee. Being invited to join the Worship Associate Team and Music Committee are positions she continues to be honored to do, and is thrilled to be invited to join the Nominating Committee at this time.
Tina works as a musician, teacher and Energetic Healing Practitioner. She is very involved with her role as a grandmother and shares a wonderful life journey and a home with her soon to be husband Brian Warren and their dog Ella.
Nancy McDowell, nominated for a three-year term to the Nominating Committee, (2025–2028).
Nancy and her husband Peter joined MLUC in 2002, after Nancy’s job transferred her back to her hometown. Their initial goal was to expose their two young children, Tyler and Julia, to the values of a liberal church. It wasn’t long before they developed their own love for and commitment to MLUC. As the kids went through RE all the way up to being presidents of their respective YRUU youth groups, Nancy participated as teacher, RE Committee member, then member of the Board of Trustees—all while working full time running a private investment firm.
Nancy continued her commitment to the church through a stint as Vice Chair of the Capital Campaign and chair of the QC2 Committee. After her retirement in 2021, she joined the Nominating Committee to help elect Church leaders and the current Search Committee. She returned to the Board in January of 2023 for what started as a six-month stint and turned into two and a half years (term ends June 2025).
Nancy looks forward to helping the Nominating Committee find leadership candidates, adding her recent experience as a board member.