Letter from the President
Hello! I am honored to be serving as the next President of the UUS Board of Trustees! I began my service as President in July by leading the Board’s annual July Retreat and facilitating the July 16 Board of Trustees meeting.
I am relatively new to UUS, having become a member in 2018, a couple of years after moving to Coralville with my spouse, Peggy Garrigues, who worked on staff at UUS for 7 years. In the time I’ve been a part of this congregation I have come to respect and appreciate the commitment this community has to supporting and engaging in its many ministries.
When I joined I was amazed to know I was becoming a part of a congregation that has roots in the Iowa City area that go all the way back to 1838, before Iowa was even a state! As President of the Board of Trustees I am pleased to play a role in the continuation of this long-rooted tradition of liberal religious ministry in the heart of the midwest.
During my term of service my intention is to support the Board of Trustees and UUS as a Congregation to:
- Continue building on and strengthening the policy governance model the congregation has been exploring and refining since 2017 by being mindful of established policies, respecting the Minister’s role as Head of Staff, and supporting thoughtful policy revisions when that’s what makes sense to do.
- Continue our efforts to effectively leverage and manage UUS’s assets to meet our current and future financial needs by better integrating the work of the minister, Board, various finance-related committees and ministry teams.
- Support UUS’s continuing engagement with the Hope 4 Us team as we build our congregational capacity for living with conflict in ways that build trust and challenge us to learn and grow together.
- Undertake a ministerial assessment process that supports the minister, the board and the congregation in appreciating the challenges and strengths we all bring to our life and work together while creating opportunities to offer, and consider, constructive feedback.
- Engage with and learn from the congregation through an exploration of “Open Questions” that explore the challenges and opportunities we face in the near term.
I know many of you in the congregation have been in my “presidential shoes,” and that gives me courage! I am always open to supportive suggestions, encouragement and feedback.
Sarah Ross
