Welcome

Quick Links

Ministers and Staff

Foothills Staff Team in October 2025

 

Rev. Gretchen Haley

Minister
gretchen@foothillsuu.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

About Rev. Gretchen

 

Rev. Sean Neil-Barron

Minister
sean@foothillsuu.org
Pronouns: he/him/his

About Rev. Sean

Rev. Elaine Aron-Tenbrink

Minister
elaine@foothillsuu.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

About Rev. Elaine

Katie Watkins

Executive Director
katie@foothillsuu.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

About Katie

Lauren Farley

Community Engagement Manager
lauren@foothillsuu.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

About Lauren

Sophia Miller
Music Director
sophia@foothillsuu.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

About Sophia

Jenn Powell

Events & Operations Manager
jenn@foothillsuu.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

About Jenn

Lauren McTigue

Family Programs Manager
lauren.mctigue@foothillsuu.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

About Lauren

Bugs Seifert

Groups Coordinator & High School Lead
bugs@foothillsuu.org
Pronouns: they/them/theirs

About Bugs

 

Kyle Harper
Worship Production Coordinator
kyle@foothillsuu.org
Pronouns: he/him/his

About Kyle

Vanessa Way

Bookkeeper
vanessa@foothillsuu.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

About Vanessa

Holly Ayala

Facilities Coordinator
holly@foothillsuu.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

About Holly

Julie Koenig

Worship Pianist

Pronouns: she/her/hers

 

About Julie

Kara Shobe
Children’s Choir Director
Pronouns: she/her/hers

 

About Kara

Community Ministers

The need for ministry and for Unitarian Universalism extends beyond the congregation out into the wider community. Ministry is often needed in hospitals, mental health care, hospice settings, prisons, universities, community organizing, and many other places. This is where Unitarian Universalist community ministers come in. 

 

Community ministers extend the reach of Unitarian Universalist ministry beyond the congregation. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t still connected with our congregations. Every community minister affiliates with a local congregation as a way of grounding their ministry in the local church, and to establish a source of clear accountability and support for their ministry. While community ministers not employed by Foothills, they are partners in our shared work as a community. 

Rev. Christopher Lamb

Community Minister: Lead Chaplain at Poudre Valley Hospital
christopherwatkinslamb@gmail.com
Pronouns: they/them

About Rev. Christopher

Rev. Roger Butts

Community Minister:

Hospice Chaplain, Pathways Hospice

rogerbutts80905@gmail.com

Pronouns: he/him

About Rev. Roger

Rev. Gretchen Haley

Senior Minister
gretchen@foothillsuu.org

Rev. Gretchen Haley has an audacious ambition for the liberal church, believing in its capacity to transform lives and our world by way of hyper-local relationships and partnerships that inspire the unleashing of courageous love. She oversees worship, community resourcing and outreach, and the intersectional work of our justice teams. She also serves as chief of staff, and ministry lead to the Board. In all of these, she is inspired by the commitment of the countless people who show up to do the sometimes-messy work of the church, and who are leading us to live into our mission for Northern Colorado as it is growing and changing. Her ministry is infused with her relentless curiosity about most things, especially the big stuff of theology, the beauty of creation, the magic of collaboration, and the joy of pop culture. She’s all in on adrienne maree brown’s emergent strategy, and finds solace in the trails in and around Fort Collins. She moved to Colorado from Washington state over 20 years ago for grad school in theatre, and knew immediately that she would never leave. She and her amazing partner, Carri, have 2 teenagers, Gracie and Josef, who both relish and resent being PKs, and who keep her grounded, frustrated, inspired, and humbled, everyday. She is basically obsessed with her two dogs, both large mutts, Charlie and Archer.
 
