Please join us in welcoming Lily Olas Carayannis, Susan Druckenbrodn, Kevin Pierre and Taylor Epps to our UU FaithAction NJ team!
We are pleased to welcome Lily Olas Carayannis, Susan Druckenbrodn and Kevin Pierre as our newest Board Trustees. Each will bring their deep experience in community engagement and advocacy to inform the vision of UU FaithAction New Jersey; read their bios, below.
As a point of clarification, Lily Olas Carayannis, Susan Druckenbrodn and Kevin Pierre were not introduced or voted on at our 2022 Annual Meeting because we were unable to confirm a slate of nominees in anticipation of the Annual Meeting on May 14th. The new Board members were approved by our Board in the new fiscal year, in accordance with our By-laws, at the Board meeting on June 14th. We are taking steps to prepare for future annual meetings with greater lead time, including developing a two-year planning calendar.
We are also pleased to announce our 2022 Summer Intern, Taylor Epps! Taylor will be supporting our Criminal Justice Reform Task Force with her knowledge surrounding the criminal justice system and her passion for advocating for those who cannot do so for themselves. As an exercise of our commitment to collaborative relationship with our coalition partners, Taylor will be splitting her time between UU FaithAction NJ and New Jersey Prison Justice Watch. We are excited for the potential of this new internship format! Read Taylor’s bio, below.
Trustees
Lily Olas Carayannis, Ridgewood. Lily Olas Carayannis is a recent graduate of Union Theological Seminary where she did her Field Education with the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood and continued as an aspirant to UU ministry. She is also the Deputy Chief of Special Operations with the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, the City Agency tasked with overseeing allegations of police misconduct of the NYPD. Lily’s ministry stands at the intersection of ecological justice, trans rights, and racial justice. She believes that the crisis which faces America and the world can only be addressed by a steadfast dedication to the demands of justice, the power of love-in-action, and an investment in our spiritual lives. She is thrilled to join the Board and to bring these precepts with her to UUFANJ.
Susan Druckenbrodn, Cherry Hill. Susan has been a member of the UU Church in Cherry Hill since 2012. Currently she is the co-chair of the Committee on Racial and Economic Equity. She also serves on the Lifespan Faith Engagement committee and is part of the TechCrUU. She served on the Board of Trustees for a two year term.
Susan is a teacher and has taught English as a Second Language to learners of all ages who come from more than 35 countries around the world. Susan has organized with progressive groups in South Jersey; working on good government, fair elections and running progressive candidates. She has also worked to bring Community Choice Aggregation to the ballot in Cherry Hill where voters will have the opportunity to make clean energy the energy source for the town.
In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, bike riding and competitive backgammon matches with her teenager.
Kevin Pierre, Montclair. 
Kevin Pierre graduated Bloomfield College with a degree in psychology with a concentration in anthropology and multicultural studies. He serves on the NAACP (Political Action Committee, Executive Committee & Election Committee). He has volunteered for the Montclair Red Cross running blood drives and, more recently, Narcan training working with Rutgers University. Kevin is the state Tri-Chair for New Jersey’s Poor People’s Campaign. He sits on the National Leadership Council Board for UndocuBlack. Kevin also currently sits on the Montclair Civil Rights Commission as well as on the Montclair Planning Board Commission, as the mayor’s designee.
Summer Intern
Taylor Epps (taylor@uufaithaction.org) is completing a summer 2022 internship at UU FaithAction NJ. She recently graduated from Seton Hall University with a Master’s degree in Public Administration and a concentration in Nonprofit Management. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Seton Hall as well, majoring in Criminal Justice, which is why she took interest in UU FaithAction NJ. With UU FaithAction NJ’s various task forces, and advocating for both justice and public policy, Taylor knew this organization would be a rewarding work environment for her.
Although Taylor is new to the nonprofit realm, she will be able to contribute greatly to the organization with a new perspective. With her knowledge and passion surrounding the Criminal Justice system she knows the importance of advocating for those who cannot do so for themselves. During her time with us, she intends to focus her time and energy on criminal justice reform, specifically solitary confinement. From this, Taylor intends to learn from UU FaithAction NJ and eventually work in a nonprofit with the same values and interests she focused on this summer.
In her free time she enjoys traveling, trying different foods, and watching anime series. Taylor is always open to recommendations for places to travel, weird meals and new series. She is very excited to work with UU FaithAction NJ and will gain an abundance of knowledge she will take with her in her future career.