As of May 2026
Officers
Chair - The Rev. Dr. Rodney Franklin (Class of 2027) is an ordained United Church of Christ minister and staff chaplain at the University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital.
He has served churches in ministerial positions in Savannah, Georgia; Cleveland, Ohio; and Birmingham, Alabama. Rev. Franklin organized an inter-church fellowship among congregations in Birmingham’s Smithfield neighborhood.
Rev. Franklin has served the UCC in many regional and national leadership capacities, including on the Boards of the Wider Church Ministries and Global Ministries.
Rev. Franklin is a graduate of Talladega College (BA), Candler School of Theology at Emory University (M.Div.), and United Theological Seminary (D.Min.)
Rev. Franklin is Chair of the Board of Trustees; Chair of the Executive, Personnel, and Governance Committees; and an ex officio voting member of all other Committees of Trustees of the Pension Boards. He is also a Director of the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance.
Vice Chair - Mr. Lawrence Yunaska, CPA (Class of 2030) was the managing partner in the 15-person Cleveland accounting firm of Baumgarten & Company LLP, where he specializes in accounting, tax, and management advisory services for closely held businesses. Mr. Yunaska was with the firm since 1978, and a partner since 1983. He has now joined McManamon & Co LLC in Westlake. He, with his wife of 48 years, resides on the West Side of Cleveland, Ohio.
Mr. Yunaska is a 1973 graduate of Westlake High School and a 1977 graduate of Wittenberg University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, as well as of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Yunaska has served on various state committees for the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants, as well as local Cleveland committees. He also serves as an advisor to various boards of directors of local Cleveland companies and nonprofit organizations. Mr. Yunaska was the President of the Lakewood/Rocky River Rotary Club. He served as treasurer of the Dover Congregational Church in Westlake, Ohio for 17 years.
As Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Yunaska serves on the Pension Boards’ Executive, Governance, and Personnel Committees. He also chairs the Audit, Budget, and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)/Technology Steering Committees.
Trustees
Ms. Karen Caldwell (Class of 2030) has demonstrated Board Leadership and Corporate Governance experience. She is a financial expert who has led Board Audit Committees.
Ms. Caldwell has over 30 years of experience working in global capital markets, strategy, operations, and finance. For the last two decades, she has led finance and operations strategy for several organizations. Her expertise in financial reporting, financial restructuring, accounting, investments, treasury, risk management, insurance, and compliance has allowed her to serve as a trusted advisor and thought leader in numerous industries including finance, government, and nonprofit management.
In her current position as the Chief Operating and Financial Officer at the Tides Organization, Ms. Caldwell partners with the CEO and leadership team to advance a clear and compelling financial and digital strategy, working cross-functionally for continuous process/systems improvement to ensure organization-wide operations are aligned with Tides’ impact goal, mission, and vision. She also serves as the main liaison to both the Audit and Risk Committee and the Finance Committee of the Board.
Her most recent position was the Chief Financial Officer at Reform Alliance, where she partnered with the CEO and leadership team to reform criminal justice policy, creating a safer, better world. Ms. Caldwell advised executive and Board leadership on all matters related to finance, human resources, information technology, and compliance, including creating an investment strategy and policy.
Prior to Reform Alliance, Ms. Caldwell was the CFO for organizations with operating budgets of over $3.5 billion. While CFO at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and then the NHP Foundation, she served as trusted advisor to stakeholders and oversaw accounting, tax, and financial strategy functions.
Before becoming a CFO, Ms. Caldwell was a capital markets strategist. She gained strong experience in alternative asset investing, treasury, capital market arbitrage, foreign exchange trading, and corporate lending during her time at Amundi, ABN AMRO, La Salle Bank, and JP Morgan.
Ms. Caldwell is an Independent Trustee and Audit Committee Chair of the Saba Capital Income & Opportunities Fund I and II, and ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited.
Ms. Caldwell previously served as a Board member of the Illinois Finance Authority, one of the largest issuers of private activity bonds in the nation and served as Trustee and Audit Chair of Finite Solar Fund from 2021 to 2023. She also served as a member of the Audit Committee of the Chicago Housing Authority from 2014 until 2015.
