Associate Minister for Music's Advisory Committee
About the Committee
The Associate Minister for Music Advisory Committee (AMFMAC) encourages, supports, challenges, and evaluates the ministry of the Rev. Jason Shelton, both within FUUN and in the larger community. It is a part of FUUN’s Committee on Ministry.
The Advisory Committee meets monthly to discuss and assess aspects of Rev. Shelton's ministry, including the direction of the music program, preaching, pastoral care, composition, denominational outreach, and work with other faith communities. It also convenes with the larger Committee on Ministry as needed. AMFMAC meetings are confidential, both to honor privacy needs and to promote frank dialogue on issues of concern.
The Advisory Committee encourages members of the congregation to contribute to FUUN’s music ministry by offering feedback (both positive and formative) either directly to Jason or to any member of the committee. Please feel free to approach us during coffee hours or via e-mail at musicadvcom@firstuunashville.org.
Members of the 2011-2012 Advisory Committee
Bob Yemm (Chair):
My wife, Lynn Winans, and I joined FUUN in 2001, and our two children – Ellie and Theo – were dedicated here. This is my second year on the AMFMAC and first as the Chair. In years past, I have served as a board member, lay minister, and on several committees. I work for the State of Tennessee as an internal management consultant for the Department of Finance & Administration. My pastimes include wishing I could find time to read more and wondering if I’ll ever have time to use the golf clubs I own.
Phil Thomason:
I grew up as a Unitarian and joined First UU in 1976 when I moved to Nashville. I have served on various committees including worship and personnel as well as a term as president in 1995 and two terms on the Board. I am principal of Thomason and Associates, a community and historic preservation planning firm.
Ginger Brown:
This is my first year on the AMFMAC. I look forward to working with the committee and with Jason. Other ways I serve FUUN are as a member of the Endowment Trust and the Governance Task Force and as co-chair of the Leadership Development Committee. I am a past-president of FUUN and have served Unitarian Universalism in a number of ways but most recently as a member of the General Assembly Planning Committee. I live in White Bluff, Tennessee and devote any remaining time I have to family, friends, gardening, and pottery-making.
Sharon Ruiz:
I moved to Nashville in 2002 and have been a member of FUUN since 2005. Along with my spouse, Jacob Hathaway, I teach pre-K RE. Our children are Soli and Ezra. I work as a public defender for Nashville and Davidson County.
Teddi Walden:
I am a Professor of Psychology at Vanderbilt University (Peabody). I teach classes in child development and my research focuses on the social-emotional development of young children, often children with disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome, and stuttering. I have two children—Carey, who is a chef in Hawaii, and Mackenzie, a recent UVA grad who manages a neuroscience lab at National Children's Hospital in D.C. I am a native Floridian but have lived in Nashville since taking the job with Vandy in 1981. I love Nashville even though it is land-locked. I have been a FUUN member since 2008.