FY26-27 FUSD Board of Trustees
LAURA MUELLER, PRESIDENT – 2026-2027
“I have been a UU for 46 years and have been a member of FUSD since 2012. I am the mother of three grown children and have three grandchildren, and one on the way! I am a retired Ob-Gyn physician and an avid reader, gardener, and international traveler. I have volunteered at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Denver Botanic Gardens, Indivisible, and with the Denver Democratic Party. At FUSD, I have facilitated OWL classes, volunteered with Family Promise and the Women’s Homelessness Initiative, served as a CORE Circle Facilitator and Stewardship Ambassador, and been on the Committee on Ministry and the Personnel Committee. I currently serve on the Board of Trustees, as co-chair of the Book Table, and as Church Librarian.”
BETSY BRAINERD, VICE PRESIDENT – 2026-2027
“My husband Steve and I joined the First Unitarian Society of Denver in 1989 and raised three children within its supportive community. Raised in the UU tradition, I was initially looking for a religious home in which to explore theology, but I found so much more than that! Over many years of involvement in church committees and projects, including R.E., Membership (now Connections), Social Justice, Leadership Development, and serving as President of the Board way back in the 1990s, I have appreciated how this community fosters the faith journey and incorporates faith in action so well. I have always been proud of First Unitarian’s unique voice in the community and its visible commitment to all aspects of justice. I am a retired attorney and children’s librarian. As Vice President of the Board, I look forward to supporting our President, Laura Mueller, in ensuring that FUSD remains financially and structurally sound. As a long-time member, I look forward to finding ways to empower new voices and perspectives and to supporting the continued growth of our religious exploration program.”
MARSHA BATES, BOARD MEMBER – 2026-2028
Although raised a Baptist, I have been a Unitarian Universalist for 40 years. I attended and was active in UU churches in Columbus, Ohio; Kansas City, Kansas; Fort Myers, Florida; and Denver, serving in various roles: the Stewardship Committee Chair, RE; Worship Committee; coordinating the greeters; serving as an usher; assisting in rewriting the All Faiths’ policy manual; and volunteering to help with various church gatherings. When my husband Chris and I lived in Denver from 1995 to 2005, we both were active in FUSD. I taught RE, was on the Board of Trustees, and served as Board President the year after the Hobarts left and an interim minister was serving the church. I also co-chaired Octoberfest, FUSD’s fall fundraiser. My past experiences and roles at FUSD and other UU churches have made me well aware that dedicated leaders are essential to sustaining a loving, nurturing community. I would be happy and honored to serve on the FUSD Board of Trustees. I earned a degree in Natural Resource Management and spent my
career managing hazardous waste cleanup projects as well as auditing others’ projects for compliance with regulatory requirements.”
MIKE CRANMER, BOARD MEMBER – 2026-2027
“Over the past three decades, I have served on the FUSD Board of Trustees and on many committees of our church. Kathy Cranmer and I have been members of FUSD for 32 years. We cherish and value our FUSD friends. Our goal is to serve FUSD as well as we can for as long as we can. I retired at the end of 2014 following 30+ years of service at Stewart Title, a national and multinational real estate title assurance/insurance company. During this time, I served as Colorado general counsel while also leading various operational teams through the years. During the last phase of my career, I was privileged to lead a sales team serving small businesses in 14 Western states. In general, I believe my work experiences have helped me to understand how to go about serving the needs of others, specifically now in the role of FUSD volunteer.”
LORNA MOORE, BOARD MEMBER – 2026-2027
“I have been a lifelong UU, although not always a frequent attendee. My late husband and I were married in Colorado by the UU minister from Rochester, MN, where I grew up. During college, I occasionally attended Northampton, MA. We joined the First Universalist Church after we moved to Denver in 1974 and then the Unitarian Church in Winston-Salem, NC, when we lived there from 2007-12 while I served as Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Wake Forest University. But it was not until 2020 that we attended FUSD; we were literally smitten by the sense that we’d found home! We joined in 2021 and, apart from a period of mourning after my husband’s death later that year, I have been here practically every Sunday since. I belong to the choir and have volunteered with Family Promise as well as a pledge-drive ambassador, but have not yet served on other committees. I hold a PhD in Biological Anthropology and Human Genetics from the University of Michigan. I have been a faculty member at CU for almost my entire professional career. I plan to retire next year and am looking for new ways to engage in the Denver community. I hope that my service on the FUSD Board of Trustees can help me further broaden my horizons and that I, in turn, can help FUSD maintain and hopefully expand the important work it is doing within the Denver community.”
ANDREA C. MITCHELL, BOARD MEMBER – 2026-2029
“I am seeking election to the Board of Trustees as an opportunity to continue serving our church community with care and commitment. I have been a member of FUSD since 2004 and have previously served on the Finance Council, the Personnel Committee, and the Faith in Action Committee, experiences that have deepened my appreciation for both the practical and spiritual responsibilities of church leadership. I view Board membership as both a responsibility and a privilege, and I believe organizations function best when sound values, clear strategy, and well-designed processes and procedures guide thoughtful decision-making. I also recognize that we are continually challenged by complex issues and questions that call for creativity and compassion grounded in faith. I am married to my partner of 43 years and enjoy many hobbies including sewing, needlecrafts, traveling, and walking my neighborhood.”
STEPHANIE WALTON, BOARD MEMBER – 2026-2029
“I am a lifelong Coloradan and have lived in the Denver Metro area since 1994. I have been a member of FUSD for more than 20 years and remain most passionate about our social justice work. I previously served on the Board of Trustees … a very long time ago, and have also served on the Committee on Ministry (twice) and the Faith in Action Council, and have co-chaired the Climate Justice Project for the past 5 years. Professionally, I have worked in the nonprofit sector for most of my career, initially in public policy and more recently as a grant writer and manager. I care deeply about the FUSD community and our role in the larger community and look forward to supporting our continued flourishing.”
RUTH WALKER, TREASURER – 2026-2027
“I am very new to FUSD, having just moved to Denver in October 2025. However, I am a Unitarian Universalist through and through, having grown up in a multi-generational Unitarian family. After locating in the Capitol Hill area, I decided on FUSD as my home church. I joined the choir immediately and have enjoyed that experience immensely as I’ve primarily been in very small UU congregations. My background is in finance, and after retirement, I became involved in two very active non-profits in Stillwater, OK. My interests include guitar, bicycling, tennis, golf, and hiking… pretty much anything outside! I have two grown children who live in Denver and Boulder. No grandchildren but I have regular duties as a dog sitter.”