Meet Our Staff and Consultants
Below is a list of staff and consultants who help keep our congregation running!
Emily Richards, Director of Congregational Life
CongregationalLife@uuithaca.org
Emily Richards has served as the Director of Religious Exploration since 2020 and is thrilled to now be serving as the Director of Congregational Life. Emily is, along with her family, a proud member of the UU Ithaca Community and has been a UU since she was a teenager. With a passion for the important work of ministry, a background in music education, and many years of administrative experience, she feels fortunate to be able to use her talents and expertise to help create community and connection for members of all ages. Emily is also a mom to two girls, a choral conductor and singer, and a lover of cooking, nature, and all things geeky.
Michelle Waffner, Director of Congregation Administration
607-273-7521, office@uuithaca.org
Michelle Waffner is the Director of Congregation Administration and has worked with UU Ithaca since May 2021. Michelle handles all the general office items, updates the website, creates the Weekly Announce email, handles all HR functions, maintains the database and building rentals. Michelle holds a BS in Biology, and a Masters in Consciousness Studies. Michelle is a graduate of the three-year Hidden Treasure program at Light on the Hill in Van Etten.
Rev. Janet Shortall, Consulting Pastoral Care Associate, 607-218-2088, pastoralcare@uuithaca.org
Janet Shortall is an ordained UU minister and has been a member of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Ithaca since 1994. A graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry (UU seminary), Janet accepted a role in 1994 at Cornell University with the active support of Rev. Jack Taylor, minister emeritus of UU Ithaca. Her 29-year tenure at Cornell included working as the Associate Director of Cornell’s interfaith center, Advisor to a peer counseling and training program in the Dean of Student’s office, and Director of the crisis management team and served as a Sexual Violence Prevention Coordinator and Victim Advocate. Janet is currenty serving as a staff clinician at MindWell counseling center in Ithaca. Janet has served UU Ithaca for many years offering pastoral care when the congregation has not had a minister in place. She is thrilled to be of service in this important chapter in UU Ithaca’s congregational life.
Madeline Natale, Director of Religious Exploration, dre@uuithaca.org
Madeline Natale joined our community in 2022 as the Religious Exploration Assistant. After three joyful years, she is delighted to now serve as the Director of Religious Exploration. Madeline’s personal journey with spirituality is a long one. If you ask, she might say she was raised “sneaky Unitarian Universalist”. She grew up in a home that celebrated earth based practices and was drawn to explore her friends’ churches and places of worship. In her late teenage years, she began studying yoga with an emphasis on trauma informed practices. Madeline teaches Kundalini Yoga for all ages and continues to study and share what she learns with our community and beyond.
Laura Ramos, Music Coordinator, music@uuithaca.org
Laura Ramos is excited to be serving as our Music Coordinator! As a southern tier native, she is excited to be living closer to home again.
Laura holds a B.M. in Music Education from Syracuse University and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Teaching from Fitchburg State University. For the past eight years, Laura has taught music and directed choirs in Massachusetts, while also serving as a soloist for a variety of faith communities including Christ Congregational Church in Brockton, St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Duxbury, and Union Chapel on Martha’s Vineyard. Laura has had the privilege of singing for services led by Reverend Senator Raphael Warnock, Reverend Otis Moss, former senior advisor to President Biden, Keisha Lance Bottoms, and composer Mark Miller. Laura also served at the Martha’s Vineyard Baptist Church and as interim choir director and soloist at the UU Society of Martha’s Vineyard. In addition to her work with UU Ithaca, Laura will be teaching music and chorus in the Onondaga Central School District. Outside of music, she enjoys hiking, practicing yoga, horseback riding, and spending time with her husband and dog.
Laura believes music is a powerful connector. When we lift our voices together, we create a shared space of support, hope, peace, perseverance, and justice. Laura is truly grateful for the opportunity to serve this vibrant community, through the transformative power of music.
Loretta Heimbuch, Administrative Assistant, adminasst@uuithaca.org
A member of UU Ithaca since 1982, Loretta has been editing, producing and mailing the monthly newsletter, Ithaca UU Connections, for 17 years. She designs the logo for the stewardship campaign, designs and produces the Annual Report to be presented at the Annual Meeting in May, designs Service Auction promotional materials, and other UU Ithaca publications, brochures and posters in addition to helping the Director of Congregation Administration as needed. Previous to working at UU Ithaca, she had her own design and production business in Ithaca, worked several years for the Racker Center, and used her educational certification in Art and Home Economics while working at Trumansburg Central School for six years. She enjoys hiking, traveling, kayaking, gardening, beach yoga, pottery, watercolor painting and gourmet cooking. As much as is possible, she visits her two grandchildren and their parents in Oakland, California, and her daughter in Littleton, Colorado.
Elizabeth Buckley, Engagement and Outreach Coordinator, membership@uuithaca.org
Hello! I’m Elizabeth. I’ve loved and lived in the Ithaca area for the past nine years. I’m passionate about fostering community engagement and love finding new ways to interact. Outside of work, I enjoy reading books, attending local events of all sorts, and trying new types of workouts. I look forward to meeting and getting to know you!
Elizabeth oversees our Engagement and Outreach programs including newcomer events, the NICE program, membership table and membership events.
Jayne Demakos, Choir Director, choir@uuithaca.org
Jayne Demakos has been a long-time resident of Ithaca, although she recently moved back from the west coast serving a two-year post during the COVID pandemic as music-thanatologist for Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, WA. She is a certified music-thanatologist and therapeutic harpist and was music coordinator for Hospicare and Palliative Care services for 15 years prior to her Washington post. Also, prior to the pandemic, Jayne was on faculty at Ithaca College teaching Exploring Music as Medicine courses bringing students into skilled nursing and into hospice as musical companions. A long-time choir director, Jayne has had posts as choir director for St Paul’s Methodist Church, Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Parish as well as St. Catherine of Siena Parish. Over the years, she founded many community and secular vocal ensembles including 171 Cedar Women’s Chorale, the Martin Luther King Youth Choir in Corning, NY, Soulstice, Women in Black and the Weeping Planet Vocal Ensemble. As music coordinator, Jayne created community singing groups for community interface with the Hospicare culture serving patients and loved ones. She is a harpist, pianist and vocalist with three audio album releases.
Rachel Seymour, Sexton, sexton@uuithaca.org
Rachel started as the church the Sexton in December 2021. Rachel handles general building care including keeping the sidewalks clean and safe, deep cleaning the many rooms at UU Ithaca, making sure the building is ready for rentals and Sunday services, and day to day cleaning and building inspections. She likes to swim and bicycle, and enjoys painting “find me” rocks to leave on trails and gift people with. Rachel also cleans monuments at various cemeteries and likes photographing nature scenes.
Phoebe Nolder, Childcare Provider
Hi all! I’m Phoebe. I live in Lansing, but have worked and played in and around Ithaca for over 25 years. In addition to my childcare role here at UU Ithaca, I am self-employed. I have two children who are grown, so I enjoy spending time with the little ones. I like to grow flowers and cook for my friends and family. Hope to see you around.