Mr. Ángel E. Cepeda Velázquez (Class of 2029) is head of Accounting and Administration for Iglesia Evangélica Unida de Puerto Rico (IEUPR, United Evangelical Church of Puerto Rico), a UCC-related denomination comprising 100 clergy and lay church employees in 75 churches and ministry settings throughout the island. He also serves as Bookkeeping and Business Advisor of Escuela Evangélica Unida de Fajardo (United Evangelical School of Fajardo), where he oversees accounts receivable and cash flow, and as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Ryder Memorial Hospital.
Mr. Cepeda received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Accounting from the University of Puerto Rico (Humacao) in 2011. Mr. Cepeda brings strong business analytical skills, as well as proven experience in developing and implementing financial systems, strategic planning, staff supervision, and budget oversight.
He is a member of Iglesia Evangélica Unida Juan Martín in Luquillo, Puerto Rico.
Mr. Cepeda serves as a member of the Pension Boards Audit, Budget, and Enterprise Risk Management Committees; and the Benefits Committee.
Rev. Dr. J. Lee Hill, Jr. (Class of 2030) is a native of the Commonwealth of Virginia and is the son of Jimmie L. and Shelley K. M. Hill. He currently serves as the Canon for Racial Justice and Healing in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia.
Formerly, he served as the Senior Pastor of Christian Fellowship Congregational Church (United Church of Christ) in San Diego, California, and as the Interfaith Justice Coordinator for Alliance San Diego, a nonprofit justice-related organization. He previously served on the senior ministerial staff of The Riverside Church in the City of New York, Knollwood Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Emmanuel Baptist Church also in Winston-Salem. He was licensed to preach by the historic First Baptist Church Bermuda Hundred in Chester, Virginia in 1999, and holds full ordained ministerial standing in both the Alliance of Baptists and the United Church of Christ.
He is the recipient of several scholarships and awards including the prized John Thomas and Dorothy Porter Award for Community Ministry and Vocational Formation, the Dean and Dorothy Kaufman Internship Award in New York City, and was an Egbert L Davis and Robert Forrest Smith fellow at Wake Forest. He is currently a PhD student at the School of Religion at Hampton University.
Dr. Hill has served on a variety of boards including the Young Adult Ecumenical Task Force for the World Council of Churches-U.S. Conference, Advocates for Children of New York, the San Diego County Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, and the Interfaith Center for Worker Justice of San Diego. He currently serves in the Rho Iota Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., of which he holds Life Membership.
He is an active member of Prince Hall Mason of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia and is a 2017-18 fellow of the College of Pastoral Leaders at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel on the campus of Morehouse College.
Dr. Hill attended Florida A&M University and completed studies at George Mason University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Integrative Studies concentrating in Management and Leadership. He is the recipient of two Distinguished Alumni awards from George Mason. He earned a Master of Divinity degree with honors from Wake Forest University, a Doctor of Ministry from Emory University as a member of the 2017 inaugural class and earned a Master of Theology degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2022. He holds professional certificates from Princeton Theological Seminary, Howard University School of Divinity, the Stanford School of Medicine, several units of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), and is currently earning a certificate in Contemplative Practice from Shalem Institute.
Dr. Hill is the father of two amazing sons, Hezekiah Augustine Love Hill, and J. Lee Hill, III, and his favorite scriptures are Micah 6:8, and Psalm 139:1-18.
Mr. William C. Huffman (Class of 2029) is an attorney with more than 40 years' experience in the areas of corporate law, probate administration and litigation, and elder law.
Mr. Huffman is a partner/member in a four-attorney firm, Huffman, Hunt & Klym, LLC (and its predecessors), where he is responsible for administration of office operations and supervision of attorneys and staff. Mr. Huffman served a 15-month term as Administrative and Presiding Judge of Rocky River Municipal Court in 1992-1993. Since 1999, he has served as a Special Counsel to the Attorney General of the State of Ohio. Mr. Huffman is a member of the Ohio State, Florida, and Metropolitan Cleveland bar Associations.
