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Your District Office

JPD Office
100 W. 10th Street, Suite 1008
Wilmington, DE 19801

302-778-4564 | 800-351-6637 | 302-778-4590 (fax)
office @ jpduua.org | www.jpduua.org
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Cristina Sanchis, District Administrator
cristina @ jpduua.org
The District Administrator serves as an information clearinghouse for JPD congregations and their leaders. The District office is open weekdays, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, to answer questions and to refer you to the appropriate staff person. The Administrator is also responsible for overseeing all publications, maintaining the JPD databases, working with the District Executive in managing the finances and coordinating the annual JPD Spring Conference.

Jillian Conway, Administrative Assistant
jillian @ jpduua.org
The Administrative Assistant works with the District Administrator in support of the many activities coordinated by the office, with primary responsibility for conference/workshop coordination and maintaining the JPD Resource Library.

Your JPD Program Staff

Rev. Dr. Richard Speck, District Executive
100 West 10th Street, Suite 1008
Wilmington, DE 19801
302-778-4564
302-778-4590 (fax)
302-528-3762 (cell)
302-239-6286 (home)
richard @ jpduua.org

The District Executive is the Chief Executive Officer of the JPD, responsible both to the JPD Board of Directors and the UUA Department of District Services with a mandate to accomplish the Ends of the District. He is chief of staff for all other employees and works in a collaborative manner to lead the District in all aspects of operation. He is available for consultation with individual congregations at the request of their board president and/or ministers, regarding such areas as stewardship, governance, healthy congregations, growth, long-range planning, group process, leadership skills, conflict management and related issues, conducting workshops and doing assessments on congregational health. Richard is available as a preacher or speaker for church services in conjunction with a workshop, ministers’ installation and ordinations, as well as skills conferences, retreats and other gatherings.


Patricia Hall Infante, Director for Lifespan Faith Development
100 W. 10th Street, Suite 1008
Wilmington, DE 19801
302-650-7185 (cell), 856-985-8567
pat @ jpduua.org

The Director for Lifespan Faith Development (LFD) is a full-time staff person responsible to both the UUA Department of District Services, and the 67 congregations of the JPD.  Pat has experience and training in lifespan faith development, Youth and Young Adult ministries, religious education, and family ministries.  Contact the Director for LFD to ask for resources on UU faith development, to ask for assistance with religious education staff transitions or job description updates, and to find out information about workshops related to lifespan faith development.   For some services, congregational and professional leaders will be referred to Adjunct Staff with expertise in the area of lifespan faith development.  The Director for LFD is the leader of the JPD Lifespan Faith Development team, supervising the Director for Youth and Young Adult Programs.  The Director for LFD is available as an intergenerational worship leader, or guest speaker at conferences.


Mark Bernstein, Director for Growth
307 South Rolling Road
Springfield, PA  19064
610-639-3389 (cell)
The Director for Growth works closely with the JPD District Executive and the JPD Growth Committees in supporting growth initiatives within our District.  Specifically, he supports the development of regional growth plans, coordinates the JPD Chalice Lighter program as a means to provide grants to congregations with a long range plan for growth, leads District and regional workshops on growth strategies, plans and supports efforts to organize new congregations in the District, and coordinates the services of our adjunct staff growth consultants.


Andrew Mertz, Director for Youth and Young Adult Programs
302-757-9408 (cell)
andrew @ jpduua.org


The Director of Youth and Young Adult Programs is a full-time staff person supporting the congregations in the JPD around their youth, young adult, and campus ministries.  Focusing on the bridge between youth and young adulthood the DYYAP works with district committees of both youth and young adults to help mind the gap.  You can contact the DYYAP for resources around bridging, starting groups, helping groups work more effectively, and policy issues.  The DYYAP also supports the growing number of paid staff working in this field and their congregations.  The current DYYAP is studying for his Masters of Divinity at Meadville Lombard Theological School, was the Director of Youth Ministry at the UU Church of Arlington for almost 5 years, and has served several volunteer positions in the UU young adult world.  He is available for preaching, workshops, trainings, and consultations.  He also supports adjunct staff who are available for trainings and mission workshops.


Meredith M. Higgins, Adjunct Staff Coordinator
11482 Oak Leaf Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20901
301-537-0654 (cell),
meredith@ jpduua.org, or higginsrfp@aol.com

The Adjunct Staff Coordinator identifies adjunct staff to facilitate a variety of retreats or other events requested by the congregations. A team of UU leaders with experience in group facilitation who have also served as leaders in their own congregations have been selected and oriented to effectively conduct retreats and meetings.
How to find a JPD Adjunct Staff Facilitator – 1. determine what kind of an event you would like, with general goals to be accomplished, 2. Identify the best dates, 3. Call or email Meredith Higgins at the above address with this information. She will determine who from the team is available and connect you with that person. Why use a JPD Adjunct Staff Facilitator? They have useful knowledge and experience in UU settings; they are trained and comfortable working with groups; and the reasonable fee is provided with a discount for congregations which were full fair share in the past fiscal year.  What kind of events do they facilitate? Board retreats, search committee orientation retreats, congregational visioning, Religious Education committee programs, Ministerial and Religious Education start ups and other specially designed programs.  The Adjunct Staff Coordinator is available to help you identify your needs and plan the event you want.


Jody Malloy, Director for Lay Leadership Development
610-357-8789 (cell)
jody @ jpduua.org

About to lead your congregation through developing a new mission covenant statement?  Implementing policy governance?  Developing a strategic plan?  Adding a new staff position?  (To name a few examples)... Another congregation in the JPD has probably recently tackled a project or issue similar to the one you are addressing, and has developed expertise and resources in this area.  The Director for Lay Leadership Development can connect you to other JPD congregational lay leaders to share relevant expertise and best practices information.  The Director for Lay Leadership Development also maintains a repository of tools, best practice information, and on-line resources.  She can assist congregational leaders in developing an understanding of best practice areas that healthy congregations address, and with lay leadership development assessment and planning in their congregations.


Joan W. Priest, CFRE, Director of Development
503 Westview Court
West Grove, PA 19390
610-869-9335 (home office)
610-368-3578 (cell)
joan.priest @ rhodes-alumni.net

The Director of Development works with the Planned Giving Team to support Chalice Keepers, the endowment for growth in the JPD.  She also serves as a resource for individual congregations interested in building or improving endowments for their own churches and advises on fundraising matters.


Rev. Dr. Om Prakash John Gilmore, Director for Racial & Social Justice

259 West Johnson Street, Apt. A1

Philadelphia, PA  19144

610-368-2525 (cell)

john @ jpduua.org

The Director for Racial and Social Justice is responsible for programs that move congregations toward health and enhance the growth of Unitarian Universalism within the district and NRG Coop region.  He is responsible for providing training and resources to enable congregations to deepen their social witness in the world especially in the arena of racial justice including: leading the JPD Social Justice and Journey Toward Wholeness Committees, regional social justice empowerment workshops, congregational consultation, and assisting in congregation social and racial justice organizing.


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