 
Responsible for: Worship, Community Resourcing and Outreach, Justice Ministries, and Congregational Leadership

Rev. Sean Neil-Barron

Associate Minister
sean@foothillsuu.org

Rev. Sean dreams of a time when progressive people of faith are as equipped to impact society as our conservative siblings. That together we can proclaim and live our core conviction: that all are worthy of love & belonging and that we are all in this together. Sean was born on Treaty 7 land in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and comes to Foothills after four years in New England where he completed seminary at Harvard Divinity School where he studied alongside future imams, rabbis, justice activists, and other Unitarian Universalists. Sean is a self-proclaimed nerd — particularly about history, current politics, science, and Star Wars. Outside of ministry you will find Sean hiking or cooking up a storm with his partner Charles, and their dog Dollie.

Responsible for: Spiritual Deepening, Small Groups, Digital Ministry

Rev. Elaine Aron-Tenbrink

Assistant Minister
elaine@foothillsuu.org

Elaine believes in the transformative power of deep listening. She is passionate about creating spaces that invite us to turn toward each other to cultivate compassion, offer care, and discern the movements of the spirit.

Elaine served as First Universalist Church of Minneapolis from 2013-2019 as Minister of Membership and Adult Ministries, focusing on spiritual deepening and radical hospitality. She has served as a hospice chaplain for Allina Health in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a hospital chaplain in Charleston, South Carolina. Prior to entering the ministry, she served in the Peace Corps in Cape Verde, West Africa, and led the social justice and legislative advocacy program of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. Elaine is a graduate of Meadville Lombard Theological School and Grinnell College.

Elaine grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City in an interreligious household. Her mother was raised Methodist on a farm in Kansas. Her Jewish father was born in Israel and moved to the United States when he was thirteen. As a teenager, she discovered that the wide embrace of Unitarian Universalism was a natural fit.

Spending time with her husband, Jason, and their two children brings Elaine great joy. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, the magic of trying a new recipe, any excuse to dance, and the board game Settlers of Catan.

Responsible for: Pastoral Care

Katie Watkins

Executive Director
katie@foothillsuu.org

Katie Watkins brings nearly two decades of experience in organizational development, strategic operations, and nonprofit leadership to her work at Foothills Unitarian. With a background spanning strategic financial oversight, fundraising, human resources, risk management, operations, and communications, she plays a vital role in resourcing and strengthening Foothills’ ministry. Katie leads major fundraising efforts and stewardship strategy, ensuring that the generosity of the community fuels the programs, justice work, and belonging that define Foothills. She is passionate about building sustainable, efficient systems that allow bold vision to become reality — ensuring courageous love is not only imagined, but fully resourced and supported.

Katie regularly presents the financial status of the organization at Congregational Meetings and Town Halls. She is committed to providing financial reports that are not only accurate and transparent, but also accessible and meaningful to all contributors — not just those with a background in finance. For Katie, operations and fundraising are themselves ministries: ways of cultivating collaboration, stewardship, and community resilience.

She is energized by translating big-picture dreams into clear pathways, fostering transparency, and creating environments where people can bring their best to the work of unleashing courageous love. Her leadership helps Foothills not only sustain its work, but expand its impact in Northern Colorado and beyond.

Outside of her work at Foothills, Katie finds joy spending time with her family especially while making art, playing games, or exploring in their camper. Being outdoors keeps her rooted in gratitude and continues to fuel her commitment to building communities where everyone can belong, thrive, and make a difference.

Lauren Farley

Community Engagement Manager
lauren@foothillsuu.org

Lauren serves as a loving navigator, helping people of all ages and stages find their place in the Foothills UU community. 
 
She has worked as a consultant and educator in leadership and organizational development, communication, and diversity and inclusion, and had a brief stint as a voice actor narrating very boring online training programs. At Foothills, Lauren is a Religious Educator coming alongside children and adults alike as they grow their spiritual selves in community and find their niche to serve in our living tradition. She is passionate about holding joyful space for queer youth and families. When she’s not leading Kids’ Circles or Newcomer and Membership workshops, you can often find her in costume doing something joyfully absurd on the stage on Sunday mornings.
 
