Welcome two new Steering Committee Members

Welcome to Julian Michels and Dan Schlorff, the two newest members of the C*UUYAN Steering Committee. We are very, very glad to have them join us and look forward to the contributions they will surely bring to the community in the coming year.

We’ve included their bios below and encourage you to get in touch with them and say hello.

Julian Michels

Hey UUs! I’m Julian Michels, and a denizen of the Pacific Northwest’s vibrant liberal religious community. As a youth, I traveled the gamut of spiritual experiences, from Jewish mysticism to born-again Christianity, but I always found myself back, UUing it up again, before very long. Now, I’m a graduate student researching the psychology of stories. My special interest is in system analysis and design: a fascination that I’ve honed as a community policy-maker for UUs and other organizations here in the Northwest.

When I’m not cultivating my mad scientist persona, I like to write poetry, improvisationally jam stories, practice martial arts, and meditate on the beauty of systemic creativity. My favorite author is Ursula K. LeGuin.

Dan Schlorff

Greetings! It’s a privilege to join the CUUYAN Steering Committee for 2009-2010. I came to UU when I realized my previous denomination would not embrace me if they knew my sexuality or personal theology. I now identify as ex-ex-gay and evangelically humanistic in my Christianity. My goal in CUUYAN and in my lifespan work as Director of Religious Education in New Haven, CT is to make a place for everyone to worship and grow and reach out to others.

I hold degrees from Olivet Nazarene University and Meadville-Lombard Theological School, and I am continuing professional studies in New Haven, CT. My dogs, Chicken (9 yrs) and Stewie, (3.5 yrs) love me very much. To feed my spirit, I sing bass in two ensembles: the Yale Camerata and Yale Pro Musica, and I am a member of the Church of the Larger Fellowship.