The Keene Unitarian Universalist Church joyfully welcomes Rowan Van Ness as our half-time minister!

The Ministerial Search Committee has these words to share: “[Rowan] has a warm and inviting spirit, quickly making one feel comfortable and at ease in her presence. . . . She has earned a Bachelor’s degree from Smith College and a Master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School. Her ministerial experience ranges from leading spiritual exploration with children and youth to working interdenominationally as a chaplain and in clinical pastoral settings in hospitals and elder care facilities. Her ministry internship was at First UU Society of Burlington, VT where she later returned in the role of Director of Youth & Emerging Adult Ministries.”

To schedule an appointment with Rowan for pastoral care or another matter, email her at

Donna Dearth, Music Director

Donna Dearth recently retired from being a music educator for 35 years at Marlborough School and an adjunct professor of music at Keene State College. Originally from the Boston area, she got her Bachelor of Music Education degree at KSC in 1981 and a Masters in Education in 1993. Donna was the former Music Director at the Federated Church in Marlborough NH where she served for 5 years. She is thrilled to be Music Director at the U.U.C. and has loved the warm welcome from everybody!

She has been a piano entertainer for 40 years as a solo player and keyboardist in various bands in Boston and in Keene. She teaches piano lessons privately, and leads the chorus at American House in Keene.

She has 2 daughters Amy and Megan, a son-in-law Chris and a new granddaughter Emily. She loves to spend time with her family and her dog Tilly. She also loves to garden, ski, snowshoe and travel.

I am excited to begin this new year and want to thank you for making me feel so welcomed in your community. I hope everyone had a great summer and took time to relax and connect to our beautiful surroundings. I was fortunate to do a lot of travelling especially to Boothbay ME (4 times) where my sister and her family summer.

Contact Donna Dearth, Music Director

Susan MacNeil, Office Administrator

I am delighted to return to my desk at KUUC as the Acting Office Administrator!

I have such fond memories of working with many congregation members in my prior role between 2013 and 2021.

You may recall that I moved to Keene in 1976 and remained in and around the Monadnock Region until 2014, when I relocated across the river to Bellows Falls, Vermont.

Prior to arriving at KUUC, I served as Executive Director of AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region from 2000-2014 and was involved in many community volunteer activities.

Knowing that the agency’s cobblestone memorial garden found a permanent home at KUUC and became the Starr Memorial Garden, named after UU Minister, Deane Starr, is very special to me.

A workplace accident at Hundred Nights in 2022 sidelined me for the past two years, but I am finally ready to return on a part-time basis and couldn’t be more pleased to rejoin KUUC in its 200th year.

Please be sure to let me know how I can be of assistance to you!

-Susan

RE Coordinator - Mallory Hicks

I’m so excited to be filling the role of Religious Exploration Coordinator (REC). I grew up in a family of UUs, I’m a 3rd generation which is rarer on the west coast where I was raised than it is here. I always say I was raised by UUs, as most of my childhood wasn’t spent in church weekly; but the 7 principles were our core.

My grandparents and extended family have always been incredibly active in the church. My husband Lewis , as many of you know, is active duty in the USN (retiring next year yay!) and we have 3 kids, Atticus (11) Remington (9 on Halloween) and Oliver (3) When in Keene, we landed we knew that we wanted to get involved with the church right away, having 3 kids that needed a good steady community. We participated in the outdoor RE gatherings over the winter and into spring and summer. They were so important to us and beneficial to our children.

I really feel we’ve found a home, after so many years of moving from town to town, state to state, and twice across the country with littles in tow. I cannot wait to see how the RE program grows and how as a community and congregation we can come together to provide a safe and exciting place for all of our children to explore their world and learn our principles.

Mallory Hicks