Meet Your Leaders!
Did you know that our community is led by an all-volunteer Board of Trustees that meets monthly? Anyone is welcome to attend our meetings and learn how UUCPA is governed. In an effort to make the Board more accessible to the entire community, we will feature one Board member each month in our weekly update and on our website.
This month, Brooke Bishara, our Board President, is featured.
Question: What are three interesting facts about you?
Brooke: I’m a lifelong UU, born and raised in Massachusetts. I have two adorable, barky chihuahua mixes named Tucker and Lola who came to us at the start of the pandemic. I also love to dance!
Q: Why did you join UUCPA?
Brooke: When we moved to the Bay Area from Massachusetts ten years ago, UUCPA was the first UU church I “checked out.” I remember looking around the patio on my first Sunday and feeling like these are my people. Karen Skold and Lisa Helmonds warmly welcomed me, and I never looked back.
Q: What made you join the Board?
Brooke: Serving on the Board is fascinating. It encourages my own spiritual growth as I face both heartwarming and challenging situations with my fellow Board members. I get to see how decisions are made and understand how authority and accountability are distributed most effectively. I also get to ponder our organizational mission and plan for the future.
Q: What is something you want to say to the congregation?
Brooke: I want the congregation to know how amazingly fortunate we are to have the volunteer and paid staff that we do. So much happens behind the scenes to make our community hum along. We are all beneficiaries of the unseen efforts of others. I also want people to know that no matter who you are, whatever your strengths or limitations, your contribution belongs here. Every kind of volunteer, every level of generosity is needed. Email me at brooke_b@uucpa.org if you want to know how you might serve our community.
Q: What’s one way you hope to see UUCPA fulfilling its mission in the coming years?
Brooke: Our unofficial mission statement is to transform ourselves, each other, and the world. The transformation I long for is becoming more closely connected to one another– perhaps even more than we were before COVID. The pandemic has made connecting so much harder, but it has also helped me see that relationships are the true vehicles for growth and change. I hope we can all slowly and gently come out of our shells and be with one another with new appreciation.
Q: When is the next Board meeting, and how can I attend?
Brooke: Our next meeting is Thursday, August 25th at 7:00pm. You can attend by emailing me at brooke_b@uucpa.org and asking for the Zoom link. I’d be happy to share it with you.