Our Staff

https://firstparish.info/index.php/staff-and-contacts

Just put staff here. Contact info is elsewhere
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Minister and Administration

Reverend Marta Flanagan
Minister
marta @ firstparish.info
Rev. Marta Flanagan began her ministry as our twentieth called minister at First Parish in the fall of 2009. She is a genuine and forthright preacher. In conversation she is direct and engaging. She speaks of prayer with as much ease as she laughs at human foibles. We call her “Marta.”

Marta is a religious liberal, a theist, a feminist, and a lover of the woods. As a student of American history at Smith College she was captivated by the stories of social reformers who were motivated and sustained by their faith. That led her to consider the ministry and to study at Harvard Divinity School from where she was graduated in 1986. She was the first woman minister in the city of Salem, Massachusetts, serving at the First Universalist Church there (1987-1997). She served in a co-ministry at South Church (Unitarian Universalist) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, (1997-2005) from where she is minister emerita. Marta served as interim minister in Montpelier, Vermont (2008-2009). She is trained as a spiritual director. For three years she lived in the Vermont woods practicing voluntary simplicity and the spiritual life.

Marta enjoys the vitality of First Parish and our strong sense of community. She celebrates the yearning for depth and the desire to make a difference in the world that she finds here.

Sara DeLong
Executive Assistant to the Minister
execassistant @ firstparish.info
Sara joined First Parish in August 2016 in the new half-time position of Executive Assistant to the Minister. If you need to set aside time with Marta, please do not hesitate to email.

Sara moved to the Boston area in 2013 and holds a Bachelor of Music from California State University at CSU Sacramento, CA. She also works for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston during after hour events and is active both on stage as a performer and behind the scenes as a producer in Boston’s operatic community. Sara’s favorite thing (aside from singing) is board games!

Joan Dyer
Office Manager
officemanager @ firstparish.info
781-648-3799 (office number)
Joan Dyer joined the First Parish staff as Office Manager in October, 2009. She has deep roots in this area, having grown up “right next door” in Lexington.

After graduating from college, Joan worked for a large insurance company, first as supervisor of a clerical unit and later as a trainer while the company was installing their first computers in their field offices. The company sent her to learn computer programming, after which she worked there as a programmer. When her first child was born, she began ten years as a stay-at-home mom and community volunteer.

When her second child entered elementary school, Joan became the part-time Administrative Assistant at the church she was attending. Although she didn’t realize it right away, she says that in using her administrative skills to support a faith community, she had found her calling. She held that position for 15 years. When Joan sought full-time work, she jumped at the opportunity to come to First Parish. She enjoys supporting and collaborating with the staff and volunteers in our active church community.

Derrick Banks
Weekday Sexton
Derrick has been involved with custodial work one way or another for the better part of his adult life by way of a family-owned cleaning and floor service business. Over the years, Derrick says, he has acquired the nickname “Mr. Clean.” Derrick works about 18 hours per week on Monday morning, Wednesday morning, and Saturday.

Leigh Powers
Communications Associate
leigh @ firstparish.info
Leigh grew up in the Southeastern U.S, lived in the Boston area for many years, and is now living on the Wesleyan University campus in Middletown, CT. Leigh has a background in Library & Information Services and has worked for a variety of non-profit and for-profit organizations. Leigh oversees the website, the weekly E-Bulletin and the printed Sunday Bulletin. When not working, Leigh enjoys spending time with family, including two beautiful Whippets – Phoenix and Shanti.

Music

Jonathan Brennand
Music Director
jonathan @ firstparish.info
Jonathan Brennand, a native of Middlesex, England joined First Parish as Music Director in Fall 2014. His conducting has been praised by the Cape Cod Times for its “precision and vitality.” He was recently appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra (CT) where he leads a 90-member orchestra in five subscription concerts each season. He enters his third season as Artistic Director of the Worcester Youth Orchestras, where he conducts the Worcester Youth Symphony Orchestra and Worcester Youth Baroque Orchestra. In two years he has grown the organization from one orchestra to three orchestras, and rejuvenated the 67-year-old program into a thriving member of the central Massachusetts music community. In demand as a guest conductor and clinician, he regularly conducts district orchestra festivals and appears with orchestras around New England.
Jonathan had his first UU experience as a tenor section leader at First Unitarian Society of Newton before going on to serve as choir director at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst for three years, and music director at First Parish in Framingham prior to his arrival First Parish Unitarian Universalist in Arlington.

Religious Education

Tina Schultz
Director of Religious Education
tina @ firstparish.info
Tina Schultz brings to her position of Director of Religious Education (DRE) a background in early childhood development, teaching and corporate training. Tina’s commitment and skillfulness meet the needs of our growing congregation. She has a deep love of children of all shapes, sizes and ages that have fueled her work as DRE since 1994.
She says ” Each year I look forward to meeting new families to draw them into our great program, and watching our children grow to be active Unitarian Universalists. The RE Committee, minister and I have created a clear plan for what we want our children and youth to come away with after being part of our vibrant, stimulating and loving church community.”
Prior to becoming DRE Tina was active in our religious community for 8 years, serving on the Welcoming Congregation Committee and the Religious Education Committee and teaching children and youth programs.
Learn more about our RE program.

Amy Rogers
Nursery Supervisor

Aisha Ansano
Youth Program Coordinator
aisha @ firstparish.info
Aisha is excited to get a chance to work with the youth and young people of the congregation as the Youth Program Coordinator. Aisha grew up in Curacao — a small island in the Caribbean — as well as in Durham, NC. She studied religion at Stanford University and graduated in 2012 before making her way to Boston. First Parish has been her spiritual home for the last several years. Aisha graduated from Harvard Divinity School with an MDiv in 2016, and is preparing for Unitarian Universalist ministry. She is also serving as a ministerial intern at First Church in Boston through June 2018. Aisha considers food to be her ministry, and would love to talk to you about what that means.