Thank you to all who attended the 2/1/2026 Winter Congregational Meeting. The main focus of the Winter Congregational Meeting is to elect new and continuing members to the Board of Trustees. The Nominating Committee worked hard to provide a full slate of candidates who were elected with resounding enthusiasm. Thank you to the Nominating Committee and to Beth White, who stepped forward to lead them in finding a great slate of candidates.
The UUCB Board of Trustees (BOT) welcomes new members Mary Coleman and Ted Lightfoot, and continuing member Renee Geraci.
The 2026-2027 Board of Trustees officers are:
President: Renee Geraci
Vice President: Sue Mann Dolce
Secretary: Bill Parke
Treasurer: Paul Zannoli
BOT members serve as liaisons to advisory committees and other groups to facilitate communication between the Board of Trustees and the many groups who work on behalf of the UUCB community.
The 2026- 2027 BOT liaisons are:
Capital Campaign: Ken Mernitz
Fixed Assets: Sue Mann Dolce
Right Relations: Mary Coleman
Financial/Endowment: Paul Zannoli
Governance: Bill Parke
Strategy: Ted Lightfoot
The BOT continues to prioritize purchasing and installing new ovens and stoves in the kitchen. We have new information that requires our due diligence. We will have more specific updates after our March 18, 2026 BOT meeting. Thank you for your continued support and patience as we work together to get this done.
At our February 2026 meeting the BOT discussed an Installation Event (s) for Reverend Bethany sometime early fall 2026. We will keep everyone updated through the Newsletter and e-blast. Stay tuned….
Take care everyone!
Respectfully submitted,
Sue Mann Dolce
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://zoom.us/j/91367741333. 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 2029
Renee Geraci, President
Mary Coleman, Member at-large
Ted Lightfoot, Member at-large
Term Expiring January 2027
Bill Parke, Secretary
Paul Zanolli, Treasurer
Term Expiring January 2028
Susan Mann Dolce, Vice President
Kenneth Mernitz, Member at-large
Policy Documents
Revised 2026
Revised October 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.
