Our Elected Leaders
President of the Board – Deb José (she / her)
Commissioner of Finance – Donna VanderClock (she / her)
I have been a Unitarian Universalist since joining First parish in Waltham in 1997 with my husband Bill, son Dan and daughter Perri. When I’m not traveling, which I try to do as often as I can, my preference is to be doing something that helps others. My current volunteer role at First Parish in Waltham is Finance Commissioner, but I have also served as Treasurer, President of the Board of Managers, and Membership Commissioner, along with various committees and task forces. One of my favorite volunteer jobs is washing the dishes, because I have a chance to socialize a little while getting something done! finance.commissioner@walthamuu.org
Assistant Treasurer – Dan DeHainaut (he / his)
Dan and his wife Muffy Young joined First Parish in the early ‘90s with two young children in tow. Since then, Dan has served on the Board of Managers as Property Commissioner, Finance Commissioner, and President, and has worked on several committees, including the COVID Response Team and the Committee on Ministry. Now, as a non-voting member of the Board, he is proud to say he has never missed a non-vote.
Four years into retirement, Dan enjoys such leisure activities as photographing Muffy’s handwoven shawls, planning woodworking projects that will never be completed, and stringing wires from one place to another. When he is not at church stringing audio wires from one place to another he is often found in his living room balancing a computer on his knees with a cat on his lap. asst.treasurer@walthamuu.org
Commissioner for Music and Worship – Bethany Templeton Klem (she / her)
Bethany Klem started exploring UUism and First Parish in Waltham in 2008. When not serving as the Commissioner for Music and Worship, she’s a librarian who sometimes dabbles in sewing and soap-making. Energetic children consume the rest of the hours in her day. bethany.klem@walthamuu.org
Commissioner for Religious Education – Pam Penton (she / her)
I have been a member of First Parish of Waltham since 2006 and raised my daughter Chandra here. I have had many volunteer jobs, currently as the Commissioner of Religious Education. I am an Early Childhood Director in Newton and also enjoy traveling, camping and gardening. pam.penton@walthmuu.org
Clerk – Peter Duane
I have been a Unitarian Universalist since joining First Parish in Waltham in 2008. I Retired from a research and teaching position to the Philippine Islands in 2019. My wife Lorna (originally from the Philippines), and our daughter Alexandra are with me here. I am very fortunate to be able to maintain contact with my friends at First Parish through the technology that was implemented for the pandemic. clerk@walthamuu.org
Commissioner for Social Outreach – Elisse Ghitelman
Raised as a secular Jew, Elisse Ghitelman came to First Parish in Waltham when her husband, John Allen, a lifelong UU, wanted their son Jacob to have a UU religious education. She joined soon after, in 1997, and has served on the board as Religious Education Commissioner and Membership Commissioner in the past. She is also a Buddhist practitioner and a founding member of the Waltham Buddhist Meditation Group. She is active in a variety of local and national organizations that focus on democracy and climate justice issues. community.outreach@walthamuu.org
Membership Commissioner – Gary Morrison
Property Commissioner – Dan Taylor
Treasurer – Janet Riley (she / her / hers)