Ministers and Staff

Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (he/him)

At First Universalist Church, Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout’s primary areas of responsibility include:

• Worship 
• Choral and Music Ministries
• Worship Associates

Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout joined First Universalist as Director of Worship Arts Ministries in August 2021. Glen Thomas comes to us from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he served in a variety of leadership roles since 2007, including most recently as Director of Worship and Music. Known for his deeply collaborative creation of worship services for congregations and national gatherings, Glen Thomas teaches worship design at Meadville Lombard Theological School and is the author of the curriculum, De-Centering Whiteness in Worship, with Julica Hermann de la Fuente and Rev. Erika Hewitt. Glen Thomas holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Michigan, and prior to the pandemic, traveled internationally to support the choir of his youth in its ensemble tours.

Contact Dr. Glen Thomas: glenthomas [at] firstuniv.org

Allison Connelly-Vetter (she/her)

At First Universalist Church, Allison Connelly-Vetter’s (she/her) primary areas of responsibility include:

• Coordinating Religious Education for children aged 6 months through high school on Sunday mornings during the church program year, including Our Whole Lives, our comprehensive sexuality education program for children in grades 1, 5, and 8. 
• Planning and facilitating non-Sunday-morning programming for children. youth, and families including our annual Christmas Pageant, our family-focused monthly Saturday Sprouts, and children and youth overnights. 
• Collaborating with other worship leaders to co-create engaging, interactive, energetic worship services for congregants and friends of all-ages. 
• Recruiting, supporting, and supervising volunteers and staff who work with our children, youth, and families at First Universalist Church.

Before coming to First Universalist, Allison served in children, youth, & families ministry, church communications, and racial justice organizing around reparations and abolition. Allison earned a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary with a concentration in disability theology. She is the co-chair of the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries Board, an alumna of the Collegeville Institute Seminar on Disability and Vocation, and a co-founder and co-convener of the Disability Theology Discussion Group.

Allison enjoys long walks through the neighborhood, eating fried appetizers, and lowering the average age of water aerobics classes. She and her partner share their South Minneapolis home with many musical instruments including two trombones, two guitars, a ukulele, a homemade cigar box guitar, a player piano, and a double bass.

Contact Allison: allison [at] firstuniv.org

Brad Schmidt (he/him)

At First Universalist Church, Brad’s primary areas of responsibility include:

• Financial Operations
• Financial Reporting
• Human Resource Management

Brad resides in Richfield with his wife and fraternal twin children. When not spending time with family and friends, Brad enjoys spending time outside – playing golf and exploring state parks. Brad is an eternal optimist which is a valuable trait to have when rooting for his favorite Minnesota sports teams.

Brad joined the First Universalist Church staff in 2011 on a one month contract after graduating from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in Accounting. Having now been with First Universalist Church for more than a decade, Brad still has a profound dedication to the principles of justice, equity, and compassion. He believes that sound financial stewardship is not just about numbers on a balance sheet but also about fostering a community where everyone feels valued and supported.

Contact Brad: Brad [at] firstuniv.org

Jie Wronski-Riley (they/them)

As bookkeeper, Jie is primarily responsible for gift and database management. They handle giving statements and provide data and statistics to staff.  They work closely with Brad, the finance manager. Jie was raised UU and grew up in Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis. They have previously done work in restaurants, community organizing, and freelance photography. Jie enjoys being outside—camping, backpacking, and canoeing. In their free time, Jie does printmaking and is a voracious reader.

Contact Jie: jie [at] firstuniv.org

Jim Poulter (he/him)

At First Universalist Church, Jim’s primary areas of responsibility include:

• Management of building, facilities, building leases and building facility staff
• Room reservations and outside rentals
• Support of member hospitality and community building during Sunday worship and a host of church programs

Jim and his wife, Kim Kindler, planted themselves in the Twin Cities area during their collegiate years. They share three adult children who were each raised at First Universalist. Jim feels the children’s experiences with Coming of Age, Neighboring Faiths, and OWL strengthened his personal commitment to UU principles and the mission of First Universalist. When he is away from church, Jim enjoys spending time with his family, woodworking, gardening, fishing and household remodeling projects.

Jim has spent the bulk of his career at larger marketing and public relations firms in the Twin Cities. He has more than 25 years building strong partner relationships and executing large scale marketing programs specializing in sponsorship and event marketing. Jim holds a BA in Communication from Metropolitan State University.  Jim joined the First Universalist team as the church was finishing the capital renovations and emerging from the Covid pandemic.

