Contacting the board

Questions, concerns, comments? Send us an email at board@buffalouu.org.

Board meetings

Third Wednesday of each month at 7pm, at least 10 months of the year. Currently they are held either in the Alliance Room at church or via Zoom: https://uuma.zoom.us/j/97736244745. Members of the congregation are welcome to be present at these meetings, except when the Board is in executive session. (IMPORTANT: If attending via Zoom, please email the board in advance so they know to expect you). Board activities and decisions are reported in the monthly Newsletter; minutes are filed in the church office, where they are available for review by church members.

Board election and service

The congregation elects the seven-member Board of Trustees at the January congregational meeting. The Officers of the Board (President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer) are elected by the Trustees from among the Board members. For more info on the Board of Trustees, see our Bylaws.
Term Expiring January 2025

Kate Bell-Schwede, Vice President
Shawn Sweet, Member at-large

Term Expiring January 2026

Thea Hassan, Secretary
Christine Slocum, President

Term Expiring January 2027

Dave Batt, Member-at-large
Bill Parke, Member-at-large
Paul Zanolli, Treasurer

Policy Documents

Revised 2023

Revised September 2024

Revised December 2023

Revised 2023

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo is a freestanding, self-supporting congregation, governed by its own members. The congregation is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and pays a “fair share” membership in that association, as well as in the Central East Regional Group of the UUA.

The congregation is governed by an elected Board of Trustees, and is legally and financially independent of any denominational authority. The congregation operates as a legal not-for-profit entity incorporated in the State of New York and is governed by congregationally adopted bylaws.

The Board of Trustees leads the congregation in a model called “policy-based governance” in which their primary responsibility is to provide leadership to the minister, staff, and congregation through a clearly articulated and coherent mission, vision, outcomes, and policies. These are published in a Board of Trustees Policy Book, which is a living document open to refinement as conditions may require. Based on the policies, a set of processes and procedures are developed to guide day-to-day operations, supported by advisory committees, task forces and ministry teams.