Lauren loves bringing all of this together with her experience as a parent, partner, and always-a-work-in-progress human to serve Unitarian Universalism and Foothills. She believes in the power of Unitarian Universalism to cast a wide circle of loving support around us as we navigate the tangled gorgeous chaos of our lives. 
 
Lauren grew up in the Washington, DC area and moved to Colorado in 2014 with her spouse Chris and their two children, Sylvie and Jack. She likes to talk a lot, play word games, and also talk some more. She loves the Muppets with her whole heart. Lauren is an ardent friend and focused parent; a gardener, yogurt maker, snail and worm enthusiast, and dog lover. Lauren is as passionately devoted to nurturing the lives around her as she is to sometimes being blessedly alone. She has found her true home in Colorado but still feels the pull of the Potomac River, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Sophia Miller

Music Director
sophia@foothillsuu.org

Sophia Miller is a passionate musical leader, inspired by the deeply connective power of music. You’ll often hear Sophia say how much she “loves to be in a room full of people, making incredible music.” With a background in choral conducting, music education, and performance, she spends as much of her time as possible doing exactly this, with singers of all ages.

 

Sophia’s work is heart-forward, artistically masterful, and rooted in her belief in the transformative power of music to deepen the connections we have to one another, and to ourselves. Her approach to music ministry is grounded in the values of Unitarian Universalism, forever seeking music that explores life, affirms powerful messages and shared values, sparks thought, and cultivates deep engagement to meaningful listening, learning and action. She is passionate about blending tradition with innovation and improvisation, and loves to discover church music in everything from classical music, to folk traditions, to gospel, Broadway, jazz, and more.

 

As Director of Music and Worship Production at Foothills Unitarian Church, Sophia collaborates with the worship team to vision worship series and services, and works with the incredible music and production teams to bring those visions to life in services each week. She lives in New York City and travels to Fort Collins once a month for about a week each time, to lead worship, connect with the team and the choir, and nurture relationships in the community. In New York City, Sophia is a member of the music team at the First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn as a songleader, singer, conductor, and substitute music director. She is an active member of the Association for Unitarian Universalist Music Ministries (AUUMM).

 

Sophia grew up among the mountains and lakes of Upstate New York. Core memories of going to church and singing hymns with her grandfather each week remain precious to her, and she is grateful for the church experiences that helped her to define her values as she came to discover what did and did not align with her heart. Her first peek into the UU world was as a teenager, when she sang in worship services at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady, New York, through a residency program with her high school select choir.

 

Sophia loves to be outside, especially near or in water. She is forever a theatre kid, and when she’s not belting out her favorite Broadway songs in the car, she spends her free time writing, reading, and snuggling with her beloved dog, Mickey.

Jenn Powell

Operations & Events Manager
jenn@foothillsuu.org

Jenn loves creating meaningful experiences that bring people together. She’s passionate about making sure everyone feels seen, heard, and at home at Foothills — with a strong commitment to making spaces accessible and welcoming for all. With a background in musical theater, nonprofit fundraising, marketing and event production, Jenn brings both creativity and organization to her role. She manages campus operations, rentals, memorials, weddings, and church-wide events, and supports the Annual Auction and Generosity Builders teams.

 

Before joining staff, she was a longtime Foothills member and past Board President. Growing up as a priest’s kid on the East Coast, church has always been a second home for Jenn. Outside of work, she enjoys time with her family and two dogs, solving murder mysteries, cooking, and catching live theater whenever she can.

About Lauren McTigue
Children & Youth Program Lead

lauren.mctigue@foothillsuu.org

Lauren McTigue serves as a compassionate guide and creative program spark within Foothills Unitarian, supporting children, youth, and families as they explore spiritual growth, community belonging, and the joyful messiness of being human.