Contact Jim: jim [at] firstuniv.org

Liz Farmer (she/her)

Liz coordinates spiritual deepening programs for adults and the membership process, including A Place to Start, Newcomers Circle, Membership classes, and small groups. Liz coordinates and supports our ushers and greeters. She supports congregants along their journey to root and grow at First Universalist Church. Liz holds an M.Ed. from the University of Minnesota and is a trained Spiritual Director.

Contact Liz: liz [at] firstuniv.org

Hirut Hedge (she/her)

At First Universalist Church, Hirut’s primary areas of responsibility include:

• Coordinating Religious Education for children aged 6 months through fifth grade.  
• Supervising youth staff who work with our children at First Universalist Church. 
• Hosts church programs for children, youth, and families.

Hirut Hedge joined the First Universalist staff team in 2021 as our Young Children’s Program Assistant and has since advanced to the role of Program Specialist for Youth and Family Programs. With a deep passion for community building, Hirut is always eager to meet new people, listen to their stories, and help children and families find their place in the First Universalist community.

Hirut’s enthusiasm for working with children of all ages is evident in her playful and engaging approach, making every interaction memorable and meaningful. Having grown up attending the First Universalist Religious Education program herself, Hirut brings a unique, firsthand understanding of the program’s impact and values. This background allows her to foster a nurturing and inclusive environment for all.

Hirut enjoys being outside—camping, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. She is passionate about community building and loves creating inclusive, nurturing environments for all. Hirut’s warmth, dedication, and enthusiasm shine through in everything she does.

Contact Hirut: hirut [at] firstuniv.org

Tracy Van Epps (he/him)

Our Facilities Manager Tracy manages the day-to-day operations of the building, including supervising our custodians, working with tenants, and working on building maintenance projects.

Aimee K. Bryant (she/her)

Aimee K. Bryant is an actor, vocalist, and teaching artist whose artistic practice is rooted in soul music. joy, and a rigorous curiosity about the way things are. Her mission is to use performance as a tool for self-reflection, individual and collective healing, liberation and transformation. She also identifies as a mother, roller skater, Buddhist, Detroiter, bicyclist, and foodie. Aimee has sung and performed many times at First Universalist over the years, both as an individual and with Give Get Sistet. Aimee is our Artist In Residence, leading by voice, improv, and storytelling in our worship services.

Contact Aimee: aimee [at] firstuniv.org

John Steitz (he/him)

John is our sound engineer, operating the sound system in the sanctuary during Sunday morning worship services and for occasional special events. He is a South Minneapolis native with two decades of production technology experience.

Contact John: john [at] firstuniv.org

Rachel Rott (she/they)

At First Universalist Church, Rachel’s primary areas of responsibility include:

• Publishing the weekly newsletter, The Liberal
• Website and social media
• Sunday worship slides and order of service

Rachel Rott (she/they interchangeably) works remotely for First U and lives in Vista, CA, with her husband, John, young adult child, Jaydin, two dogs, and a bossy parrot. Rachel has been a UU for about 14 years. She is passionate about writing, and she loves creating effective, engaging communication that nurtures growth and belonging and fosters justice.

Contact Rachel: rachel [at] firstuniv.org

Olu Famule

Olu is a Nigerian-American visual artist and filmmaker based in Minneapolis. As a filmmaker, he primarily focuses on short films and documentaries that center the stories and lives of communities of color. At First Universalist, Olu works as the Live Stream Technician alongside the Audio Engineer. Being part of this community has been a rewarding experience for Olu. Through this role, he has both benefited and grown in his own spiritual practice. He considers many of the members of the church to be good friends. Outside of work, he spends most of his time being outside, biking, exploring farmers markets with his twin sister, and catching up with friends.

Contact Olu: olu [at] firstuniv.org

Claire Tralle (she/her)

At First Universalist Church, Claire’s primary areas of responsibility include:

• 8th grade OWL facilitator, coordinator, & admin support
• 1st grade, 5th grade, and Adult OWL coordinator & admin support
• Have a question about OWL? Email Claire!

Claire loves reading, drinking coffee, or being outside enjoying Minnesota’s 6 lovely days a year when she is not advocating for comprehensive sexuality education and queer advocacy.  She has been a member of the First U community since 2009.  Claire lives in NE Minneapolis with her three kids and partner.

Claire is an Our Whole Lives trainer and facilitator at all levels. She loves working with all ages, but especially middle and high school age youth. Claire is a board member of Transforming Families Minnesota, a community supporting transgender, gender expansive, and questioning youth and their families.

Contact Claire: claire [at] firstuniv.org

Richard Thomas