Staff
Accompanist |
Abigail (Abby) Charbeneau grew up in Woodstock, VT and from an early age was involved in UCC church services as well as musical theater. She majored in music at Skidmore College, studying piano with her mentor, Dr. Pola Baytelman. After graduating in 1994, she took a year off to teach piano in Albany, NY and then moved to Urbana, IL to complete her Master in Music at the University of Illinois. She has been a church musician in several denominations. She performs regularly as a solo pianist, and as a chamber musician. Abby teaches at the Concord Community Music School, and at St. Paul’s School. Abby believes in the power of music: it can transcend and transform situations in ways that words cannot. At the Concord UU Church, she has enjoyed planning thematic music for worship services, encouraging congregants to play and/or sing in church, and continues to explore musical outreach opportunities in the community. |
Choir Director |
Jane Berlin Pauley received a Bachelor of Music degree in performance from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts and a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. She pursued further studies at Westminster Choir College, Manhattan School of Music, Aspen Opera Theater Center and the Tanglewood Music Center. Her opera and concert engagements include appearances up and down the East Coast, including Rutgers Summerfest, New England Lyric Operetta, Dartmouth Handel Society, Longwood Opera, and Opera D’amore in Maine. She has taught at the Concord Community Music School and St. Paul's School in Concord, NH. |
Director of Religious Education |
Kristin Nelson served two years as the Acting DRE for this congregation, before becoming the settled DRE in late August of 2010. Prior to her work as a DRE, Kristin worked for the Concord Regional Visiting Nurses and volunteered at the Concord Cooperative Preschool, serving on the board for four years and also as a parent volunteer and teacher assistant. She has studied early childhood education at Hesser College and NHTI, with a particular interest in Waldorf Education. Kristin also teaches at a preschool in Warner, and in her spare time (?!) moderates the Concord Freecycle group. She lives in Concord with her husband, three sons, two dogs, two gerbils, and a betta fish named Tai Chi. |
Church Administrator |
Lea Smith has been the Church Administrator since 2006, and has been a member of our church since 2000. She previously worked as our Administrative Assistant from 2000-2002. In the past, she served on the Religious Education, Nominating, and Green Sanctuary Committees, and taught church school. Lea is responsible for the church’s bookkeeping, administrative support to the Prudential Committee, Finance Committee, and minister, office management, and oversight of church publications and facility maintenance. Lea was born and raised in California where she received her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Journalism, and she taught special education middle- and high-school before moving to NH in 1996. Lea now lives with her husband, two children, dog and guinea pig in the tiny rural village of Hill, NH, where they enjoy organic gardening, yoga, hiking, swimming, and biking. |
Volunteer Coordinator |
Cheryl Bourassa is our 5-hour-per-week Volunteer Coordinator. Prior to this position, she worked as a Social Studies Teacher at Concord High School for many, many years. She has recently completed a project with the Concord Historical Society, writing three chapters for their upcoming Twentieth Century history of Concord. In addition to her position at the church, she is the manager of the Sycamore Community Gardens. This project provides garden space and supplies to low income families, most of whom are from the refugee community. She has been the chair of UU Friends of Refugees and she organizes the Give Away garden at the church. Additionally, she serves as a tutor through the Second Start Adult Education Program. She has a master’s degree in Early American History. She lives in Concord with her husband, two children, a dog, two cats, a dwarf hamster and lots and lots of gardens. |
Administrative Assistant |
Eve is responsible for preparing worship service materials, coordinating room reservations, and maintaining the church's mailing list. |
Facility Manager |
Kathie is responsible for maintenance of the church’s building and grounds. |