With a background in environmental education, community organizing, and sustainable education, Lauren brings a broad and thoughtful lens to her role as Children & Youth Programs Lead. She has spent years designing inclusive education programs – from health workshops for women+ to youth gardening curricula and LGBTQ+ belonging initiatives – always centering care, curiosity, and justice. At Foothills, Lauren develops values-rooted, experiential programming and fosters leadership in both volunteers and young people. Her goal is to build spaces where everyone – especially queer youth, young women+, and those who often feel left out – feels seen, heard, and celebrated.

Raised by a single mother, Lauren saw firsthand the challenges of an overfilled plate. This lived experience fuels her passion for creating programs that support the whole family—including the caretakers—ensuring that everyone has space to feel nourished, connected, and supported.

Originally from the East Coast, Lauren now calls Colorado home with her partner, Kate, their pup, and a frisky cat. She is an avid swimmer and hiker, and a devoted admirer of the small and tiny wonders found in nature. She is a firm believer in the power of a good meal and a messy conversation. Lauren lives her life at the intersection of wonder and advocacy and is honored to serve the mission of courageous love at Foothills.

Bugs Seifert

Groups Coordinator

bugs@foothillsuu.org

Bugs grew up in Aurora, CO and moved to Fort Collins first in 2018, and again in 2022. They were raised in the UU church at first Universalist in Denver and were highly involved in the MDD YRUU program as a youth. At that time, they served as part of the youth leadership team as well as the District Peer Chaplain, so when they came to Foothills in 2023, they received the opportunity to join our staff and found it to be a perfect fit. Their love of the UU faith and value for the religious education they received makes their role in our family ministry program feel like giving forward a gift they once held. Their career has spanned from cooking in kitchens to administrative work for local businesses. In their spare time, they find joy in hiking, knitting, and spending time with their two kids and partners.

Kyle Harper
Worship Production Manager

Kyle is an experienced audio visual engineer, motivated to help others see technology as a tool for connection and expression, not a barrier.

Kyle found his passion for the intersection of technology and expression while working on his BA in Music. He brings 20 years of experience working in theater, live event production, and online media. With that perspective he oversees everything that goes into making the services at Foothills look and sound their best. Leading the AV Team, he supports volunteers in not only, learning to operate the equipment, but also growing confidence and learning soft skills for creating a high-quality, welcoming experience, whether you’re joining us in the sanctuary or watching from home.

Kyle grew up in southwest Ohio, and loved singing in his church choir and high school theater program before leaving for Columbus to study music. At Columbus he met his wife, while in the same production of The Magic Flute.

In his spare time, you can find Kyle producing and co-hosting his podcast or looking for new music to add to his collection. He’s a huge fan of games, and is always down to try a new table-top or board game.

Vanessa Way

Bookkeeper
vanessa@foothillsuu.org

Vanessa loves working with finances and numbers. She understands the importance of the back-end work of keeping Foothills thriving. She’s worked as a bookkeeper for over 15 years and working with excel is her happy place. She also has a BA in Sociology and uses that to understand the multigenerational, multicultural and diverse mix of congregations and future congregants.

 

As a bookkeeper, she makes all deposits, pays bills, and receives donations. She works closely with the Director of Finance and Operations to keep things flowing smoothly and accurately.

 

Vanessa’s son has a rare brain malformation (Polymicrogyria), this fuels her heart and passion for disability rights and the importance of inclusivity. Besides her love of numbers and her family, she is obsessed with her dogs (2 Basset hounds, 2 Dachshunds and a rescued Coonhound), she loves Halloween and reading. She is an avid reader and audiobook listener, especially historical non-fiction. 

Holly Ayala

Facilities Coordinator
holly@foothillsuu.org

Holly joined Foothills Unitarian Church in July 2022 as a facilities/IT coordinator. She has always had a passion for helping others. Holly has lived in Fort Collins for over 20 years, but grew up in Kansas. She worked in the corporate world and needed a change of pace and balance in her life.

She enjoys camping, gardening, canning, reading and playing computer games. She has a wife, son, 2 dogs, cat, hedgehog and fish to keep her occupied.

