UUFBR is first and foremost a Beloved Community. All Board members give their time and talent voluntarily, without compensation, and are expressly committed to UU principles and the practice of democracy in our congregations.

Working in covenant, the Trustees meet regularly to consider and conduct the work of the church, overseeing everyday business and spending many hours a month in service to the congregation. This body manages administration, buildings and grounds, and financial operations, in addition to helping lead the congregation in living our Mission and Vision in the wider community and beyond.

With an emphasis on transparency, Board meetings are open to members and friends. Major decisions—especially those involving finances, real estate, and ministry—are discussed with the congregation over time and then brought for approval at a Congregational Meeting, where all members in good standing may vote. We also hold Town Meetings about important issues, where members, friends, and visitors are welcome. Members are always welcome at Board meetings; meeting dates and times are posted on the church calendar (https://www.uufbr.org/event-calendar-2/). The agenda is published in advance, and members may attend and raise issues for discussion.

The nine members of the 2025–2026 Board of Trustees are listed here and pictured below.

Co-presidents: Rajeev Arora and Claire Smith

Vice President for Buildings and Grounds: Patrick Larson

Secretary: Judy Keiser

Treasurer: Howard Prentice

Members-at-Large: Bill Jensen, Lynn Smith, Carole Stephens, Nader Tavakoli

I am originally from India and moved to Florida in 2018 after living and working all over the US in Education technology over the last 40 years. I am the proud father of two wonderful, independent, loving daughters. They both went through OWL (Our Whole Lives), CoA (Coming of Age) and YRUU classes at UUCP (Phoenix, Arizona). I have been a UU for 30 years and was a member in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and served on the Board of Trustees in Phoenix.

I have been a member of UUFBR for 17 years and a Unitarian Universalist for more than 53 years.  I was born, raised, and educated in the Midwest.  My wife, Barbara, and I have two grown children and three brilliant grandchildren.  I have been involved in the start-up of two Unitarian Universalist congregations.  I believe UUFBR is a necessary part of making our community a better place to live.

I was born and raised in New York, and moved to Florida after a successful blind date in 1988 (we recently celebrated our 37^th anniversary).  UUFBR provided a welcoming community for my culturally Jewish atheist husband and my Quaker-informed leanings.  It also gave our son an integrated religious identity without indoctrination.  A member of UUFBR since 2002, I have explored my passions for compassionate communication, death preparation, and peace education. I’ve also served on the Religious Education Council, Denominational Connections Committee, and the Board of Trustees.

I grew up in the state of Washington and attended a Unitarian Universalist church as a child. Busy school- and work-life pulled me away, although I continued to be a “closet UU” as an adult. In 2000 I moved to Arizona to study Biomedical Engineering. My work in graduate school led to the development of a new medical device and the founding of a startup company. In 2014, the company moved everyone to Florida, a state I thought I’d never see in my life! One of the many roles I had was to fly to cities in the U.S. and Europe to train doctors to implant and operate the device in the operating room. I rediscovered Unitarian Universalism by visiting UUFBR in 2019. I’ve served as Vice-President for Facilities since 2020.

My family and I moved to Boca Raton in 2000. I was born in Aberdeen, Scotland and met and married my wife Linda when we were both students at the University of Aberdeen. We have been married for 47 years. God has blessed us with two wonderful children, Christopher and Sarah. Charlie, our fur baby, completes our family. Four years ago, we joined UUFBR as we believed this community most aligned with our values of love, inclusiveness, community and social justice. 

fter living most of my adult life in the Washington, DC, area of northern Virginia, I moved to Florida in 2019 and joined UUFBR the same year. I have been a UU for more than 50 years, and raised my three children, now adults, in the faith. I am the proud grandmother of five bright and accomplished young people, ranging in age from 17 to 25. I have been a long-term member in several UU congregations and have always been deeply involved with religious education (RE), particularly adult RE. I live with my daughter in a household ruled by three dogs and a cat.

My husband Jim and I were born and raised in different religions, but were determined to raise our son to honor all religions. We found our first UU church 32 years ago in Long Island, NY. In that congregation I served on many committees including Membership, the Women’s Group, Board (treasurer 6 years,) and I chaired the Worship, Member Resource, and Finance committees. We found our UUFBR and Boca Raton winter homes 9 years ago. I have participated in the committee activities of Membership, Worship, Healing Justice, RE reboot, and am a proud attender of Movie Group for 5 1/2 years. 

I have been UU for almost 50 years, during which I’ve held many committee and Board positions in congregations ranging in size from 35 to 500.  I helped found a congregation that continues to thrive 23 years on.  I have attended services in UU congregations throughout the US and Canada, and have been a member of UUFBR for nine years.

I was born in Iran and came to the U.S. when I was 11. After many years in the New Jersey/New York area—where I attended the Montclair UU Church—our family moved to Boca in early 2021. Denise and I have two daughters: Arya, who’s here with us, and Mariel, who lives in Toronto, plus our dog, Oreo, and cat, Fluffy. We feel very fortunate to be part of a congregation that truly embodies inclusion, service, curiosity, and love.