Rev. Scott Tayler, director of Congregational Life for the Unitarian Universalist Association, announced recently that four new members have joined Pacific Western Region (PWR) field staff: Rev. Dr. James Kubal-Komoto, Rev. Sarah Millspaugh, Rev. Sarah Schurr and Rev. Tandi Rogers. The Pacific Western Region includes among its territory, the Pacific Northwest District of which RVUUF is a part.

Rev. Kubal-Komoto will take on the Regional Lead position for the Pacific Western Region staff team. He follows the skillful, relational and innovative leadership of Rev. Nancy Bowen who will step down from the Lead role after 12 years of ministry in PWR.

Reverends Millspaugh, Schurr and Rogers will serve as PWR Congregational Life Consultants. They follow the Rev. Ken Brown, who is retiring after 17 years of exceptional and dedicated service to the region as District Executive in the Pacific Southwest District and Regional Consultant, the Rev. Jeanelyse Doran Adams who began her heart-filled and creative ministry with the UUA seven years ago in the Pacific Central District, and Janine Larsen, who is moving on to new ministry after 12 years of distinguished leadership as District Executive in the Pacific Northwest District and then as Regional Consultant.

In his introduction, Tayler emphasized that it has been a privilege to work alongside staff and PWR District Board leaders to build a new model of regional collaboration. “This collaboration has gifted us with a single, unified regional staff team. The larger team structure allows our staff to be true partners, complimenting and amplifying each other’s strengths. The impact and advantage of this cannot be overstated. So, as much as I am impressed by the individual gifts of our new and continuing staff, I am even more excited about who they can be together. They are lucky to have each other. And we are lucky to have them.”

Taylor provided the following introductions for the new Pacific Western Region field staff:

Rev. Dr. James Kubal-Komoto is completing his 16th year of ministry at Saltwater Church, the Unitarian Universalist congregation in the Seattle suburbs that first called and ordained him. During his tenure at Saltwater Church, James led the congregation through the challenges of change and growth, developed innovative programs using the latest technology, was a long-term Good Officer, served on the Unitarian Universalist Minister’s Association Board, and most recently led an interfaith coalition that successfully advocated for immigration reform, funding for early childhood intervention programs, and a day shelter for the homeless.

A native of the Chicago suburbs who discovered Unitarian Universalism in his early 20s, James now lives with his wife Hiromi, 9-year-old son, and 6-month-old Miniature Australian Shepherd in Federal Way, Washington. Together they enjoy discovering new restaurants, cooking together at home, watching foreign films, and occasionally binging on a TV series on rainy Pacific Northwest afternoons. In his free time, James also enjoys hiking, cycling, kayaking, and cross-country skiing as well as doing the New York Times crossword, playing chess with his son, and reading literary mysteries.

Rev. Tandi Rogers is beginning her 14th year serving the UUA in various roles. Additionally she is adjunct teaching faculty with Meadville-Lombard Theological School. Prior to being the Innovation & Network Specialist of Congregational Life, which is the position she is leaving, she was our Association’s Growth Strategist and before that the Interim Director of the Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry. During her time as Growth Strategist she developed a co-learning model called Innovative Learning Circles, which has had more than 300 participants.

Prior to working for headquarters she was the Program Specialist in the Pacific Northwest District. During that time she took the GoldMine Youth Leadership model and helped plant it across the U.S. and Canada. This move feels like coming home to her, and she’s thrilled to be joining this team!

Originally from northern Ohio, Tandi discovered Unitarian Universalism as a young adult in college when a professor took her to church. She looked for a UU congregation before even looking for a job or apartment when she moved to Tacoma, Wash. in 1990. She’s been active with the Tahoma congregation and the wider community every since. She and her wife, Rev. Sue Phillips have five children between them (ages 22, 21, 20, 20, and 8.) She and Sue have been bicoastal for six years – Tandi in Tacoma and Sue in Boston, Mass. Thus she is well versed in video conferencing!

Rev. Sarah Schurr is finishing her fifth year as minister at the West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and is the first minister to be asked to serve this lay led fellowship in over 35 years. Prior to serving West Hills, she worked for the Pacific Northwest District as its first Developmental Outreach Minister, bringing ministry to the congregations in Juneau and Fairbanks Alaska.

Sarah has been an active member of the PNWD and PWR transitions team and continues to volunteer in campus ministry. Sarah began her work as a faith leader many years before ordination, serving as a district board member, congregational consultant, and was new congregation organizer for the Wy’east UU Congregation. Sarah had a successful Social Work career and has experience in organizational development and systems theory.

Sarah is a native of Portland and continues to live in the Rose City with her husband, Scott. They have two grown children and have recently added a little black cat to the household to fill the empty nest a bit. Sarah sings in a community choir and likes all kinds of music, from classical to grunge. She enjoys cooking and walks in the neighborhood. She works out at the gym at least twice a week, but doesn’t really enjoy that.

Rev. Sarah Millspaugh is a minister, teacher and resource creator with a strong background in lifespan faith formation. She currently serves as the Unitarian Universalist Religious Education instructor at Harvard Divinity School and as the UUA’s Outreach Associate for Digital Ministries. Her current UUA work has equipped UU communities for innovative outreach and has built a vibrant, authentic UU online presence through UUA.org’s transformation and the development of the UUA WordPress Theme for congregations’ websites.

Sarah authored the Coming of Age Handbook for Congregations, co-authored and edited components of Our Whole Lives and Sexuality and Our Faith and conceptualized and launched the development of Tapestry of Faith’s adult programs. She has served the UUA in the youth office (1994-1995), on the team that launched Our Whole Lives (1997-2001), as the Adult Programs Director (2005-2008) and on the Outreach Team (2013-2016). Serving as co-minister of the Winchester, Massachusetts congregation (2008-2013), Affiliated Community Minister of the Mission Viejo, Calif. congregation (2005-2008) and Intern Minister in Needham, Mass. (2003-2005), as well as a lay leader in two congregations, Sarah brings a rich background in congregational life.

Though she’s lived in Massachusetts for a while, Sarah is no stranger to the West: her first leadership roles were in Mountain Desert District YRUU and her home congregation in Boulder, Colo., and she was active in the Pacific Southwest District while living in Orange County. She is married to Rev. John Millspaugh and has a 4-year-old son Maxfield, whose grandparents all live in the Pacific Western Region. Sarah enjoys biking and public transportation, exploring the natural world, gardening, vegan living and discovering everything anew with her sweet and joyful child.