Filed under: Becoming and Being Part of a UU Congregation, Church Finances and Stewardship, Stewardship & Finances, UU Denomination and Pacific Central District News and Views | Tags: business and church, church administration, congregational change, parish management, project management, staff supervision, team building
We on the hiring committee are happy to tell you about our interim business administrator, Candace Scharber. She was interviewed on Thursday and started Monday. She attended Wednesday’s staff meeting and Board of Trustees meeting Thursday night.
Candace brings varied experience in consulting, project management, customer and member services, entrepreneurship, marketing, staff supervision and personnel management, accounting and budget development, computer programming and hardware, vendor relations, team-building and organizational development and transitions. She is very used to starting a project or job where she “does not know what is going on.” She listens well, works respectfully and manages with heart, but is clear about giving directions, expecting hard work and team support, and managing change. She strikes us as wise, compassionate, creative, non-defensive, open, inquisitive, a good listener and a frugal manager.
Candace brings 15 years of experience as an Information Technology (IT) consultant and project manager, including work for the California Department of Managed Health Care (development of an HMO Help Center using customer relationship software), the State Controller’s Bureau of Unclaimed Properties, the Franchise Tax Board, and CalSTRS (managing 13 testing teams, where she used Myers-Briggs testing to improve team cohesiveness). She’s also served the Nevada Department of Taxation, where the project included “cultural change management.”
Since 2005, she has run a fitness gym of 12,000 square feet, which she and her husband own in Placerville. She has 40 staff, several vendors and outsourcing service providers, 2,000 members (with 900+ members using it per week). It’s now open 24/7. She’s used to dealing with members and the general public, and is skilled at dealing with difficult situations. She is familiar with the ebb and flow of a member/customer base and the challenge of keeping and gaining more members than you lose. She values listening to members and staff and learning from them.
She manages janitors, baby sitters, member services receptionists, group-exercise teachers, and an assistant. Through automation, better software, staff reductions and other efficiencies recently she has become able to spend much less time in managing it and less time on-site there. She also has closed-circuit cameras at her home to check in. Some years back her parents were killed in a car accident. She and her siblings inherited duplex apartments in several states. This included Corpus Christi, and she had to manage them for a while at a distance—when a hurricane was heading to the Gulf Coast. One tenant blew up his apartment when he heated a cold can of paint with the furnace. She’s got plenty of other stories.
Candace understands our progressive form of religion and can affirm our theological inclusiveness and interfaith respect. She also understands our commitment to be an LGBT-affirming “Welcoming Congregation.” She happily affirms that stance as a person as well as a staffer/consultant with UUSS. She lives with her husband and young adult daughter.
The Hiring Process
Based on the Board’s appointment of a hiring committee and approval of a job description posting at its June meeting (after Tina met with Linda Klein, Doug and me), the hiring team of Linda Klein (new VP), Kathy Canan (former VP), Doug and Roger interviewed three strong candidates last week. (Candace learned about this opening from a colleague of a church member just as she began a new consulting job search. ) We received a few additional resumes and had a few phone inquiries. We enjoyed and were impressed with all our interviewees, but were unanimous in our choice of Candace Scharber as the right match for this job at this time. I followed up with references she provided. All were very strong: hard worker, smart, good with project management and day to day, highest integrity, excellent team building, respectful, creative.
Candace will work with us as a consultant for about 9 months, working an average of approximately 30 hours per week: on-site and off site and at relevant committee and church-wide meetings and events as needed. Inherent in the day-to-day management and support that she will provide, Candace will help all of us on staff work more as a service-oriented and mutually supportive team.
We will be an even stronger expression of our mission and vision as we pursue the spirit of shared ministry.
I am excited about working with Candace and about what she can bring to UUSS at this time of transition. I also appreciate the hard work and reliability of our Office Assistant and Book Keeper during this time, and the support and extra work of many of our lay leaders and other volunteers. Thanks to all of you for your support.
Filed under: Adult Enrichment and Group Meetings, Becoming and Being Part of a UU Congregation, Church Finances and Stewardship, Family Ministry, Sermons and a Whole Lot More, Stewardship & Finances, UU Denomination and Pacific Central District News and Views
Not only is it humbling to be asked if your sermon can go into the magazine of the UU church with the largest number of members around the globe (the Church of the Larger Fellowship), it’s even more humbling to see all of the heavy-hitters whose writings are in the same issue. Thanks!
Money, Anxiety and Abundance — July/August 2011. This is an edited version of a sermon given some time back at church. If you have comments, reflections, or questions, join the conversation here with the “Comments” link. Or see if there is a conversation with other UUs on www.uua.clf.org.
Filed under: Becoming and Being Part of a UU Congregation, Stewardship & Finances
LGBTQ Unitarian Universalists (plus straight allies from our staff and membership) got up and out early on a rainy Saturday to march and to “stand on the side of love” for Sacramento’s annual Pride Parade. Music Director Eric Stetson led us in song, and small crowds cheered our banners as we sloshed by them.
Then people took turns staffing the UUSS booth at the Pride Fair, along with the other gay-affirming faith communities. My drenched feet and I held out till 1:30, then went home for a cat nap and wardrobe change. Thanks to Diane & Jean for staffing the booth for the duration and Eric for his enthusiastic explanations of Unitarian Universalism to those who stopped by the booth.
A week later, with winter wetness behind us, the Youth Coming of Age’s teenage participants, their parents, siblings, adult mentors, and the two COA co-leaders gathered in one family’s back yard for an evening cookout. Chatting, chowing and swinging on a swing set, the youth had clearly bonded with one another and with their mentors. Parents poured out their appreciation of the time and care given by the mentors.
Eating a big wedge of cake, I asked a third grader about the most fun thing of his school year. No hesitation from him: It was working on his school newspaper, interviewing classmates and writing stories. Name of the paper? “The Cougar Paw Print.”
After church on May 22 our members and trustees engaged one another with open minds and deep hearts at the Congregational Meeting. The Trustees trusted the congregation to share the challenge of our budgetary challenges and some painful options. The discussion was not easy, but always respectful. The meeting was continued for another day, June 12, for final discussion and a vote on the 2011-12 budget
By that meeting, many members and friends had stepped forward to make extra gifts and to raise their pledge commitments by $50, $250, $500 and a few thousand dollars. As a result: no furloughs, and full fiscal year ahead with vital programs to support us as we come together, deepen our lives, and promote healing in the world.
I love starting summer with memories and moments of inspiration. See you again on July 17.
Yours in service,
Filed under: Children and Youth, Church Finances and Stewardship, Family Ministry
To read this brief article from Parents.com, click this link. Let us know your thoughts and experiences on this topic by submitting COMMENTS in the section here on my blog (not on parents.com).