Staff
Minister
Rev. Jen Youngsun Ryu
(she/her)
Phone: 541-686-2775×1
Email: minister@uueugene.org
Office Hours:
Monday, OFF
Tuesday, 10am to 3pm
Wednesday, 10am to 3pm
Thursday, 10am to 3pm
Friday, OFF
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.
Ministerial Intern
Ember AOA M-W (they/them)
Phone: 541-686-2775×6
Email: intern@uueugene.org
In office Monday – Thursday
(see Ember’s door schedule)
Ember is a third generation UU currently serving as UUCE’s ministerial intern. They currently attend Meadville Lombard Theological School, and hold a BA in linguistic anthropology. Ember comes to UUCE from Portland, where they were a member of 1st UU Portland, leading their gender diverse support group and helping get an ongoing shower project off the ground. Ember has a long background in Pagan, Occult, and Daoist spaces, and centers liberation, queer, and feminist theologies, disability justice, and trauma informed spiritual care. They currently live in Eugene with their cat and two guinea pigs, and enjoys spending time outdoors and cooking for their roommates.
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.
Business Administrator
Isabelle (Izzy) Crecca
(she/her)
Phone: 541-686-2775×5 (for rentals)
Email: bizadmin@uueugene.org
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.
Collaborative Keyboardist
Susanne Giordano (she/her)
Phone: 541-686-2775×7
Email: pianist@uueugene.org
Susanne provides accompaniment for the UUCE choirs on piano and pipe organ. She also provides some of the other music of Sunday services, either solo piano or organ, or in duet with another UUCE instrumental musician.
Other things to know about Susanne: Five-year undergraduate major in pipe organ performance at Berry College in Rome, Georgia under the tutelage of Margaret Hawke, 1971-1976; Pianist/accompanist for UUCE 2013-present; Treasurer to the Board of the Eugene Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, July 2021-present; Organist for UUCE 2017-present; Member-at-large on the Eugene chapter board of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) 2018-June 2021; Retired 2017 from 31 years of service at the University of Oregon
Communications Coordinator
Kat Johnson (she/her)
Phone: 541-686-2775×7
Email: tech@uueugene.org
Sunday-Thursday, various hours
Custodian
Ian Sonnemann (he/him)
Custodian
Michelle Rathburn (she/her)
Director of Music
Joe 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.
Director of Religious Exploration
Ryan Doppelmayr (she/her)
Phone: 541-686-2775×2
Email: religiousexploration@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.
Office Assistant
Colin Hill
Phone: 541-686-2775 x 3
Email: office@uueugene.org
Colin grew up in Evanston, Illinois, where he worked for the finance office of a national religious organization there. He moved to Eugene in 2020 for graduate school, and to live closer to his grandparents on the coast. He has devoted himself to serving low-income families and spiritual community-building in Eugene ever since! Colin likes riding his e-bike all over town, cooking huge group meals, and watching classic movies.
Religious Exploration 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!
Religious Exploration Teacher
Sam Waddell
Email: sam@uueugene.org