Mr. Huffman is a member of Dover Congregational United Church of Christ in Westlake, Ohio, where he has served on the Personnel and Nominating Committee, Church Council, and Endowment Committee. His community service has included Westlake City Council, Lakewood Civil Service Commission, Lakewood/Rocky River Rotary Club, and Westlake Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Huffman presently serves as a director of First Federal Savings and Loan of Lakewood and First Mutual Holding Company.
Mr. Huffman earned a B.A. degree in Economics from the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, and a Doctor of Law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He is admitted to the bar in Ohio and Florida.
The Rev. Charmaine Penn Johnson (Class of 2028) serves as Associate Minister of Spiritual Formation at Kirkwood United Church of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia.
Rev. Johnson served as Associate Minister and subsequently Assistant Pastor of Victory for the World Church before accepting a call to Kirkwood UCC. She served in various lay leadership capacities at Victory prior to becoming an Associate Minister.
Rev. Johnson’s business background includes various positions in IT with Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York; Communications and Pursuit Strategist for Ernst & Young LLP in Atlanta; Business Analyst/Supervisor/Project Manager for the Georgia Department of Human Resources; and Quality Control Proofreader for Market Force Information.
Rev. Johnson’s community activities include the United Church of Christ African American Women in Ministry (AAWIM) National Steering Committee, where she serves as Co-Chair; Member in Discernment (MID) Advisor for the UCC Southeast Conference; and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Golden Life Member.
Rev. Johnson earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Loyola University New Orleans, an M.B.A. from William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester, and a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University.
Rev. Johnson serves as Vice Chair of the Pension Boards Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and a Director of the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance.
Rev. Dr. Elena Larssen (Class of 2029) is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance (UCBMA), an affiliated ministry of the United Church of Christ and an affiliate of the Pension Boards. Rev. Dr. Larssen is the Transitional Association General Minister and CEO of the Living Water Association (Heartland Conference). Previously, Rev. Dr. Larssen was the Generosity Officer for the Mid-Atlantic Region on behalf of the National Ministries of the UCC. She has served with UCBMA beginning in 2010 and is a founding member of the Steering Committee for the Next Generation Leadership Initiative.
Rev. Dr. Larssen has served as Associate Conference Minister in the Minnesota Conference; Senior Minister, First Congregational Church Long Beach, CA; Associate Minister, First Congregational Church of LaGrange, IL and First Congregational Church of Palo Alto, CA; and Campus Minister and Adjunct Faculty of Memorial Chapel, United Campus Christian Ministry at Stanford University.
Rev. Dr. Larssen has served on several boards, including the Downtown Associated Youth Services and Urban Community Outreach, a church-based center for the unhoused (both in Long Beach, CA). She is a founding member of the UCC’s Antoinette Brown Society and Working Group. She has served on the Committee on Ministry ethics committees for the Northern California-Nevada and Southern California-Nevada Conferences. She was Founding Co-chair of the 2030 Clergy Network, a network to strengthen, sustain, and mobilize UCC ordained ministers in their 20s and 30s.
Rev. Dr. Larssen is a double graduate of the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA (M.Div., D.Min.). She is a graduate of the University of California in Santa Cruz, CA (B.A. in Literature).
Rev. Dr. Larssen is married to Rev. Mark Pettis, who is Senior Minister of the Avon Lake UCC in the Cleveland area. Rev. Pettis previously served as Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Minister of the UCC. They have an elementary school-aged son and a basset hound. Rev. Dr. Larssen is a member of the Pension Boards' Benefits Committee.
The Rev. (Kahu) Kenneth Makuakāne (Class of 2028) is Senior Pastor of Kawaiaha’o Church and Associate Conference Minister of the Hawai’i Conference of the United Church of Christ.
In 2023, Kahu Makuakāne received the ʻŌʻō Award from the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce. This award honors native Hawaiians who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the Native Hawaiian community.
Kahu Makuakāne has served the Hawai’i Conference since 2011. In 2014, he was named Acting Papa Makua (Elder, Leader) for the Association of Hawai’ian Evangelical Churches. He was called to Kawaiaha’o Church in May 2018. A historic congregation dating to the 1830s, Kawaiaha’o was the first Christian church established in Oahu and is recognized as the Mother Church of Hawai’i.
