Reverend Catie Scudera

Minister

The Reverend Catie Scudera began her ministry at First Parish in August 2014. She previously served as the intern minister of Arlington Street Church in downtown Boston, as the student and summer minister of the Winchester Unitarian Society in Winchester, Massachusetts, and as a student chaplain at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. Her personal theology is guided by historic Universalism and Unitarianism, as well as progressive Christianity and engaged Buddhism.

Before responding to her call to ministry, Rev. Catie co-founded the A. Margaret Barr Children’s Village in Meghalaya, India, with the Unitarian Union of Northeast India. The orphanage is currently run by local Indian Unitarians and is sponsored through the Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council. She also served as a full-time tutor at Match High School, a Boston charter school committed to help “close the achievement gap” between urban and suburban students. In these contexts and through her ministerial training, Rev. Catie developed her dedication to economic and educational justice, anti-racism and anti-oppression, and creating beloved community.

Rev. Catie was born in New York City, but grew up in northern Virginia just west of Washington, D.C. She and her mother converted from Roman Catholicism to Unitarian Universalism when she was a preteen. She is a 2007 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and earned her Master of Divinity in 2012 from Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. At both universities, she was a leader in the Unitarian Universalist student groups and the Gay/Straight Alliances. Rev. Catie currently lives in Needham Heights with her spouse Cole Stephenson, daughter Sophia and their two dogs Mango and Bishop. Together, they enjoy board games, traveling, photography, and the great outdoors.

For more information about Rev. Catie, read the brochure prepared by the search committee.

Minister & Staff

Reverend Catie Scudera

Minister

The Reverend Catie Scudera began her ministry at First Parish in August 2014.

Previously, Rev. Catie served as the intern minister of Arlington Street Church in downtown Boston, as the student and summer minister of the Winchester Unitarian Society in Winchester, Massachusetts, and as a student chaplain at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington.

Rev. Catie’s personal theology is guided by historic Universalism and Unitarianism, as well as progressive Christianity and engaged Buddhism.

Full Bio

Contact: minister@uuneedham.org

John Newhall

Director of Religious Exploration

John Newhall is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist from Salem, Massachusetts.

John graduated Boston University with a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theology in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Before coming to First Parish, John was Coordinator of Religious Exploration & Congregational Life at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead.

In addition to their work at First Parish, John serves as ministerial intern for First Church in Boston and The Sanctuary Boston and as Trustee and Vice-Moderator on the Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees.

Contact: dre@uuneedham.org

Laura Nevitt

Music Director

Laura Nevitt is a conductor, composer, and educator based in Boston. As a fierce advocate for new music, they love working with composers, and have conducted over 40 premieres of new works. She is passionate about giving voice and space to gender marginalized musicians and poets through choral and vocal music.

She is the Founder & Artistic Director of Lilith Vocal Ensemble, Artistic Director of VOICES Boston Children’s Choir, Prep Choir, Children’s Choir & Chamber Chorus Director at New England Conservatory Prep, a Teaching Artist with Boston Lyric Opera, and Music Director at First Parish UU in Needham, MA, where she is also Artistic Director of the “To The Fore” Concert Series, focused on bringing historically marginalized voices to the forefront.

Their compositions are frequently performed by musicians across the country, some highlights being the Handel & Haydn Society Youth Choruses, Choral Arts Initiative, the Evelyn Duo, Voices Boston Children’s Choir, Boston Conservatory Choir, Nightingale Vocal Ensemble, Lilith Vocal Ensemble, BRACE New Music Choir, Opera on Tap Boston, the UofSC Concert Choir, sparks & wiry cries’ songSLAM, Source Song Festival, Cantilena, and the Detroit Women’s Chorus.

She earned degrees in Composition and Music Education from the University of South Carolina, studying with John Fitz Rogers & Wendy Valerio; and a M.M. in Choral Conducting at Boston Conservatory, studying with George Case.

Contact: music@uuneedham.org

Chris Lockman

Assistant Music Director/Pianist

North Carolina native, Chris Lockman, is so grateful to call First Parish his newfound spiritual home.

Growing up as a member of the Queer community in the south (and in the LDS faith), Chris Lockman found an outlet through music. In NC, Chris worked with choirs, schools, churches, theatre organizations, and community colleges. Through his experience, he grew passionate for creating safe spaces for all to discover the joy of music, and that’s just what he hopes to do at First Parish!

Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree in Audio Production from Full Sail University and has 25 years of piano experience as well as vocal training dating back to his teens. Along with his work at First Parish, he currently serves as a staff pianist at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, New England Conservatory (where he also works as a music director), Colleges of the Fenway, and he is the Conductor of the Harmony Ensemble at VOICES Boston.

Susanna Whitman

Parish Administrator

Susanna is a life-long Unitarian Universalist, now an active member of First Parish in Lexington.

Susanna’s past church roles include vice-president, co-chair of membership, and working on RE and other committees. She comes to us with impressive list of professional credentials including ten years in the Congregational Life group at the UUA. Prior to that she served as DRE at Melrose UU Church and worked for five years in London for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

Susanna lives in Lexington with her husband Jonathan Kinghorn and their three children.

Contact: office@uuneedham.org

Tom Pugh

Worship Stream Producer

Tom was brought up in Needham and his parents were members of First Parish.

After 35 years as an engineer at WGBH TV, following his retirement, Tom found himself working at First Parish. With the start of the pandemic in March 2020, he and his volunteer counterpart crafted the tech that kept us worshiping and meeting online during the darkest days of the pandemic.

Tom is also a performer and musician and co-founder of the Plugged In Band program in Needham.

Freddy Soto

Cleaner

Freddy Soto has his own cleaning business and also works as our cleaner.

Freddy was born, raised and had a career as a lawyer in Guatemala. He has lived in Germany, France and Italy before settling in the United States. He has a wife and two children.

Billy Umland

Sexton

Billy Umland is the sexton at First Parish, in addition to running Billy’s Beasts Dog Walking and working behind the scenes for Charles River Ballet Academy.

Billy grew up near Milwaukee, Wisconsin and then danced professionally with Milwaukee Ballet, California Ballet, and Nevada Ballet Theatre before moving to Massachusetts. He lives in Natick with his wife, Emily, their two daughters and their dog.