Julie Koeing 

Pianist

Julie is an active vocalist, pianist and songwriter in Northern Colorado. She performs regularly at local venues, both as a soloist and with her band, The Thistle Tones. Julie has toured 7 Midwest states with her jazz trio. In 2023, she performed at the 20th annual Five Points Jazz Festival in Denver, CO. Julie is passionate about increasing the visibility of women in jazz; her first album and tour featured all female musicians.

Originally from Ohio, Julie performed for several years in the Columbus area, both as a member of the Columbus Symphony Chorus and as a freelance musician. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at Otterbein University (Westerville, OH) in 2013. After teaching for several years and studying with renowned jazz vocalist Kim Nazarian, Julie continued her education at the University of Northern Colorado, where she completed her Master’s degree in Jazz Studies (2019). While at UNC, Julie studied with Julia Dollison and Kerry Marsh, and sang with the premier vocal jazz ensemble, Vocal Lab. This DownBeat award-winning group had the distinct honor of performing with Bobby McFerrin in 2018. Julie received a 2019 DownBeat Student Music Award for Outstanding Performance in the Graduate Vocal Soloist category.

Julie is currently an adjunct instructor of Applied Voice, Applied Piano, and Class Piano at Laramie County Community College (Cheyenne, WY), and instructor of voice and piano at Flourish Music Academy (Greeley, CO). She has also worked as a clinician and adjudicator for events in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Julie has taught in both classroom and one-on-one settings since 2012, and is a strong proponent of the growth mindset.

Kara Shobe

Children’s Music Leader
kara@foothillsuu.org

Kara moved to Colorado in 2006 to study at Northern Colorado and Colorado State earning her Masters in Music Therapy. She works as a music therapist and music educator in the Fort Collins area. She joined Foothills in the Fall of 2017. While still new to Unitarian Universalism, the message of spreading courageous love is what resonated most with her. She enjoys furthering that message with families at Foothills through moving, playing instruments and singing. When not making music, she tries to spend time hiking, skiing, running or reading as many books as she can.

Rev. Christopher Lamb

Community Minister

Christopher (they/them or he/him) is an eco-chaplain, song-leader, and spiritual care practitioner in Fort Collins, CO. They currently serve as Chaplain Supervisor at Poudre Valley hospital, providing multi-faith and belief interdisciplinary spiritual care to staff, patients and families. Their ministry is focused on the intersection of ancestral healing and trauma work, critical ecology, creative beauty-making, and imaginal perception.


A lifelong UU from Knoxville, Tennessee, Christopher was raised at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on youth conferences and UU camp culture. This foundation has fed their passion for nature-based ministry, group work, and crafting embodied worship. Christopher earned a Master’s of Divinity from the Iliff School of Theology and holds a BA in French and Global Studies from Middle Tennessee State University. They have previously served Foothills as young adult coordinator, children’s music coordinator, and most recently as Music Lead from 2019-2021. Christopher is a husband and father to two girls and enjoys spending time outdoors, doing yoga, cooking with fresh vegetables, and performing queer animist folk as Crispy Watkins.

Rev. Roger Butts

Community Minister: Hospice Chaplain, Pathways Hospice
 
Reverend Roger Butts (he/him) has been ordained in the UU tradition since 2002. He has served congregations in North Carolina, Iowa, and Colorado. He has over ten years of experience as a chaplain, in hospital and hospice settings. He is proud to be a Community Minister at Foothills UU. His writings have been in several UU Meditation Manuals (How We Are Called, 2002; Sources of Our Faith, 2012; Shelter in This Place, 2021). His book, Seeds of Devotion, was published in 2021. For one year, he worked as an organizer against the death penalty.
 
He has two black labs, three young adult children (17, 20, 22). His wife is the Associate Pastor at Plymouth Congregational UCC, which is how they ended up in northern Colorado. He currently works at Pathways Hospice as a chaplain and is a PRN chaplain at UC Health-Medical Center of the Rockies. If you are interested in his spiritual direction practice, please let him know. He believes grace and humor will save us all. 
Skip to content