He is recognized as a prolific songwriter and successful innovator in producing and recording Hawai’ian music and has produced over 100 albums, and numerous artists have recorded his compositions. He operates a private recording studio with clients ranging from top recording artists to advertising agencies. He has served on the Board of Governors of the Hawai’i Academy of Recording Arts since 2005 and was the 2015 recipient of the Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kahu Makuakāne earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Hawai’i at Hilo in 1979. In 2006, he was inducted into the Kamehameha Schools Alumni Gallery Hall of Fame, which recognizes outstanding graduates who have been positive role models in their professional and personal lives and contributed to the community and society.
Kahu Makuakāne serves as a member of the Pension Boards Benefits and Corporate Social Responsibility Committees and a Director of the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance.
The Rev. Franz Rigert (Class of 2028) has deep roots in the United Church of Christ, where his father served in pastoral ministry for over 30 years.
Rev. Rigert served as Associate Minister at Kingwood United Methodist Church in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, before being called in 1995 to Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Grafton, Wisconsin. Over his twenty-year pastorate, the congregation grew to 700 members, and flourished in children’s ministries, youth mission trips, ecumenical and intercultural exchanges, and community service.
In January 2015, Rev. Rigert began his current role as Conference Minister in Wisconsin. From 2016-2019, he represented the wider United Church of Christ on the Pension Boards’ Faith and Finance Advisory Group. He also served for six years on the National UCC Board of Directors. Rev. Rigert currently serves as the Chair of the Cabinet in the Council of Conference Ministers.
Rev. Rigert studied pre-law and religion at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989 and receiving the Exceptional Leadership Award. He declined an invitation from the University of Wisconsin Madison Law School when called by the Holy Spirit to attend seminary. He graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, where he received the Distinguished Preaching Award. He was ordained in 1992.
His wife, Trinn, has taught Early Childhood Special Education in the Cedarburg School District for over 30 years. They have three adult children: Mitchell, Jordan, and Marianna. Rev. Rigert enjoys home projects, hiking, travel, music, and nature.
Rev. Rigert serves as a member of the Pension Boards Investments, Audit, Budget, and Enterprise Risk Committees.
Rev. Dr. Kelly Hough Rogers (Class of 2030) is the Senior Minister of the Scarsdale Congregational Church. She was ordained into the ministry of the United Church of Christ in 2007. Rev. Dr. Rogers is a proud graduate of the fifth Next Generation Leadership Initiative cohort.
She has served on local and conference wide boards of both the New York Conference and the historic Connecticut Conference and is a member of the first leadership cohort for Clergy for Safe Cities, a gun violence prevention organization in partnership with the 67th precinct of New York City. Rev. Dr. Rogers received an award from Kiwanis International in 2013 for her victim advocacy work in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting. She currently sits on the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force of Westchester County.
Rev. Dr. Rogers also serves as a Chaplain for the Scarsdale Police and Fire Departments and is the Chair of the Scarsdale/ Hartsdale Interfaith Clergy association.
Mr. H. Philip Salmon, CPA (Class of 2030) is the Chief Financial and Operating Officer at Westover School, an all-girls boarding high school in Middlebury, Connecticut. Since joining the school in 2023, he has overseen the business office, human resources, dining services, information technology, buildings and grounds, and risk management.
He serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Harbor Science & Arts Charter School in New York City, Treasurer and Board Member of the Metropolitan Association of the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ, and is a Board Member of Community Capital New York. He is also a past Chair of the Church Council of The Riverside Church in New York City.
Before transitioning to the not for-profit sector, Mr. Salmon spent 20 years as a senior financial executive, leading and executing more than $35 billion in global Mergers and Acquisitions and capital markets transactions. His prior roles include Vice President positions at MetLife, Inc. and Banc of America Securities, following earlier auditing roles with Ernst & Young LLP, and Bankers Trust Corporation.
He holds a B.A. in Accounting from Franklin & Marshall College and an M.B.A. in Finance from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. He resides in Westchester County, New York.
