WSUU Staff

Minister

Rev. Peg Morgan

Rev. Peg Morgan was called by the congregation to be our minister in 2002. Prior to coming to Westside she served University Unitarian in north Seattle and East Shore in Bellevue. Major roles of our minister are to preach, teach, provide pastoral care and rites of passage, advocate for justice, supervise the staff, and to support leadership in their running of the democratic church.

Director of Religious Exploration

Kari Kopnick

Kari Kopnick is our Director of Religious Exploration for children and youth. She has served this congregation since 2005. Kari’s educational background is in Child Psychology. Kari is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist with sons in the Religious Education Program at Westside Congregation. She has served on the board of Liberal Religious Educators Association at the district and continental level. Kari passion is excellent Religious Education and Experience for Children, Youth and Families.

Associate Director or Religious Exploration

Shannon Day

Shannon Day has served Westside as Associate Director of Religious Exploration since 2008. She has been a member of WSUU since 2001. Shannon has been active with our Religious Education program since 2002, serving as a teacher, a RE Council member and chairing the committee for 3 years. She and her husband, Dan, have 2 sons, Logan and Aidan who are 14 and 11 years old. She is enthusiastic about liberal religious education and is committed to making our program a safe, warm, and friendly home for the children and youth of our community.

Nursery Care Teacher

Julie Vance

Julie Vance is our Infant/Toddler Teacher. She has been working with Westside Congregation since 2005. Julie has a beautiful gift for connecting with our youngest ones; helping them feel safe and cared for so their parents can attend the service. She has a partner, Michael and a son, Dexter. Julie worked at Community School of West Seattle for five years. Julie sees working with children is such a gift—always renewing and inspiring her.

Music Director

Bert Gulhaugen

Bert comes to us with an extensive background in choral conduction and voice coaching. Bert earned a Bachelor of Music from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, and a Master of Music from the University of Colorado, Boulder. But he says “my real education has come since earning those degrees.” He is an expert on voice technique, and has been a private studio voice instructor since 1984. An experienced performer, Bert has an extensive choral and jazz ensemble background, and has presented numerous recitals of art song, standards, and show tunes. He enjoys a broad range of music genres: classical, opera, jazz, sacred, blues, pop, musical theater, rock, gospel, rhythm and blues, and folk music. In 1993 he formed The Greenwood Women's Glee Club, which eventually evolved into Seattle Glee Clubs. There he is also the Director of the Offbeats Vocal Ensemble.

Bookkeeper

Carie Lorensen

Carie is a contract bookkeeper who began work with Westside in the fall of 2011. She has owned and operated a bookkeeping service in West Seattle for 10 years. Carie provides bookkeeping services to numerous churches, other non-profit organizations and for-profit small businesses. She and her husband live in West Seattle and have one adult daughter.

Administrative Assistant

Laurie Radin

Laurie Radin has served as a church office administrator for over ten years. She has been our Administrative Assistant since 2006. In this part time position she produces our orders of service and brochures, keeps our events calendar and room reservation system up to date, manages our website, and maintains our membership database.