Our People: Minister, Staff & Lay Leadership
Autumn 2023: Welcome, Rev. Alexa!
Our minister is Rev. Alexa Fraser. She is an ordained Unitarian Universalist (UU) minister and a former Quaker. She has served several congregations mostly by Zoom, and serves First UU largely this way as well.
Rev. Alexa holds a Masters in Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry, one of only two UU seminaries. She also holds a certificate of Spiritual Direction from the Chaplaincy Institute.
Rev. Alexa is a community organizer and is passionate about the importance of community building and interpersonal relationships. Her social justice activities include work commemorating the three known lynchings in her home county of Montgomery in Maryland. She has also worked toward the passage of Medical Aid In Dying legislation in Maryland.
Rev. Alexa would love to get to know you! Please write her at revalexa@firstuu-indianapa.org.
First UU Church Staff (2023)
We are currently searching for a new Director of Religious Exploration! Please stay tuned for updates.
Holly Oberlin
Office Hours:
Monday, Thursday and Friday: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
Sunday: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
First UU Church Board of Trustees (2023)
If you would like to speak to our Board members, please email them at board@firstuu-indianapa.org.
We welcome your messages!
Jeffrey Boden, President: Jeffrey is a real estate agent and was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. He is one of the Directors of the Realtor Association of Westmoreland, Indiana, and Mon Valley Board of Realtors. Jeffrey is a board member of the Indiana County Housing Authority, serving as Treasurer. He enjoys volunteering with First UU Church, relaxing with his rescue dogs, and hiking.
Lenny Pinna, Vice President: Lenny recently returned to southwestern Pennsylvania after years in the San Francisco Bay Area. He sought out First UU as a source of comforting new energy. In the past, Lenny has served as Vice President of the Board at the UU Society of Cleveland Heights, OH. In California, he was involved in the study of Integral Yoga, and participated in the Gay Buddhist Fellowship. In recent years, he was highly active in the Soul Motion conscious dance community in Berkeley, CA; he has brought the practice to our community, facilitating a monthly Dance Church event in the Sanctuary. Lenny is an eclectic creative artist with an extensive background in dramatic theater. He produced and directed a docudrama in 2000, which led to his recent publishing of “A Face From Uranus: Correspondence Between Tedd Burr and Henry Bellamann, 1943 -1945,” an historical LGBTQ book. A limited TV series, based on the book, may be on the horizon.
Danielle Iorio, Treasurer: PHOTO & BIO COMING SOON
Donald Lancaster, Secretary: a member of First UU since 2002 (and a UU since 1995), Don Lancaster has served on the Committee on Ministries, in RE, and as the Board of Trustees Secretary. A retired inner city special education teacher, Don is currently the church representative on the Greater Pittsburgh UU Cluster. In the local community, he is a Borough Councilor and serves on various social justice and environmental committees. Don and his wife, Faye Bradwick, work extensively with refugees, especially those from Burma. They have bought and rehabbed a commercial property and two houses in the Borough to help Burmese refugees. Don and Faye have also helped to open two Asian restaurants (one Thai and one Sushi-Noodles) in Indiana, PA.
Amanda Poole, Trustee At Large: Amanda has been a member of the First UU since 2012. Amanda is a cultural and environmental anthropologist teaching at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She enjoys bridging campus and community through projects focused on sustainable development in northern Appalachia.
Michel Tuthill, Trustee At Large: Michelle has been a member of First UU since 2020, and recently began serving on the Board of Trustees. She is a Certified Peer Specialist and enjoys photography, music, and spending time with her mom.
Kim Wolz-Dubinsky, Trustee At Large: PHOTO & BIO COMING SOON