Mr. Howard Sanders (Class of 2030) is Managing Director at Auldbrass Partners, a growth-focused private equity firm investing primarily in secondaries, which he founded in 2011. Mr. Sanders heads Auldbrass Partners’ transactional sourcing, deal execution, investment strategy, and business development.
He has led successful firm investments in SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), Tech-enabled manufacturing and services, Healthcare and EdTech companies.
Before founding Auldbrass Partners, Mr. Sanders was a Managing Director at Citigroup where he was responsible for managing and directing Citi Holdings’ proprietary investments in private equity, hedge funds, and real estate.
Mr. Sanders also led private investments at Citi’s $13.5 billion global pension fund from 2005-2009. Prior to Citi, he was a Vice President in mergers and acquisitions in the investment banking division of Deutsche Bank.
Mr. Sanders is currently a board member of the Partnership for New York City Foundation, Prince Hall Plaza (affordable senior living facility), and the Undergraduate Executive Board of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds an MBA from Harvard University and a BS from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Rev. Joel E. Strauch, CFA (Class of 2027) is retired and continues to serve on the boards of several organizations.
Rev. Strauch was ordained to the ministry in the United Church of Christ in 1973 and served as Senior Minister of Highland Avenue Congregational Church in Orange, New Jersey from 1974-1975.
From 1977-1990, Rev. Strauch held several positions at J.P. Morgan Investment Management, including Investment Research Officer, Vice President of Balanced Accounts, Senior Vice President in Futures and Options, Fixed Income, and Portfolio Manager. In 1991, he joined Munich American Reinsurance Company as Vice President and Treasurer. From 1994-1996, he was Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Munich Re Capital Management. From 1996-1999, he held several positions at Salomon Smith Barney Asset Management and as a Director of Travelers Asset Management International, and Institutional Sales and Client Service. In 2000, he joined Pacific Investment Management Company, L.L.C. (PIMCO), as Director of PIMCO Specialty Markets L.L.C. (2000-2005), and in 2006, he became Senior Vice President with responsibility for developing and servicing new and existing account relationships with U.S., domestic insurance companies for the Financial Institutions Group – Account Management, Insurance Channel. Rev. Strauch retired from PIMCO in 2014.
Rev. Strauch serves on several boards, including the Boards of Managers for American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association, AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust LLC, as Vice Chair, and AAFMAA Mortgage Services LLC; Past Chair of the EMCERT Advisory Board to the Emergency Department of the University of Virginia Health System; and Chaplain General of the National Huguenot Society.
Rev. Strauch is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service (B.S.F.S.), Union Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and the Columbia University Graduate School of Business (MBA).
Rev. Strauch serves as Chair of the Pension Boards Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, a member of the Investment Committee, and a Director of Generations Investment Services, Inc., and Generations Financial Resources, Inc.
The Rev. Dr. Iese Tu’uao (Class of 2027) is Senior Pastor of the Samoan Church of Hawai’i LMS/United Church of Christ.
Rev. Tu’uao was ordained in 1992 in the Central Association of the Southern California-Nevada Conference of the UCC as the first Samoan to be ordained in the UCC. Rev. Tu’uao served as an aging specialist for the Los Angeles City Area Agency on Aging (1977- 1980) and as an eligibility social worker for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (1980-1998).
Rev. Tu’uao’s previous ministry experience includes service in parish and Conference settings: Senior Pastor of Malamalama Congregational Church UCC (1988-2006); Associate Conference Minister of the Hawai’i Conference (2006-2011). He also served as Acting Conference Minister of the Hawai’i Conference from July 2017-January 2018.
Rev Tu’uao has served as President of the UCC’s Pacific Islander and Asian American Ministries and has been a member of the UCC Executive Council and UCC/Disciples of Christ Common Global Ministries Board. He served as Chair/President of the Hawai’i Conference from 2014-2018; was a member of the Hawai’i Conference Foundation (2014-2018); was on the Church and Ministry Committee of the Oahu Association (2014-2016); and served as Moderator of the National Council of Samoan Churches, UCC (2006-2018).
Rev. Tu’uao is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine, CA (BA in Social Ecology) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div. and D.Min.).
