The FUUSN Nominating Committee is pleased to announce this year’s nominees for FUUSN leadership to stand for election at the Annual Meeting on June 9. Below are the names of each nominee with their bios and the positions for which they have been nominated:

Ted Hess Mahan – Board of Trustees – Ted Hess-Mahan and his wife Anne have been members of FUUSN for over fifteen years. He is currently a member of the Operations Council, has taught OWL a number of times, and has been a mentor for Coming of Age. Ted particularly enjoys playing guitar and dobro in the FUUSN band during services and other musical events. He and Anne have three adult children, Bridget, Corey and Maura, all of whom went through Coming of Age and were part of Youth Group.

Karen Burns – Board of Trustees – Karen Burns has been a member of FUUSN for two decades. She has served on a number of committees and has been a member of the Personnel Policy Committee for eight years. A decade ago Karen served on the Board of Trustees and its appointed Governance Committee. In recent years she has worked on issues involved in the Society’s status as a Welcoming Congregation, and she is a happy alto in the Sanctuary Choir. Karen is a retired Labor and Employment Attorney in Boston, a former Chicago Police Officer and former manager (and singer) at a popular Chicago LGBTQ club during the 1970s. She is happily married to Maryann Civitello and they have an adult daughter.

Susan Bartlett – Chair of Operations Council- I have been a member of FUUSN for over 20 years and have had the privilege of serving as a member of the Operations Council, Board of Trustees and the RE council. Recently, I’ve served as Chair of the Operations Council helping to guide FUUSN’s governance structure with the Board providing policy direction and the Operations Council overseeing daily operations. Most importantly, FUUSN is my spiritual home and I look forward to continue working with our amazing staff and my fellow Operations Council members.

Jud Leonard – Operations Council – Jud Leonard and Bobbie Sproat have been members of FUUSN since the early 1990’s, when their daughters were 3 and 6 years old. Since then, those little girls have grown up and moved to Cambridge, and Jud has served on the Board of Trustees, he has led an Annual Budget Drive, he is a Lay Minister, and he sings bass with the Sanctuary choir. He is retired after a career in computer design, but still enjoys playing with technology.

Siena Lerner-Gill – Trustee of High School Age – I am 16 years old, and my parents are Jennifer Lerner and Brian Gill. I am a synchronized swimmer, and the class president of my grade at BB&N school in Cambridge. I’ve grown up at FUUSN, and I can’t wait to be more involved.

Will Kisiel – Trustee of High School Age

Clark Lakomski – Trustee of High School Age – Clark Lakomski is currently a junior at Newton North High School where he is taking three AP classes. He is also a member of the Newton North Swim team and jazz ensemble. He has been a member of the FUUSN community for the past 16 years, and is currently a youth teacher in 2nd grade and member of the youth group.

Karen Bottar – Assistant Treasurer – Karen has been part of FUUSN since 2006. She joined the Finance Committee in 2007 and has co-chaired for a number of years. She has been part of the FUUSN Annual Services Auction team for at least the last eight years. The annual Holiday Fair usually finds her wrapping baked goods on Saturday morning before the start of the fair. Karen has been an investment professional for over 35 years, managing portfolios for institutional clients, private clients, and endowments. Karen and husband, Don Buonagurio are glad to be members of FUUSN. Their daughter Nora was in the Coming of Age program and danced with CreationDance at FUUSN until she went to college.

Judy Curby – Treasurer – My wife Gayle Smalley and I have been members of FUUSN for over twenty years and I have had the honor of serving in a number of capacities, including Finance Committee, Board of Investment, Moderator, and most recently Treasurer for the past five years. I am (mostly) retired from the Town of Wellesley, where I was the Assistant Finance Director and later the Assistant Director of Public Works.

Dwight Golann – Moderator – Dwight Golann is a mediator and teacher of dispute resolution who has been a member of FUUSN for almost 30 years. He is a professor at Suffolk University Law School, has co-authored several books, and leads training in negotiation and mediation for non-profit organizations and law firms in the U.S. and abroad. He was formerly a lawyer in Boston, and served as Chief of the Consumer Protection Division and the Government Bureau in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

Kit Ryan – Clerk for the Board – I moved back to the Boston-area for my mom in 2013, and she encouraged me to attend FUUSN. The congregation not only welcomed me, but immediately drew me in and got me involved, starting with the Silent Auction. I look forward to continuing as Clerk for the Board.

Linda Ross – Assistant Clerk for the Board (Operations Council) – I have been a member of FUUSN since 1986. Since my retirement 3 years ago, I have been able to become more involved with FUUSN activities, including the Welcoming Congregation Team and FUUSN Holiday fair, and serving as the assistant clerk for the past 2 ½ years. I would be happy to continue to serve FUUSN as the assistant clerk for the coming year.

Devon Welles – Board of Investment