Ellen Broidy

Born and raised in Manhattan, I was blessed to grow up in a family of activists. I joined my parents at protests ranging from civil rights to banning the bomb to ending the war. Discovering my true queer nature at an early age, I was at the right place at the right time, the late 60s, to participate in the formation of the movement for gay/lesbian liberation and to work towards integrating that movement into other struggles for human rights and dignity.

After high school, I took a couple of years off to, quite literally, screw my head back on. I enrolled at NYU, in the heart of Greenwich Village, where I was able to pursue my education while becoming involved in the progressive movements that spoke most powerfully to me. I chaired NYU’s Gay Students Liberation group, only the second such group formed on any college campus and was an early member of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF). In the fall of 1969, I presented the resolution that created the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, now known as Pride, at the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations. In the midst of all of that, as well as participating in “revolutionary” actions with NYU’s “chapter” of SDS, I managed to complete a dual degree in Near Eastern Languages and Literature and Classics. With those majors, hardly a ticket to a well-paying job, I knew graduate school was the next (the only?) step.

I moved to California in 1971 where I received an MA in Middle Eastern History at UCLA, a Masters of Library Science at UC Berkeley, and a doctorate in U.S. Women’s History at the University of California, Irvine. While at UCLA, I made my cinematic debut (and coincidently, my final film performance) in Jan Oxenberg’s iconic 1975 film Comedy in Six Unnatural Acts. I have had the opportunity to work at several University of California campuses as a librarian, faculty member, and most recently, a Writing Specialist. The absolute best part of moving to California was meeting Joan Ariel, my spouse and guiding light of 45 years. We have lived in Santa Barbara since 2005.

After wearing a “visitor’” name badge for almost 3 years, I officially joined the Unitarian Society in 2013. Raised in a Jewish tradition than ranged from my grandparents’ old world, Yiddish-based religion to my parents far more liberal cultural Judaism, it was a true leap of faith for me to sign the book. Once I did, I never looked back. At USSB, I have found a spiritual and political home without surrendering my core identity as Jew. I am a member of the Wonderful Wednesday Warming Centers team, the Justice and Equity Team where I have had the great privilege of helping to organize support for a special young lesbian family seeking asylum after fleeing terror in their home state of Michoacán and last but not least, the always interesting, endlessly challenging Worship Arts Team. Outside the walls of USSB, I serve on the Steering Committee of the Interfaith Sanctuary Alliance and am completing my terms as secretary of the Board of Directors of Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara and the UCSB Emeriti Association.

I am honored and humbled to be selected as a nominee for the Board of Trustees. I pledge to do whatever I can to help our beloved community continue to grow and thrive.

Becky Blake

I have lived most of my life in Southern California, but also spent time in the Washington, DC area (high school), Virginia (College of William & Mary), New Orleans (Tulane U. Graduate School of Social Work), and Maine (during my first marriage). In 1984, a few years after my divorce, I returned to California, settling in beautiful Santa Barbara. In 2000, after 12 years as colleagues and best friends, Burt and I married. We live in a condo near USSB and spend time with family living in Camarillo and LA.

I earned my bachelor’s degree with a concentration in experimental psychology and my master’s in social work with a concentration in direct services to children and families in the mental health field. I worked in various settings: Child Protective Services, adoption, medical hospital, psychiatric inpatient, group homes, and mental health clinics. I primarily provided direct services, but also supervision, management, and program development. My most recent employment was with Santa Barbara County Mental Health (now called Behavioral Wellness) where I was a part of innovative children’s programs, including a co-located collaborative with Probation, Child Protective Services and Public Health, and an early identification and intervention program for at-risk transition-age youth. I retired in 2011.

I was brought up in the Presbyterian tradition. As an adult, I explored other churches and religious traditions. But shortly after moving here, I discovered Unitarian Universalism. I found UU fit perfectly with my interests and values. I attended services off and on at USSB until my retirement when I became “a regular” and ultimately a member in 2012. Sunday services and Connection Circles, both as a participant and facilitator, have been my cornerstones at USSB. I have benefited from various Adult Education classes (including Circles of Trust, Courage to Search, Witnessing Whiteness, and Build Your Own Theology). I have served as a coffee host, Freedom Warming Center team member, Women’s Empowerment Fund committee member, and Coming of Age mentor. During my “other” time, I take an ongoing current events class on Zoom through Emeritus College, and I read, walk/hike, bike, play piano, and travel. I am motivated by learning, serving, and making a better world.

It is a great honor to be nominated to the Board of Trustees.

