Our Staff
Katie Covey, Director of Religious Education (DRE)
Katie has been the Director of Religious Education (DRE) at the Fellowship since 2000. She is a storyteller and puppeteer as well as a coach for the R.E. teachers and advisers. Her goose puppet, Guinevere, joins the congregation now and then during “For All Ages.” Her motto is from Mark Twain” “Never spoil a good story for lack of facts.”
Katie has worked in the field of religious education since 1984. She has an M.Ed. from Tufts University in “Human Development” and is the author of several widely used UU curricula, including “Chalice Children” for preschool and “Traditions with a Wink!” for middle school. Her book on lifelong UUs was published in 2004 by the UUA and is called “Full Circle.” Her personal website is www.uure.com.
Katie enjoys bicycle touring in the West and Europe. She also hikes with her border collie, Captain, who keeps her in line.
Katie’s office hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and by appointment. Katie can be reached by phone at 303.665.4280 ×104.
Katy Wiley, Youth Program Coordinator
In September BVUUF will welcome a new staff member to the CYRE department. Katy Wiley will come on board as Youth Program Coordinator for our middle- and high-school students. Katy comes to us from the Miami Valley U. U. Fellowship in Dayton, OH, where she served as youth group leader. She has just started CU’s masters program in Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice, and expects to finish in June 2011. Katy is enthusiastic and eager to work with the young people in the Fellowship!
Sam Welsh, Music Director
Sam began studying the piano at age twelve in South Florida, where his teachers were Philippe Drevet, Sylvia Rabinoff, and Harold Brown. He also studied with Josef Raieff in New York City, as well as with Vlado Perlemuter in Paris. He graduated high school from the prestigious Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach and began his collegiate career at the Mannes College of Music. He completed his BM in performance at Jacksonville University, his MM at Ithaca College, and is currently finishing his doctorate at CU in Boulder. Sam gave his first solo recital at age fifteen and subsequently performed solo engagements for numerous international organizations, including the Guild for International Piano Competitions, the Mayo Clinic, and the Chopin Foundation of the US. He has completed three regional tours with orchestra as a soloist, and an additional two national tours as a section leader. He taught at Ithaca College as a Guest Artist in 2009, and continues to work extensively as a soloist and collaborator throughout the US. He has served as Music Director at Saints Peter and John Episcopal in Auburn, NY and at Highland Presbyterian Church in Baton Rouge, LA. photo courtesy of Julie Magura
Marcia Pasquer
Marcia Pasquer has been music director at the BVUUF since 1993. Marcia’s life has been filled with music from a very young age. As a child, Marcia accompanied both church and high school singers, performed in state piano competitions, and was the lead accompanist for her high school orchestra.
After high school, Marcia attended Hastings College on a music scholarship, followed by undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. studies in French Language and Literature at CU Boulder. During her college years, Marcia was a violinist with the university orchestra.
After several years of university teaching at the University of Denver and Stanford, Marcia joined her husband in founding and directing the Denver International School—a bilingual and multi-cultural elementary school. Although the original purpose of the school was to educate their three children, the school continues to flourish to this day. Marcia has participated in the Boulder Chamber Music Society, serving as accompanist for various soloists in that group, and she was a member of a piano/clarinet/violin trio.
Marcia’s various connections in the Boulder music scene has resulted in many, many top-notch artists gracing the stage at the BVUUF.
Marlys Brinkman, Choral Director
The Fellowship Singers practice and perform under the direction of Marlys Brinkman, our choral director, and are accompanied by Julie Morris, pianist.
Carol Pranschke, Office Manager
Hello BVUUF!
I am excited to become part of the BVUUF community as your office manager. My name is Carol Pranschke (perhaps it helps to know that my last name rhymes with ranch+key). I am here to organize, create, serve, and learn. My professional experience includes corporate communications dealing with computer security, publication in the Lyons Recorder and small business office operations.
I came to live in Lyons almost three years ago with my two boys, Gareth age 11 and Brennan age 9. I consider myself a woman of many denominations, as I was raised Catholic, affirmed Episcopal, currently attend a Methodist church, hold an annual Summer Solstice get-together, and meditate like a Buddhist. I love to read, hike, relax, laugh, play.
I look forward to meeting you and/or hearing from you. I can be reached at the office here, 303-665-4280 ext. 100, or by email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). I will be working from home on Thursdays but in the office on other weekdays.
Warm regards,
Carol
Laura Murray, R.E. Assistant and Communications Coordinator
Laura is a jill of all trades. She is a massage therapist and a certified Ropes Course Instructor. She has been a copy editor for a translation service and a doula. At BVUUF, she is known as “Radar” because of way she anticipates the needs of the Religious Education program and and committee chairs. An anthropologist by training, she will talk your ear off about the ways the internet can be used to create communities not bound by geography. When she’s not working at the Fellowship, Laura can be found training for her next triathlon.
Robyn Peterson, Facilities Caretaker.
Robyn comes to this position with plenty of maintenance experience. He is also an artist and, he says, “a spiritual seeker since age 6.” His art is influenced by his lifelong study of World Religions and Native American teachings. He appeared in the Daily Hampshire Gazette (Massachusetts) in May 2007 as “Mr. Robyn,” the Leeds Elementary School Custodian/Artist. During our interview with him he told us he had walked by our building when he was new in town and wondered if we might need someone to help care for the facilities. He later saw our posting on Colorado Workforce and knew we would be a good match. Robyn lives just 4 blocks away!
Introduce yourself to Robyn when you see him around. If you have facilities or set-up questions, please refer them to the office manager.
Our dedicated office staff are truly the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the BVUUF. Without their hard work, the BVUUF would not happen.