Our Minister and Staff

Rev. Stephen Kendrick, Minister

617-407-6299; rev.stephen at usnh.org

Stephen Kendrick joined USNH as our contract Minister on August 1, 2023. Previously, Stephen was Senior Minister for twenty years at First Church Boston, Unitarian Universalist, where he is now Minister Emeritus. A UU minister for more than forty years, he has also served congregations in Columbia, MD, West Hartford, CT, and ten chapels in the West Midlands, England. Stephen is the author of six books, three co-authored with his son Paul dealing with race and politics in American history. President Barack Obama described Kendrick’s most recent book (2021), Nine Days: The Race to Save Martin Luther King Jr’s Life and Win the 1960 Election, as “an inspiring book about the events leading up to the 1960 election … It’s a story we can all learn from.” He has published extensively in publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Century, and Hartford Courant. He is a graduate of Princeton University, Harvard University Divinity School and has an MFA in Creative Writing from Hollins University.

Jesse Greist, Director of Lifespan Religious Education

203-288-1807 ext. 203; jesse.greist at usnh.org A life-long educator, administrator, musician and story-teller, Jesse has been part of the USNH leadership team since 2012. He came to Hamden after eight years in Monteverde, Costa Rica.  While in Costa Rica, Jesse worked as a teacher and assistant principal of a small school with an emphasis on environmental stewardship (and also met his wife, Sandra!). He studied world religions at New College of Florida, but has focused his career on education, working in both public and private schools in the United States, India, Ghana and Costa Rica. Jesse has happily “returned to his roots” as the Director of Lifespan Religious Education at USNH. He works with many of the same seasoned volunteers who taught him years ago as a child at USNH, as well as newer volunteers, all dedicated to providing a quality religious education to our young people.  He works directly with children, families, adults and several committees. He organizes and helps run classes for young people and teenagers, offers monthly children’s chapel worship, delivers weekly “messages for all” in the services, and administers the CYRE (Children and Youth Religious Education), ARE (Adult Religious Education) Rising Generations and Small Group Ministry programs.

Sunny Joy McMillan, Ministerial Intern

sunny at usnh.org

Sunny Joy McMillan, J.D., is a former attorney and current graduate student at Yale Divinity School who hails from Seattle, Washington. Sunny joined USNH as our ministerial intern in September 2023, and she will be with our congregation on a part-time basis for the next two years as she pursues her Master of Divinity degree. She hopes to become an ordained UU minister following graduation in 2025. When she’s not studying deep in the stacks of the Divinity School library, you can find her walking her German Shepherd, Mojave, in New Haven’s Edgerton Park.

Christopher Grundy, Director of Music

musicdirector at usnh.org
Christopher holds a Doctor of Music from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, and a B.A. from Yale University, where he was the assistant conductor of the Yale Glee Club and the Yale Russian Chorus. He serves on the faculty of Sacred Heart University, where he conducts 4 Heart Harmony, and at the Regional Center for the Arts, an arts magnet high school in Trumbull, where he teaches singing and directs the choir. He has conducted a diverse array of professional, collegiate, liturgical & school ensembles. In addition to his work as a conductor, Christopher has performed as a baritone soloist throughout North America and Europe in opera, oratorio and recital.

William R. Braun, Associate Director of Music

Pianist William Braun made his New York debut in two concerts given with the singers Dawn Upshaw and Richard Lalli in conjunction with the Museum of Modern Arts “Vienna: 1900” exhibition.  He has performed as concerto soloist with the New World Symphony (Miami), the Florida West Coast Symphony (Sarasota), and the New Haven and Waterbury Symphonies.  He is the pianist of the Wall Street Chamber Players and of the New Haven Symphony.  A prolific writer, he has had Opera News cover stories on Ian Bostridge, Christine Brewer, John Adams, Peter Sellars and Dawn Upshaw.  Opera News has also published his interviews with Birgit Nilsson, Gerald Finley, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Philip Glass, Alan Gilbert, Thomas Allen and Andrew Porter, as well as over two hundred other pieces.  He earned his doctorate in piano from Yale in 1990. Bill has been at USNH for over twenty five years as Associate Director of Music.

Jamie Ross, Congregational Administrator

203-288-1807, ext. 201;  office at usnh.org Jamie had a thirty year career in hospital administration. She worked 27 years as administrator for a large medical facility in New York City. From there she worked in the administration of a New York Interfaith Seminary before finding her way to Connecticut where her grandparents were once members of the Unitarian Universalist congregation in Meriden. Jamie brings her considerable administrative skills, her passion for spiritual community and her calming energy to this position at USNH and we are very glad to have her here! Jamie is here Sunday through Thursday. Her main responsibility is overseeing the day-to-day management of the USNH office. She is the person to contact about scheduling space and learning how to use the copier. Not sure who to call? Start with Jamie, and she’ll get you on the right track.

Libby Makela Johnson, Connections Coordinator

Libby joined USNH on October 30, 2023, as the new Membership/Connections Coordinator. She has extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, and she has worked in workforce development for the past nine years. She currently serves as a full-time case manager for individuals with involvement in the criminal justice system in addition to her work at USNH. Libby was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, and earned a BA in African Languages and Literature at the University of Wisconsin. Since her university years, Libby has lived in Tempe, AZ; Medford, MA, and has called the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven home since settling and raising her family there in 2005. When Libby is not working, you can find her with her nose buried in a book, making art, or spending time with her beloved friends. You can email Libby at  membership at usnh.org

Antonia Baroga, Bookkeeper

Antonia came to Hamden from Romania.  While she was a high school teacher of Romanian literature back home, now she spends most of her time taking care of her three sons, all of whom were born in this country.  Antonia opened her own book-keeping business, serving primarily non-profit organizations and other businesses. She began providing bookkeeping services to USNH in March of 2016 and really enjoys working with such “wonderful and open-minded people.”

Antoinette Bonaparte, Nursery/Childcare Specialist

Courtney Vanacore, Nursery/Childcare Specialist