Buzz Moran

Originally, I am from Philadelphia, PA, and graduated from Drexel University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. After graduation I moved to Orange County, CA, obtaining a Masters Degree from Cal State Long Beach. I have worked in the medical device industry my entire career, both in an R&D capacity and in corporate management, mainly in the areas of critical care diagnostics, diabetes, and hemodialysis.  I am currently retired.

Marilyn Moran and I have been married for over 50 years, and have been Unitarian Universalists for over 40 years. In 1972, we moved to Bedford, MA. We joined the First Parish Unitarian Church in Bedford in the 1970’s. At the First Parish, I was involved with the Social Responsibility Committee, the Religious Education Program, and the Worship Committee. Marilyn and I have three grown children who were christened at the Bedford UU Church. We now have three grandchildren. 

While living in Bedford, I was elected and served on the School Board for four years, including one year as chairperson. I found this time extremely rewarding, and it gave me experience working on an elected board with serious responsibilities to the local community. 

Marilyn and I moved to Santa Barbara in 1985. I retired full-time in 2013. We have intermittently attended USSB over the last 25 years, and became members in 2021. 

My main interests are outdoor activities and music, and I am currently a member of the USSB drumming group. As a member of the Board of Trustees, my main interest will be to nurture fellowship and work together to support and grow our loving USSB community.

Rachel Aarons

I am a transplant from Canada. That makes me an immigrant, eh? I grew up in Toronto in an upper middle-class Jewish “ghetto,” the youngest of three children including a sister seven years older and a brother five years older. My parents started out very poor but by the time I was born, they had graduated to owning a house in a nice, almost exclusively Jewish neighborhood. We belonged to a reform, not orthodox, temple which the family attended only on major holidays. Somehow, I went all the way through 10 years of religious school, even becoming a student teacher, while my brother and sister were allowed to drop out early on. That was my religious beginning but I harbored a secret interest in those outside the fold. One summer I was a counsellor at a YMCA day camp. One night I snuck away to a basketball game with an Italian boy (although I was not allowed to go out with anyone not Jewish.) My crisis of faith came about when I made friends with a girl who was black while my parents were away in Florida (they spent the majority of their time away in Florida). When my father found out, I was forbidden to be friends with her on the grounds that I might meet a black man and want to date him. Outraged, I went to see the rabbi expecting to be validated that this was totally unacceptable and racist. The rabbi said: “honor your father.” That was the end of religion for me. Of my two life partners, one was Catholic and the other was Protestant and both were white.

My father thought that university was wasted on women but finally relented and let me go on condition that I take a typing course because he could not conceive of the possibility that I would ever support myself as a professional. In my high school yearbook, I wrote that I wanted to be a “professional student” and I pretty much achieved that goal. I got a doctorate in Philosophy and taught at the University of Toronto for several years. Then I decided to change fields and went back to get a Masters in Social Work. I have been a therapist for over 45 years and currently specialize in trauma therapy. The work is heavy but helping people gives meaning to my life. I can’t imagine myself being fully retired.

My biggest contribution to the Unitarian Society has been through founding the Women’s Empowerment Project. It started with a grant to fund a project to help women and girls and morphed into a Women’s Film Series and a Women’s Speaker Series. It ended with the pandemic. I remain involved and active in women’s political organizations in the community. 

What I love about the Unitarian Society is the people. Overwhelmingly, they are genuinely good people and the values of this organization speak to me. I would be happy to help identify members qualified to lead our community by serving on the nominating committee.

Susan DuPont

I am pleased and honored to be  considered for the Nominating Committee. 

I joined USSB in 2011 and through the years have enjoyed volunteering in a variety of capacities: I have been a board member, provided stewardship leadership, served on the membership committee, participated in children’s programs, prepared food for the Warming Center, facilitated and participated in Connection Circles, ushered for Sunday services, and helped out in the office. It has been both fun and rewarding.

I grew up in a farming town in southern Ohio and was religiously schooled in a small Quaker church. After graduating from Ohio State University, I taught high school English, Speech and Drama, and then focused on raising our son and daughter while performing some of the office duties in my husband’s practice. During that time I was an active volunteer in the schools and community and later became a development director at a school. In this period we became acquainted with Unitarian Universalism through our attendance at the Unitarian Universalist church in our neighborhood.

Wayne and I are both happily retired now and enjoy reading, gardening, baking, biking, walking. Our family, our friends, our puppy.

I am a part of USSB because of the mission and principles, and our people. If elected to the Nominating Committee I will be mindful of the love and care necessary to help our congregation move forward.