Rev. Elizabeth Lerner Maclay, Senior Minister

Raised Unitarian Universalist in Newton MA. in a family with both Jewish and Catholic roots, Rev. Liz earned a Master of Divinity and an advanced Masters in Theology from Harvard Divinity School. Her academic interests are ancient Greek religion and culture, Hellenistic Judaism and early Christianity, as well as the history of women in western religion.

Parish ministry remains her passion and calling, especially because of the relationships, caring and miracles that come with congregational life. She is also committed to realizing the capacity congregations have for building multiracial, multicultural community – love and justice – within and beyond our church. In addition to helping First U thrive and grow, Rev. Liz also works to further our church’s reach beyond its campus, especially in the areas of antiracism and anti-oppression, COVID safety and public health – again with an anti-racist lens, and gun safety in our communities. Rev. Liz is the founder of the Guns to Plowshares Interfaith Clergy Group and serves on the Rhode Island State Council of Churches and on the Providence Police Citizens Advisory Task Force.   

Liz lives in Lincoln with her husband Tim Maclay and two very friendly flat-coated retrievers, Blue and Rannoch. Liz and Tim have two adult children, Alex and Rachel, who both live in Pennsylvania.

min@firstunitarianprov.org


Rev. Roger Peltier, Assistant Minister for Pastoral Care

Rev. Roger was ordained within the UUA and has over 20 years of parish ministry experience. Rev. Roger is always available for one-to-one pastoral care for all your life needs. He manages the First U Pastoral Care Network, including the Lay Ministry Team, Care Crew, Buddy Program and grief support. Additionally, he supervises the Small Group Ministry program including Chalice Circles, Soul Circles, and Mindful Grieving. Rev. Roger lives in Cranston with his husband, John Hickey and their yellow lab, Pete.

assistantmin@firstunitarianprov.org


Jenny Nelson, Director of Religious Education

Jennifer Nelson (she/her) is excited to join the First Unitarian staff as the Director of Religious Education. A lifelong UU and North Carolina native, she worked in the RE program at the Community Church of Chapel Hill Unitarian Universalist for the past 8 years and most recently at Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship as the Youth Specialist. Jenny completed her Masters of Arts in Teaching at UNC Chapel Hill, focusing her studies on inclusive and multicultural education. She does this work because she believes that it is up to us to purposefully create change in our communities and that education and collaboration are the catalysts of progress. In her free time, Jenny enjoys knitting, swimming, and traveling.

dre@firstunitarianprov.org


Nancy Forsstrom, Director of Operations

Nancy joined our staff in 2018 and keeps track of the day-to-day life of the church, working closely with the minister, Prudential Committee, and staff team to keep things running smoothly. A Rhode Island native, Nancy recently moved back after 20+ years in Connecticut where she served as senior minister of two American Baptist churches. She has degrees in English, New Testament Studies, and Humanities. Nancy is also an experienced fundraiser and combines creativity with organizational skills.

admin@firstunitarianprov.org


Jennifer Nardone, Membership Coordinator

Jenn started attending First Unitarian in 2000, when her now-adult son was a year old. She has been involved in many different groups at the church before serving in her role as the Membership Coordinator. She has a love of art, especially textiles, and of hiking. She currently lives in Rhode Island with her husband Jon, her son Theo (a high school-aged human), and the most beloved member of her family Hazelnut (a middle aged canine), who you may see on occasion at the church.

mem@firstunitarianprov.org


Beth Armstrong, Interim Music Director

Beth joined First Unitarian and its choir in 2001. A choral director by profession, she has often helped out in the church music program when needed. Most recently, she served as sabbatical music director in the fall of 2019. Beth lives in Warren with her husband Stew. They enjoy golf in the summer, getaways to Savannah, Georgia, in the winter, and summer retreats on Star Island.

musicdirector@firstunitarianprov.org


Walter O. Sotelo, Administrative Assistant

Walter came to First Unitarian in 1998. He oversees all financial aspects of the church, maintains the database, and provides technical office support. Originally from El Salvador, he has lived in Providence since he was 14. Wally has two daughters.

assist@firstunitarianprov.org

 

 

 

 

 


Jaime Durango, Building Manager

Jaime has been with First Unitarian since 2001. He is in charge of all maintenance of the Meeting House and the Parish House as well as daytime security Monday through Friday. Originally from Colombia, he lives in Pawtucket with his wife. They have two adult children.

 

 

 

 


Pedro Vasquez, Evening Security and Sunday Building Manager

Pedro has been with First Unitarian since 2009. He is married with two grown children and lives in Pawtucket.

 

 

 

 

 


Kelly Coccio, Communications Assistant

Kelly joined the part-time staff in 2023. She has extensive experience in all aspects of communications and writes our newsletter, website, and other initiatives. She’s worked for the State of RI in official communications capacities most recently as Chief Public Affairs Officer for the RI Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

Kelly is passionate about mindfulness through yoga and sustainability. Outside of First U, she currently owns and operates a women’s boutique thrift shop full-time. She lives in Providence with her husband James. Stop by the office and say hi!

communications@firstunitarianprov.org

 

 

 

 

 


Asa Spring, Youth Music Director

Asa joined the part-time staff in 2023 to assist with music for all ages. They conduct the Junior Choir and provide music for chapel and multigenerational worship services. They have a background in teaching English to speakers of other languages as well as teaching kindergarten and music of various kinds. Asa is passionate about radical love, mental health awareness, and intentionality in all aspects of life. They live in Harmony, RI.

firstuymd@gmail.com

 

 


Amy Alberg, DRE Assistant

Amy joined the part-time staff with the Spiritual Pathways Program in 2022. She is a lifelong UU and grew up attending First U’s Sunday School programs. She graduated from Ithaca College in May of 2022 with a BFA in Screenwriting. Amy is a lover of writing and a diverse reader. She is a lifelong crafter, from knitting to scrapbooking and enjoys listening to Taylor Swift with fellow Swiftie, her grandmother. She lives in Smithfield, RI.

dreassist@firstunitarianprov.org

 

 


 

 

 

 


Rev. Eugene Dyszlewski, Community Minister

Gene is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. He is a religious leader and community activist who has served churches in Rhode Island and Delaware. He has served on the boards of numerous civil rights and human service organizations. Currently, Gene is the interim pastor at Lime Rock Baptist Church in Lincoln, RI.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nursery Staff, Sally Ann Dilorio and Karen Barbato