Don Gayton, President
Greg Huynh, Vice President Congregational
Kathryn Nicholson, Vice President Denominational
Brian Funt, Treasurer
Brian McConnell, Secretary
Marga Hanna, Member-at-large
Sean Kelly, Member-at-large
John Biasucci, Member-at-large
Leslie Gibbons, Member-at-large
Minister Stephen Atkinson, Member ex officio
Don Gayton joined the NSUC in 2001 along with his wife, Beth McLin. They came looking for a place where their children, Claire and Aleia, could about learn spirituality without dogma and guilt, and found a wonderful community they could call home. Don has been an active member since joining, teaching Sunday school, ushering, doing sound, video and a summer service coordinator. He and Beth have hosted many church and bid night events as well as circle dinners. Two years ago Don joined the Canvass Committee as co-chair and brought many ideas and new energy to the canvass. Don is a lifelong North Shore resident having been born here and lived here his entire life save an 18 month stint working in California. He received his BASc from UBC in Electrical Engineering in 1983 and has worked in the high technology sector since then, first as a hardware and software design engineer and later in executive management.
Greg Huynh grew up in Seattle, son of a Saigon-raised Chinese father and Mayflower-arrived English mother and later adopted by a Swedish physiologist. Graduate of WWU in Bellingham where he met Sandra (she of church board secretary fame) and was thus lured north. Father of daughters, broker of cars and singer of songs. Formerly of Presbyterian roots, Greg is now an active member of the "CUB Scout" religion, that being: a Christian-Unitarian-Buddhist Seeker. He is now ready to turn his talents to a new venture, that of offering to participate on the Board. And Greg has just reached the 20 year mark of membership at NSUC!
Kathryn Nicholson has been attending the NSUC for about 23 years, and for 14 of those years was the Director of Music. She and her husband Bob have three adult children who all participated in the church youth and music programs. Kathryn has served on three Ministerial Search Committees for the NSUC and recently completed the CUC Lay Chaplaincy Training. She is a Registered Nurse, a Clinical Counselor, and holds a Master’s degree in Music Therapy. For more than twenty years, she worked in Patient and Family Counseling. As a volunteer, Kathryn was Board President for several schools and organizations. Although retired, she is currently the Music Director of Vancouver's Universal Gospel Choir and offers private voice instruction. Kathryn also loves to cycle and hike.
Brian Funt joined the North Shore Unitarian Church in 2002. A humanist, he values the strong sense of friendship and community within the congregation, and the diversity of things that happen Sunday mornings. He loves cello playing, skiff sailing in the summer and skiing in the winter. When not at play, he is a computer science professor at Simon Fraser University.
Brian McConnell has been involved in NSUC in many capacities for over 20 years: Ministerial Search Committee, Sunday Services Committee Discovery groups, men’s groups. Recently retired from a 31 year teaching career in French Immersion, Brian shares his life with his wife Jill Whitford, past president of NSUC, Discovery Circle guru, and aesthetics person "extraordinaire". They raised 2 adult children in the NSUC community who are now pursuing advanced degrees abroad. Brian is currently involved in an internet based business and catching up on all those things he didn’t have time for while teaching.
Marga Hanna and her husband Wayne joined the NSUC in 1996 after choosing among a number of other church communities. Marga joined the choir and became the Co-ordinator of the Aesthetics Committee for a number of years. She has led a number of NSUC groups focusing on deepening spiritual awareness through the creative arts and has participated in Discovery Groups. Marga has been on the Board of North Shore Community Services and has been a Regional Representative and is still a Committee Member for the B.C. Association of Clinical Counselors. She is a professional member of both the B.C. Association of Clinical Counselors and the American Art Therapy Association. In the past she was the President of the Ontario Art Therapy Association. She has worked in Australia as both professor and department head of the Faculty of Art Therapy at University of Western Sydney. Marga has a MA in Education from Concordia University and a Diploma in Art Therapy from the Toronto Art Therapy Institute. She traded her Ph.D. studies in Depth Psychology in for the opportunity to discover and work in Australia. She is passionate about her work in human behavior and has been a psychotherapist in the Trauma Treatment Department with Family Services of Greater Vancouver for the past 13 years. Marga and Wayne are avid world travelers, and frequently meet up with family and friends in England, Germany and Australia. Marga is fluent in German and learned passable French during her Montreal years. They have two wonderful sons and two delightful grandchildren living in Toronto.
Sean Kelly and his wife Melissa found the wonderfully positive and caring spiritual community of North Shore Unitarian in 2008. Participating in the church and in a Unitarian men’s group has become an important part of Sean’s life. His children Dawson and Lauren love Spirit Play. Much of his career in marketing and communications has been spent in post secondary institutions. Sean is currently Manager of Marketing and Communications at Douglas College. Previously, he worked for several years in the socially responsible investment industry. Sean studied philosophy at McGill, did a master’s degree in English at UBC and also has an MBA from SFU. Personal passions include soccer, hiking, trail running, and photography.
John Biasucci moved to the Vancouver area in 1995, with his wife Gail Lehman. Originally from Niagara Falls, NY, he practiced law in New York City and Washington, DC, for many years and was a financial business owner. He and Gail began attending NSUC in 2002 because they were looking for an open-minded spiritual community and a place where their daughter could get a progressive religious education. They stayed because they soon grew fond of the NSUC community and the many friends they made here. John is also active in the Choir and has two grown daughters living in the US.
Leslie Gibbons has been attending the NSUC for 10 years with her husband, Maurice. Although born in the United States, she grew up in Britain and moved to Canada when she was 13 years old. Her family has a strong Quaker background. She is an active member of the Cares and Concerns Committee, has acted as a Facilitator for Discovery Circles and has been involved in the Multi-Faith Dinners project. Leslie has a large family and has been a professional parent for 43 years. In her spare time she is a member and facilitator for Compassionate Friends and is a passionate golfer, tennis player and traveler.
Minister Stephen Atkinson is ex officio member of the Board of Trustees. For biographical material on Stephen, please see Minister & Staff.
Board Reference Materials
Members of the Board may access a special reference section for their use by clicking on the following link: Board Reference Materials.
