Staff
Settled Minister
Rev. Jennifer Youngsun Ryu
Phone: 541-686-2775×1
Email: minister@uueugene.org
Office Hours:
Monday, OFF
Tuesday, 10am to 3pm
Wednesday, 10am to 3pm
Thursday, Writing Day
Friday, 10am to 3pm
Rev. Jen was born in Seoul, grew up in Toledo, became a UU in Baltimore, and went to seminary in Berkeley. Ordained by the Virginia congregation she served for nearly 10 years, Rev. Jen moved into healthcare chaplaincy, earning her board certification. But having grown up in church, she missed the rhythms of a multigenerational community and has returned to parish ministry.
When she’s not at church, you’ll find her kayaking, painting, practicing tai chi, or playing the piano. She loves the creative energy generated by spiritual living and could not imagine life without music or poetry.
Affiliated Community Minister
Rev. Dennis Reynolds
Email: dwreynolds123@gmail.com
Reverend Dennis began his involvement in Unitarian Universalism in the late 1960’s as part of the Liberal Religious Youth group at the Salem, Oregon church. He was not involved in church again until the 1990’s, when he joined the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene (UUCE). He was ordained by UUCE in 2012 after having served as a hospital chaplain in Puyallup, Washington and as a minister in Klamath Falls, Oregon and in Humboldt County, California, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island, in Freeland, Washington and is Minister Emeritus there.
He and his wife Suzanne returned to Eugene in 2019. They have three grown children and two young grandchildren who live all over the world. Dennis is active in climate and racial justice advocacy work in the larger community.
Ministerial Intern
Tina DeYoe
Phone: 541-686-2775×6
Email: intern@uueugene.org
Tina grew up in Minnesota and Florida. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Religion and minored in Psychology. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Tina also studied immigration reform and border culture while living in Arizona and Nogales, Sonora Mexico. She also lived and volunteered in Guatemala for 1 year working in a women’s shelter, while also learning Spanish.
After completing a chaplain resident program at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, Tina found her spiritual home in UU Church.
For the past 8 years she has served as the Director of Lifespan Religious Education at the UU Church in Los Alamos, NM. During this time she has explored her call to become a UU Minister.
Tina’s passions include racial justice work, empowering youth and kids, hiking, photography, cross stitch, singing, and traveling.
She is committed to building an inclusive, fun, and joy-filled Beloved Community within our UU circles, and carrying that work out into the wider community!
Director of Faith Formation
Ryan Doppelmayr
Phone: 541-686-2775×2
Email: faithformation@uueugene.org
Ryan is an Oregonian born and raised, who briefly ran away to serve in the Peace Corps in Kyrgyzstan, before returning to her beloved Pacific Northwest. She started attending UUCE while studying education at the University of Oregon. She earned a master’s degree in educational leadership and her winding path led to teaching, tutoring, homeschooling her kids, and running an in-home daycare. She is excited to work with kids, youth, and adults as a co-conspirator in religious exploration.
When she’s not at church she’s at home chasing her three kids, reading, daydreaming about travel, playing board games, or watching Star Trek or Marvel movies with her spouse.
Faith Formation Teacher
Mel Keller
Email: melissa.keller@uueugene.org
Mel Keller is originally from the Chicago suburbs, and she has been living on the West Coast for 5 years. She is currently a PhD student at the University of Oregon in political science, studying the welfare state. Previously, Mel has worked for nonprofits and spent time in both Quaker and Congregationalist churches, building her own spiritual identity. In her free time, Mel enjoys knitting, baking, and taking her chihuahua Apollo to the dog park. She is excited to work with UU Eugene and to learn and grow with this congregation!
Faith Formation Teacher
Imani DenHerder
Email: imani.denherder@uueugene.org
Hello everyone my name is Imani DenHerder and I am one of the Faith Formation teachers at UUCE! I have been at UUCE for almost a year and love coming to work every Sunday. Some fun facts about me are: I am married and have three dogs; I love to read and also work at SMART Reading during the week; and I am a Philadelphia native who has lived in Oregon for around 6 years now! I can’t wait to see what this year has in store for us at UUCE and please say hello when you see me in the halls!!
Music Director
Joseph Rondeau
Phone: 541-686-2775×4
Email: music@uueugene.org
Joseph Rondeau finds himself in Eugene as a PhD candidate in music composition at the University of Oregon. He is from Massachusetts where he earned a master’s degree in music composition from Tufts University and a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Joseph has been teaching voice lessons, directing choirs, and music directing plays for 15 years, working with singers of all ages. Joseph served two Massachusetts congregations as a section-leading vocalist, the Congregational Church of Needham and the First Baptist of Boston, before moving to Eugene and stepping into this music director role.
Accompanist
Susanne Zudegi Giordano
Collaborative Keyboardist
Email: pianist@uueugene.org
Susanne accompanies the UUCE Choir and provides solo & ensemble music on piano and pipe organ for Sunday services and other special events. Susanne’s background includes a five-year bachelor program in pipe organ performance from Berry College, Rome, Georgia under the tutelage of Margaret Hawke, is a member-at-large on the Eugene Chapter Board of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) 2018-present; and retired in 2017 with 31 years of staff service at the University of Oregon.
Congregational Administrator
Isabelle (Izzy) Crecca
Phone: 541-686-2775×3
Email: office@uueugene.org
Office Hours:
Sunday, 9am to 2pm
Monday – Thursday 10am to 3pm.
Fridays and Saturdays are my days off!
Izzy grew up on the Olympic Peninsula, in Port Townsend, Washington. Though she did not attend the UU church regularly throughout childhood, she likes to say she grew up “UU adjacent” with her closest friends, and later her family attending Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. She graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA in 2018, with a BA in Linguistics. Izzy started at UUCE with the Children’s Program as a SpiritJam Teacher in 2018, and later moved into the Office. Her passions include, learning cool things about language, riding horses, and playing music on the guitar, fiddle, and ukulele.
Business Administrator
Jennifer Williams
Phone: 541-686-2775×3
Email: bizadmin@uueugene.org
Office Hours:
Monday – Thursday, 10am to 3pm
Jennifer has worked in Church Administration/Human Resources for over 20 years. She holds a BS in Psychology from Oregon State. She came to UUCE after working for a secular company as Team Manager and Head of Operations for the past 3 years.
Jennifer moved to Eugene in 2010 with her husband, Vernon and their now grown son, Shane. She loves the Eugene area and living in the PNW. She enjoys hiking, fishing and spending time at the coast.
Technical Communications Coordinator
Katherine (Kat) Johnson
Phone: 541-686-2775×7
Email: tech@uueugene.org
Office Hours:
Mondays are Kat’s Day OFF
Custodian
Ghani Djamai