Rev. Jay Leach

Minister

(704) 366-8623, ext. 223

jay@uuccharlotte.org

The Rev. James C. (Jay) Leach was called to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte in April, 2003 and began as our Minister in August of that year.  A ministerial transfer to Unitarian Universalism, prior to coming to Charlotte he served as the Consulting Minister for the UU Fellowship of North Bay in Napa , California . Jay completed a second Master of Divinity degree at the Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley , California where he also taught preaching and worked in the area of new student recruitment. During this time he was selected as the 2002 UU Scholars/Collegium Prize winner for a paper entitled: "'At the Beginning of a Great Career:' Whitman's Leaves of Grass as an Embodiment of Emerson's 'The Poet.'"

Jay Leach was born and raised in Greenville , South Carolina and graduated in 1982 from Furman University with a major in philosophy.  In a ministerial career spanning more than two decades he has previously served congregations in Charlotte , New Orleans , and Houston . Among his many activities in the community, he served on the Board of Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans and the Board of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, worked as a clergy counselor at a hospice for people with HIV/AIDS, and helped initiate the work of a Corporate Responsibility Committee for a major Catholic healthcare system. He is a Class XXVII graduate of Leadership Charlotte.

Jay's deep passion for poetry is often reflected in our services. He is a scholar of the life and writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, an affinity that frequently informs the content of our services as well. An on-again, off-again runner (he has completed two marathons) he also enjoys baseball and most other sports, hiking, travel, and music of all kinds.

Jay's partner, the Rev. Melissa A. Mummert, is a 2003 graduate of the Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley and is recognized as an Affiliated Community Minister at the UUCC. She is on the staff of United Family Services in Charlotte , serving as a Domestic Violence Counselor and Educator in the Mecklenburg County Jail. She has a special interest in documentary filmmaking and anticipates the debut of her first film, A Perversion of Justice, soon.

Melissa and Jay are the proud parents of a daughter—Emerson Anne “Annie” Leach—who was born in 2006.

Kathleen Carpenter

Director of Religious Education

(704) 366-8623, ext. 225

kcreuucc@yahoo.com

Kathleen grew up the daughter of a career Army officer, living in California, Alaska, Virginia, South Korea, and South Carolina. She graduated with a degree in Urban Planning from Furman University and completed course work toward a masters in Public Administration from the College of Charleston. She moved to Charlotte in 1980. After working for several governmental agencies, she "retired" to stay home with her three children and to devote her spare time to volunteer work, most notably, the Sierra Club. She was hired as Director of Religious Education at UUCC in 1992. She has served on the Thomas Jefferson District RE Committee since 1993, including a term as Chair, and is a member of the Liberal Religious Education Association. Kathleen’s favorite responsibility in her role as DRE is to officiate at the annual Senior Baccalaurate service. She’s the one beaming in the front row, holding back tears of pride each and every year as another group of UU youth move out into the world.

Jeter Walker

Director of Administration

(704) 366-8623, ext. 222

jeter@uuccharlotte.org

Jeter is a native of North Carolina, growing up in Morganton, and is a graduate of Wake Forest University. He has in fact lived most of his life in the Carolinas, and has two grown daughters in the Triad Area. That, along with the strongest attraction of working in a position that fulfills his personal values is what attracted him to our church. Jeter left Orlando where he was a member of the Board as Treasurer with that congregation. He also brings 25 years of experience in managing convention and visitors bureaus in several southeastern cities and has served as interim President & CEO of the International Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus, based in Washington, DC. In addition, Jeter has also served as President for the Orlando Gay Chorus and Treasurer and member of the board for the Gay, Lesbian, & Bisexual Community Center of Central Florida.

Alesia M. Hutto

Church Administrative Assistant

(704) 366-8623, ext. 221

alesia@uuccharlotte.org

“Oh, just make it corny,” said Alesia M. Hutto, the brand new UUCC Administrative Assistant who now anchors the church's front desk. She was responding to my asking what sort of information to post on the UUCC website. That wasn't enough guidance so I tried an old tactic: “What's your favorite color?” I got my answer (pink) and we both laughed about doing stories this way.

Alesia is from Augusta and decided that after five years as an assistant manager in the restaurant business she was ready for something else. “I wanted to do something that would add to my office and business skills,” she said. “Charlotte seemed like a great place to start.” So she drove here and signed with a local temporary employment agency and her path crossed with ours.

While Alesia held down the front desk as a temporary worker, our search for a full time replacement produced about 125 applications and ultimately 6 interviews. Alesia emerged as our top choice. In her new capacity, Alesia will be editor of Voices, preparer of the order of service, coordinator of facility use, keeper of keys and the only one in the office respected by the copier. Her work will also include serving as the answer/help desk for the church and doing some finance work as well.

Alesia holds a BA degree in Sociology from Augusta State University which she earned while working as Assistant Manager for Applebee's restaurants. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and is beginning to find her way around Charlotte. She was at her front desk post when the infamous deer found his way into the chapel. “I thought someone had fallen,” Alesia said. “Then I saw the deer and called 911.” That produced paramedics, a fire truck and amazement from a little girl from ODS. “Are you the lady who talked to the fireman? the little girl asked. “Did you ask to ride on the fire truck?” Regardless of the outcome of that question, we're all very glad Alesia's now riding with us.

John Herrick

Director of Music 

(704) 366-8623, ext 230

john@uuccharlotte.org

John Herrick is a recent arrival from Philadelphia , where he served as music director for the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia from 2002 to 2006. With an undergraduate degree in music from West Chester University in Pennsylvania and additional studies at Temple University and Westminster Choir College in Princeton , John is passionate about music, particularly in a UU setting which embraces diversity of thought and culture. “We live in a world rich in diversity, and I can think of no better way to connect with our world community than through its music.” Prior to First Church in Philadelphia , John served as the music director for the First African Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia from 1991 to 2004 and as the organist/choir director for the Falls of Schuylkill Presbyterian Church from 1982 to 1991.

John and his partner, Michael Lovett, live in Lake Wylie , SC. They both love to garden, cook, read, swim, kayak, and tend to Zoe, their 12-year-old brown tabby cat.

Wally Kleuker

Organist/Pianist

Children's Choir Dirtector

Wally completed all the course work for a master degree in music composition at Indiana University after graduating with a B.M. in piano, a pupil of Gyorgy Sebok and Jorge Bolet. He studied composition with Einojuhani Rauttavaara in Helsinki at the Sibelius Academy of Music and taught music for 16 years in Denmark before returning to the United States in 1989. He was choir director at UUCC from 1989-1993 and has been the organist since 1993. Several of his hymns and anthems have been premiered at our church including "My Family is Humankind" and "Let My World Awake."