He serves as a member of the Pension Boards Benefits and Corporate Social Responsibility Committees.
Mr. Frank Van Gansbeke, CFA (Class of 2030) is an Executive Scholar in Residence at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, where he teaches finance-related courses focused on market sustainability and the international financial architecture. Mr. Van Gansbeke is also the founder and managing partner of Goose Creek Ventures, LLC, advising, and angel investing in early-stage companies in FinTech and sustainable development.
Mr. Van Gansbeke has more than 30 years of global investment banking senior executive experience in corporate finance and capital markets with Banque Nationale de Paris Paribas in Paris, France and New York and BNP Fortis Bank and its affiliates in Brussels, Belgium and Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
At COP26 in Glasgow, he also co-launched the Beyond Bretton Woods (BBW) initiative, focusing on reimagining the design, practice, and principles of the global financial architecture to make it more resilient, long-term solution oriented and regenerative. As co-founder of BBW, Frank was invited to the launch of the Bridgetown Initiative, at the invitation of the PM of Barbados, Mia Mottley. Frank is co-authoring a book entitled, “Whole Earth Finance: Beyond Bretton Woods recommendations for the 21st century."
Mr. Van Gansbeke has a Bachelor of Science degree in Quantitative Economics from Vlaamse Ekonomische Hogeschool in Brussels, Belgium, and an M.B.A. in Corporate Finance and Quantitative Economics from Catholic University of Leuven in Leuven, Belgium. He is a CFA charter holder and has certifications from MIT Sloan School of Management in FinTech, Oxford Said Business School in Private Equity & Impact Investing, and Strategic Leadership, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Competitive Strategy.
Mr. Van Gansbeke lives in Middlebury, Vermont with his wife Annie and is a member of the Congregational Church of Middlebury.
Mr. Scott G. Young, FSA, MAAA, EA (Class of 2028) is an experienced actuary and leader with more than 30 years of experience in financial and actuarial services. He serves as Chief Valuation Actuary and Director of the Actuarial Services and Technology Department for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), a U.S. Government Agency.
His previous professional experience includes various positions with Markley Actuarial Services, Inc., in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (1993-2010). In 2010, he left as Vice President of Professional Services at Markley to join the PBGC as an actuary in the Actuarial Services Division. He became the Chief Valuation Actuary in 2013, and the Director of the Actuarial Services and Technology Department in 2016.
Mr. Young holds the professional designations of Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, an Enrolled Actuary under ERISA, and membership in the American Academy of Actuaries. He serves as PBGC’s representative to the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries.
Mr. Young and his spouse, Jacquie, an ordained UCC minister who previously taught at Lancaster Theological Seminary, live in Derwood, Maryland. He is a member of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Stoverstown, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Young earned a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, in Actuarial Science from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Young serves as Vice Chair of the Pension Boards Benefits Committee and a member of the Investments, Audit, Budget, and Enterprise Risk Committees.
Trustee Ex Officio
United Church of Christ General Minister and President
The Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson serves as the tenth General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. She is both the first woman and the first Black woman to lead the denomination.
Prior to this call, Rev. Thompson served in the national setting of the United Church of Christ for 14 years – two years as Minister for Racial Justice, eight years as Minister for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations and four years as the Associate General Minister for Wider Church Ministries and Co-Executive for Global Ministries. She was elected as AGM in 2019.
Before joining the national staff, Rev. Thompson served in the Florida Conference United Church of Christ as a Pastor and on the Conference staff as the Minister for Disaster Response and Recovery. She also worked in the nonprofit arena for over 10 years in senior leaderships positions.
Rev. Thompson has also served in many ecumenical leadership positions including the joint United Church of Canada and United Church of Christ committee working on the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024), the World Council of Churches (WCC) on the Central Committee, the Joint Working Group with the Roman Catholic Church (JWG), and the Commission for Education and Ecumenical Formation as the Rapporteur for the work of the commission.
Rev. Thompson earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brooklyn College in New York, a Master’s in Public Administration from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC, and a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York. She also studied Public Policy at Duke University and earned her Doctorate in Ministry at Seattle University. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Heidelberg University.