MEET OUR
Staff and Leadership
reverend daniel lawlor
minister
Rev. Daniel Lawlor has served as minister for UUCHV since 2022.
He is regularly available for pastoral care, meetings, special events, and for weekly office hours. Rev. Daniel was ordained to the UU Ministry at First Church Boston, and is a graduate of Brown University, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Boston University School of Theology, where he was inspired by the ongoing legacy of Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman, a 20th Century Civil Rights leader and teacher who was committed to inter-faith, inter-racial work for justice and healing.
REVEREND MICHAEL TINO
AFFILIATED COMMUNITY MINISTER
Rev. Dr. Michael Tino (they/them) began serving as Affiliated Community Minister for UUCHV in 2025. Leading us from the pulpit four times a year and participating in UUCHV community life, Rev. Michael is also part of the Lead Ministry Team at the Church of the Larger Fellowship, the Unitarian Universalist Association's congregation without borders or walls. Rev. Michael is passionate about serving the over 2,000 incarcerated individuals that form part of CLF’s overall membership, a number that has doubled in the last 5 years as word of the ministry has spread. Previously, they served for 15 years as the minister of our sibling congregation in Mount Kisco, NY.
Jane Podell
Director of RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
Jane Podell has served our congregation as Director of Religious Exploration (DRE) since 2011. She has been a UU for 30 years, saying that Unitarian Universalism has been the center of her life. Her position as DRE calls her to minister to children of all ages as they engage in spiritual seeking and discover their own path, always with a sense of wonder.
Rita Ruotolo
Administrator
Rita has been UUCHV’s administrator since 2006, handling a lot of the behind the scenes work that is essential to our congregation's success. She has been a local area resident for over 30 years and previously worked in corporate accounting.
BLAKE ROWE
MUSIC DIRECTOR [On sabatical July 2025 - June 2026]
Blake Rowe is a pianist, songwriter, composer, educator and local area resident. He has released several recordings of his piano music and original songs for children, and has maintained a weekly podcast, “Piano Meditations”, consisting of purely improvised music since 2017.
_edited_edited.jpg)
MADOLYN ACCOLA
CHOIR DIRECTOR
Madolyn Accola is a passionate educator, choral singer, collaborative instrumentalist, and folk dancer who believes in the power of communal music making to promote social change. She teaches at the Heathcote School in Scarsdale and previously taught at Friends Seminary, VOICE Charter school, and the National Children's Chorus. As a Kodály and Orff-Schulwerk practitioner, Madolyn frequently presents at professional development conferences and has continued her studies internationally in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Ghana. Madolyn holds degrees from New York University and Hunter College where she pursued music education and ethnomusicology.
ALEX SMITH
PIANIST
Alex Smith, a four-time Grammy-winning pianist, organist, composer, arranger, and educator is most widely known for his work accompanying Lady Gaga on her much heralded performance of the Star-Spangled for Super Bowl 50 (2016). He is the keyboardist and arranger for Lady Gaga’s jazz quintet and was featured on the Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett albums, “Cheek to Cheek'' and “Love For Sale.” He has performed with a diverse array of musicians from jazz greats Tony Bennett, Louie Bellson, Terence Blanchard and Ingrid Jensen to stars such as Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Emily King and Molly Ringwald.
OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jim Russell, President
Michael Kemper, Vice-President
Susi Dugaw, Secretary
Chris Fenton, Treasurer
Teri Lukin
Christine Clayton
Lynda Karanikolas
The Right Relations TEAM
Bob Hudson
Teri Lukin
Matt Clayton
Our Committee Chairs
ARTS
Susi Dugaw, co-Chair
Lynda Karanikolas, co-Chair
BUILDING & GROUNDS
Betsy Tomic
(Safe Congregation Team leader: temporary vacancy)
MEMBERSHIP
Sheri Brown
MUSIC MINISTRY
Michael Schwartz
SHARING & CARING
Tina Mayer
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Bearni Croft, co-Chair
Teri Lukin, co-Chair
(Inclusivity Team leader: Marjie Kemper)
WORSHIP
Anne Pearl, co-Chair
Megan Fenton, co-Chair