Speakers & Leaders

2020 Speakers

All Together Now!

Rev Karen Hutt

Workshop Leader

Rev. Karen Hutt, a UU minister and chaplain, is vice president for student formation, vocation and innovation at the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities . She co-founded and co-pastored a dual-affiliated United Church of Christ/UU church in Chicago and is editor of The Call to Care: Essays by Unitarian Universalist Chaplains. Read Rev Hutt's https://blog.unitedseminary.edu/the-canvas/creating-culture-together about "Creating Culture Together".

Laura Beth Brown

The Need to Balance Doing With Being!

In a culture that values productivity as self-worth, how do we give ourselves permission to simply be? In this workshop, we will use the tools of journaling, meditation, chanting, and yoga, to explore what is hiding behind being busy--fear, scarcity, a feeling of unworthiness--and learn how to care for ourselves in ways that feel personal, organic, and not just another thing on the “To Do” list. Ultimately, we want to move away from the anxiety that taking a break from our responsibilities can cause and toward the joy that self-love brings. In doing this, we actually find it easier to be effective in our daily lives.

Laura Beth Brown is thrilled to return to Star Island Lifespan Religious Education week! As a former Dean of the conference, she has great affection and respect for her fellow colleagues and is grateful to once again contribute in a different capacity. Laura Beth is currently the Director of Family Ministry at Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit, NJ and previously served congregations in Manhattan and Long Island in her nearly 18 years as a professional religious educator.

When she is not “in the office,” Laura Beth is “on the mat.” Laura Beth has been a yoga enthusiast for two decades and has taught yoga in studios and medical settings for seven years. Whether in a vinyasa-based class or therapeutic private session, she creates an atmosphere of a journey guiding students toward self-awareness. She emphasizes the spiritual aspects of yoga along with the physical, weaving in yogic philosophy. Laura Beth is also a certified Off the Mat facilitator, helping students discover their calling in making their communities and world more fair and just. A child-at-heart with a love to laugh, she includes an element of play whenever possible! With a background as a professional singer and performer, Laura Beth also enjoys incorporating kirtan (call and response singing) and a wide-range of music into her teachings. Learn more at laurabethbrown.com.

Rev. Ashley Horan

Living Your Faith in the World

Living Your Faith in the World: an exploration of the intersection of daily practice and social justice. In this time of social and political upheaval, we are called to live our faith every day on social media, in the workplace, with our families, in line at the grocery store--as well as showing up for explicit social justice work in the world. How do we do this in a sustainable, effective, and spiritually grounded way?

Rev. Ashley Horan is the Organizing Strategy Director of the UUA, where she works with a team of faithful organizers and movement builders to shape the justice work of Unitarian Universalism to be spiritually grounded and politically effective. Prior to this role, Ashley served for five years as the Executive Director of MUUSJA – the Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance, and for seven years as core staff with the Beloved Conversations program. She lives in Minneapolis with her partner, Rev. Karen Hutt, and their children, Aspen and Zi.

Rev. Shari Halliday-Quan

Minister of The Week

Shari was loved into being by a large extended family in Los Angeles made up of white folks and Chinese immigrants who did not come here “the right way,” civil servants, a stunt driver, workers in the gig economy before we called it that, and so many others. Shari is the lead minister of the First Unitarian Church of Rochester and enjoys that alongside such activities as learning about new places, talking to Lyft drivers, and throwing parties. Shari’s wife Elisabeth is an opera singer and currently serves as the social events coordinator of the Halliday-Quan household. They share their home in Rochester with a big cat named Hildegard, visiting family and friends, and never enough houseplants.

Porch Chats and Resource Room with Cathy Seggel

THE RESOURCE ROOM: Your FD conference Library
Please visit the Resource Room at the end of the Oceanic Porch to browse or explore curricula and
resources. The room is open most of the time and staffed before and after “Porch Chats.” I am happy to
consult with religious educators about our professional organization, Liberal Religious Educators
Association and how it serves our faith.

I look forward to being with you, Cathy Seggel

PORCH CHATS 2-3pm ~ All interested conferees are welcome and encouraged to ”chat”
Come to the circle of rocking chairs outside of the Resource Room at 2pm each afternoon and join
these facilitated conversations. The chats are relevant to all conferees who are Youth, Volunteer
Teachers, DREs, Parents, Committee members, Musicians, Ministers and everyone. Facilitators will be
a variety of leadership, including the minister of the week, Natalie Fenimore, LREDA and UUA leaders,
Rev., Gail Forsyth-Vail & Kirsten Hunter and others.

Bio
Cathy Seggel has been coming to Star Island LRE Week for many years, serving in a variety of roles
from Executive Dean to leading workshops. Cathy is a warm and reassuring presence to all who meet
her and an expert resource around UU faith development for children, youth and adults and shared
ministry. Cathy has served as the religious educator at First Unitarian Providence RI for over 20 years.
A graduate of the University of Connecticut with a BS in Nursing, she earned her Master of Theology
degree from Harvard Divinity School. She is immediate past president of the Liberal Religious
Educators Association, the professional organization for UU religious educators. Cathy lives in
Providence with her husband, Norm. They have three children and four grandchildren.