David Black (Negotiating Team Member)

I have been a church member since 1980 and have twice served as the congregation’s president. I was on the search committee that called our previous settled minister. I am a retired attorney providing pro bono legal services for individuals seeking to expunge or seal their criminal records. I am a board member of the LIAM foundation which serves the LGBTQ+ community in northern Illinois.

Lia Gima (Small Group/Focus Group Coordinator)

Lia has been a member of UU Rockford since 2023. She enjoys singing with the Unicantors (choir) and serving on the Sex and Gender Justice Team and Nonviolent Communication practice group. Lia lives in Rockford with her wife and two children and works in Human Resources at Beloit Health System. 

Rich McKnight (B4 Coordinator)

I recently retired after 52 years of working in a range of roles in healthcare.  My spiritual journey has taken me from a foundation of   Calvinism through a range of beliefs.  My queer identity settled well in UU churches with a decade in New Thought prior to returning to our first UU community.  My religious focus in the philosophical shifted to a centering on community and personal connection after 20 years working in end of life care.   

Billie Callahan (she/her) (Congregational Assessment Coordinator)

I first connected with the church in the late 1990s through the minister’s public-access show, Fusion. My father soon joined, during college I became involved in Religious Education as a staff member and joined the congregation after graduation. Over more than 20 years, this community has been an important part of my life, and I’ve been grateful to volunteer and serve in many roles, including youth group and OWL facilitator, RE, trustee, and as a member of the caring and conflict resolution teams. I’m now honored to serve on the Ministerial Search Committee, helping represent our congregation’s needs, hopes, and dreams as we search for a new settled minister.

Outside church, I cherish time with family, being outdoors, and kayaking. Professionally, I serve as Co-Director of the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE), supporting nonprofits and cross-sector partners in strengthening organizations, tackling community challenges, and building a greater sense of belonging.

Andy Larson (he/him) (Committee Chair)

Andy Larson is a dad, husband, educator, and farm kid.  His expertise is in small farm finance and entrepreneurship.  During the day, Andy works as a leader of a regional grant program supporting research and outreach education in sustainable agriculture.  At night, he drives his kids to their extracurricular activities.  He serves on the board of several sustainable agriculture non-profits.  Andy and his family live on a farmette just down the road from the dairy farm where he grew up.  They have been attending the UU Rockford since 2014.  Andy has a loud voice and a distinctive laugh. 

Rebecca Beneditz (she/her) (Communications Coordinator)

Rebecca started to come to UU Rockford with her husband after her first daughter was born in 2018 in the hopes of finding a larger, meaningful sense of community. Both of her elementary-age daughters are now very comfortable in the halls of the church where Rebecca has served in a multitude of roles, including as a leader of the Eco Justice team, an at-large Board Member, and a RE volunteer. Outside of church and motherhood, she creates art, runs, and grows vegetables and flowers in her backyard to share with her community.

Matt Menze (he/him) (Treasurer)

Peggy and I first attended Rockford UU in the Spring of 2013. The “hook was set” that day when we experienced the welcoming nature of the congregation and the Coming-of-Age service.  We joined in August of 2013, and the church has been a big part of our lives since. In addition to the Selection Panel, I currently serve on the Finance Committee, the Cornucopia Food Pantry Team and am a member of the Choir.  In the past I have served on the Covenant and Safety (Dispute Resolution) Panel, on the Board as a Trustee and as President, and as a Soul Matters Facilitator. 

Outside of church, I am a board member for the Sierra Club of Illinois NW River Valleys Group, volunteer at the local animal shelter, am a Dog Dad, Grandpa to six grandkids, pretend to play golf and am trying to learn guitar.