Congratulations new 2023-2024 Board Members

Joni Lorraine

I have been a member of Unity Church of the Hills since 2001. I have served in various capacities within the church, including the usher team, the announcement team, the theatre ministry, the garden team, served for 14 years as a chaplain, including several of those on chaplain leadership, and have chronicled our history as a photographer for many years. I also occasionally deliver the messages both here at UCOH and at Unity Heart of Austin.

After recently earning a Masters in Spiritual Formation, I was hired to serve as the Program Coordinator for Unity Worldwide Ministries brand new Spiritual Direction Certificate Program, where I am entrusted with managing everything from marketing to hiring. I belong to the Austin Area Spiritual Directors Community and am a member of Spiritual Director’s International. Prior to being a God geek, I was a theatre geek. I directed and acted in numerous productions in the Austin area and served for several years on boards and committees within the theatre community, including my own award winning theatre company.

I desire to serve the board and our church by listening deeply, exploring what God wants us to release, and discovering who and what God wants us to be going forward. My experience as a spiritual director grounds me in effective listening, lovingly challenging others, and being curious. As a spiritual director who works with ministers, a spouse of a former staff church member, and a church congregant, I can sit at the intersection of understanding the unique needs of each of these groups. I am joyful, creative, naturally collaborative, and I easily see the forest and the trees. My vision for UCoH is to wholeheartedly remain centered in the movement and calling of God, and let what we create together spring forth from there. Putting God first in all our decisions, and caring for each other as the Christ is at the heart of our success toward leaving a lasting legacy, and I’m excited about this opportunity to serve the congregation as we move forward. View my video.

Courtney Poole

I am so honored to be considered for the UCOH Board of Trustees. I have been a member since 2002 when Ron Scott gave a message on the law of attraction. It resonated so deeply with me that I knew this was my spiritual home. Since that time, I met my husband and we married at the church in 2009. Following that, all three of my children were christened and attended Unity Church of the Hills. My mother, Ellen Fannin, also worked on the church staff for seventeen years. So, I became very familiar with the inner workings of the church through her. Over the years I have volunteered in many facets of the church, most recently and consistently I have been a part of the Video and Production Team that handles the Projection, Live stream Video, and Sound for Sunday services.

In my work life, I have been in the insurance industry for 25 years, in multiple aspects of the administrative and service sectors. I was an operations manager for a large multinational brokerage firm, but now I work for a small general agency handling Auto Liability, Physical Damage, and Cargo for shipping companies operating in Texas. Because of this experience I’m well versed in risk management, operational strategies, budgeting, and performance evaluation. These are skills that I will bring to my interactions on the board.

My vision for UCOH is to focus on bringing in and supporting young families in their personal spiritual growth. I would love to see more family centric events that include all members of the family, while also providing support like childcare for the more adult centered events so that parents with children can feel free to attend without having to struggle with the concern of who can watch the children. I would also love to see a full and supported staff, with clear job roles and goals, to enable the church to operate smoothly.

Thank you in advance for your consideration. Peace be with you all. View my video.

Greg Sedlock

My wife, Loretta, and I joined UCOH in 2015 after a long search for a new spiritual home. I immediately felt the love within this congregation, which helped me express love more easily to my friends and family.

Currently, I serve on the Board of Trustees at UCOH assisting Lisa Landry, our treasurer, with the finances. I am also on the Finance Committee, the counting team and am a member of the Men’s Fellowship Network. I have been a Prayer Chaplain and worked on the garden team, hands-on UCOH, ladies’ high tea, and as night manager.

Regarding board experience, I have served over 12 years on non-profit boards. I have been a church treasurer, as well as vice president and president of the River Place Homeowner’s Association (a community of 1,100 homes in NW Austin), and president of my current Condo Association.

I am retired from a long and successful career in software development and technology management. Education-wise, I have an MBA from the Wharton School, a BS in computer science from Penn State, and a certificate in website development from ACC. I put all this education and experience together to work part-time on a team that developed a website for search engine optimization.

I have two adult children and three granddaughters.

Loretta and I love to travel and are fans of blues music.

I look forward to continuing to serve on the Board. View my video.