Association of Universalist Women
First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
BOARD MEMBERS
Mary Weeks - President
Mary has attended First Universalist for 40+ years and has been active on a number of church committees over those years. But as her husband got sicker with ALS, her participation in everything ebbed. Which is why, when the call came, she said “YES” to being on the AUW board.
AUW has been managed for years by very competent women, with many others benefiting. It is time to contribute my time, energy, and hopefully some knowledge, so that all the women of the church can benefit from and perhaps participate in AUW.
Judy Goebel
Secretary
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Judy has been a member of 1st U since 1990. She lives in Richfield with her husband, Ray, three dogs, and a bad-tempered conure. They have 3 daughters and 4 granddaughters. A fine art major in college, she worked in information technology for most of her career. Since retirement she teaches community education classes in various fiber arts and how to use Android devices. She is an avid hand spinner, dyer, weaver and crocheter and also loves messing around with handheld computer devices.
Judy has served on the 1st U Board of Trustees as Secretary and Vice President. She also served on the board of MUUSJA as Secretary and CoChair.
Jill Andersen - Treasurer
This is my first term on the AUW board, and I look forward to what will unfold. I have been a member and friend of First Universalist for over 30 years serving in a variety of roles: RE teacher, Board of Trustees, Foundation Board, greeter, and coffee hour server extraordinaire. I am still employed full-time with MNDOT. I live in Richfield with my cat Finn, both of my children have flown the coop. In my free time, I serve on the Richfield Foundation, as a volunteer tax preparer during the tax season, and I like to hike, bike and swim
Sydney Dunitz
Vice President
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This is my third term on AUW. It's a great way to get to know fabulous women. I have been a member of First Universalist for about 30 years and AUW for about 25 years. I live in Minnetonka with my husband, Jordan, and our dog, Charlie. We have two adult children who went through RE at church. Madison lives in San Francisco and Jackson just moved to Myrtle Beach SC. I am a pediatric physical therapist. I work for a small company called Capernaum and have done home based, clinic, school, and pool therapy. I plan to retire in June 2022 which is very exciting. My passions are yoga, dogs, children, and picking up litter. I like to read, travel, bike, knit, and walk.
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Rita Langteau
Rita first joined First Universalist Church over 30 years ago. After spending some time away from the church, she has been active in the church the past 12 years. She sang in the choir, volunteered in classrooms at Augsburg Fairview Academy (AFA), serves at memorial services and served on the Daytime Connections programming committee. She has been a Small Group participant for 11 years. This is Rita’s first time serving on the AUW Board. She has enjoyed getting to know other women at AUW activities and retreats and looks forward to serving on the AUW Board. Now retired from working in litigation related marketing research, she loves to sing in choirs, take voice lessons, work hard in her garden, read, walk/hike, attend theater/orchestra/vocal concerts and relax with friends -- and Rose and Aria, her cats.
Mary Helmin
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A pillar of both her profession and community, Mary is a brilliant mind, a caring mother, and a diligent worker. Having acquired a broad range of experiences on the road to her Doctorate she is an excellent communicator and leader. In her free time she is an avid biker, hiker, gardener, and community advocate that strives to making lasting positive impacts with her work wherever it may be.
Jane Jordan
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Over many years it has been my experience that the way I find the most belonging, support, fun, friendship connection within a church is through “the women’s group”. That is why I jumped into AUW when I moved here in Oct 2016 from Green Bay WI. It is why I participate. Without active participants, each taking a piece of the need, there would be no organization.
When not AUWing you can find me belly dancing, working full time, active on HOA board, playing with 6 grand kiddos, 2 daughters and their husbands, watching too much Netflix vs reading (working on changing), walking with friends, playing outside, Al-Anon, informal mentoring/pastoral care connections, women’s ritual, and connecting with my traveling companion.
Susan Schonfeld
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Susan has attended First Universalist since 1984. When her two daughters were in the RE program, she helped in several ways to support RE. Her daughter Meredith served as the UUA intern for women’s issues in DC. This is when she became more aware of AUW and has attended events since then. Susan was co-coordinator of the Congregational Care committee and continues her involvement with their activities. She also served as an usher for many years and on the Daytime Connections Advisory Board. She is a retired medical social worker. Besides spending time with her three grandchildren, she especially enjoys gardening, cooking, hiking and traveling. She is now looking forward to serving on the AUW Board.
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