Linnea Nelson President (Job Description)
president(at)lreda.org

Linnea Nelson is the Executive Director of UU Wellspring, a year-long spiritual deepening program for Unitarian Universalists. She is a Credentialed Religious Educator and former Director of Religious Exploration at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax in Oakton, Virginia. She has also been a Head of School, a Learning Center Director, a teacher, an educational textbook editor and an international trainer for the Great Books Foundation.

Linnea believes that deepening our connections and being open to new learning is at the heart of our work. She also believes deeply in service. She co-led a NOVA Cluster Teacher Training offered to 11 congregations, served on a LREDA cluster executive team (GWAREC) from June 2015 to Dec. 2017,  taught the UU Identity online module and recently served on a team to update the resource list for the RE Credentialing program. 

She has co-taught “Building the World We Dream About” and was a founding member of the Racial Justice Steering Committee at UUCF. Linnea has also served on UUCF’s Board of Directors, nominating committee and RE Committee. She has served on two other boards for children with special needs.

Linnea has a master’s degree in school psychology and undergraduate degrees in education and business. She lives with her awesome husband, Ted, in Orlando, Florida where her two young adult sons promise to visit regularly!

Aisha Hauser, President Elect (Job Description)
president.elect (at) lreda.org 

Aisha was born in Alexandria, Egypt. Her family moved to the United States when she was a toddler, and consequently, she didn’t learn English until right before kindergarten. Aisha started her professional career in the field of social work, but she soon became involved in the religious education program in the first Unitarian Universalist congregation she attended. There was born her love of religious education. Aisha is a Credentialed Religious Educator at the Associate Level. Prior to serving East Shore Unitarian Church in 2013, Aisha was Director of Religious Education in two east coast churches. In one congregation she also held the position of Urban Community Ministry Coordinator. This dual role afforded her the opportunity to combine justice work with religious education and to practice true “Faith in Action.” Aisha also served as Children and Families Program Director for the Unitarian Universalist Association. There she worked with the faith development team publishing the Tapestry of Faith curriculum. Aisha is active in the Liberal Religious Educators Association and an active member of the Unitarian Universalist community of ministers and religious educators of color.

Samaya Oakley
Vice-President (Job Description)
vp(at)lreda.org

The Rev. Samaya Oakley serves as the Minister for the South Fraser Unitarian Congregation. After attending the North Shore Unitarian Church, she quickly became active continentally though the Youth Office of the UUA. Samaya became a trainer for the Leadership Development and Spirituality Development modules. She was also a facilitator and part of the Training of Trainers for the Advisor Trainings and Advanced Advisor Trainings. She also is a facilitator for all levels of the Our Whole Lives program, and a trainer for the Elementary and Youth trainings. She became a part of the Canadian Unitarian Council’s Truth, Healing and Reconciliation Reflection Guides – five age-appropriate reflection guides for use in Canadian UU congregations. The reflection guides are focused on how the Indian Residential School system, colonization, and systemic racism have impacted the Indigenous peoples of Canada. She has recently completed three years as President of the UU Ministers of Canada, a chapter of the UUMA and currently sits on the Eliot Institute Board of Trustees.

Juliet Donaldson
Treasurer (Job Description)
treasurer(at)lreda.org

In 1993 Juliet qualified as a Chartered Accountant in the United Kingdom, training with Price Waterhouse Coopers, and have taken on a variety of accounting roles in both the public and private sectors in the UK.

Thirteen years ago she relocated to the US with her husband and four children where she discovered Unitarian Universalism. Juliet enjoyed teaching RE so much she decided to switch careers five years ago and became the Director of Religious Exploration at UU Middleboro, a small church in Southeastern Massachusetts, before moving to the larger congregation of First Unitarian Church in Worcester as the Director of Faith Formation.

Christina Rivera
Secretary (Job Description)
secretary(at)lreda.org

Jules Jaramillo
At Large: Professional Support (Job Description)
profsupport(at)lreda.org

Jules Jaramillo serves as the Director of Lifespan Religious Education at Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist in Palatine, Illinois. She is an active member of MidAmerica LREDA Chapter and is currently working closely with the MidAmerica Region to develop a support structure for religious educators through a pilot program called The Learning Collaborative.

Jules has a degree in Social Work and has provided support services for children, youth and families in non-profit organizations, for over 15 years. She has lived in Bogota, Colombia with her husband Fernando, where she taught high school English, at a bi-lingual college prep school. She has continued her professional development with the Professional Interim Training program, Multicultural Education, Family Ministry, and extensive training focused on dismantling systemic racism in educational, non-profit and religious organizations. She has served as Trustee on the Board for California Autism Foundation and coordinates support meetings with the Guild for Interim Religious Educators.

Jules is a passionate Unitarian Universalist and loves being a religious educator. She has a deep understanding of the professional joys and challenges religious educators are faced with. She believes that collegial support is essential in celebrating the joys and sustaining our spirit as we face the challenges. She is honored to hold the Professional Support portfolio serving LREDA members.