Our Staff
Adam Podd, Director of Music, adam@firstubrooklyn.org
Adam is a Vermont-bred, Brooklyn-based music director, pianist, organist,
bassist, composer and arranger. His first connection to church music
started at age eleven, when he played for a Christmas Eve service in the sleepy town of Holland, VT. Read More
Renee Strickland, Director of Facilities, Renee@firstubrooklyn.org
I am both honored and excited to join the wonderful staff and team for this growing and committed congregation. I look forward to wearing a few of Garnett’s hats while I manage events, expand community relations, and oversee facilities. I have a history of wearing several hats myself. I have practiced complex civil litigation; helped start-ups with intellectual property and employment issues; served as a Landmark Commissioner to preserve historic properties and districts; turned a farm-to-table dinner into an award-winning food and wine festival, while directly benefiting the farming community; and most recently consulted to a gender equity non-profit that had acquired a historic building as their new headquarters. More
Wendy Russell, Congregational Administrator and RE assistant wendy@firstubrooklyn.org
Wendy Russell keeps our office humming. If you buzz our main line, you will likely be warmly greeted by Wendy, who can either answer your questions or direct you to the right person. Wendy arranges, rearranges, and otherwise manages the church office, writes the weekly e-news, organizes service programs, oversees bookkeeping, and assists with the Religious Education program. Wendy is a native New Yorker and a working singer, songwriter, arranger, and voice teacher. Once a month, Wendy opens our doors for an Open Mic Night, where she welcomes first-time and seasoned singers, poets, and performers to take the stage. You can also catch Wendy in her vocal dream project, ‘Those Girls’ – they’ve travelled around the country and will be appearing in London in 2026! Wendy has two wonderful daughters and four delicious grandchildren.
Two of Wendy’s favorite quotes are: “We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” ~ Charles Kingsley -and- “It is the artists of the world, the feelers and the thinkers, who will ultimately save us; who can articulate, educate, defy, insist, sing and shout the big dreams.” ~ Leonard Bernstein.
John McKeown, Building Engineer, John@firstubrooklyn.org. When asked for his bio, our new Building Engineer modestly replied, “I’m an ordinary man. Nothing special, nothing grand.”
If these poetic lines remind you of the Irish lilt of W.B. Yeats or Seamus Heaney, then you’re starting to get the right impression of John McKeown. Born in the US, but raised in Ireland, John journeyed back to his homeland as an adult. John has built an impressive set of professional skills. From plastering and carpentry, to plumbing and electrical, to landscaping and roofing, John knows buildings inside and out, top to bottom. John has worked as a building engineer or general contractor on historic buildings and houses of worship in New York and Pennsylvania. We are blessed that John has adopted First Unitarian Brooklyn as his latest home.
John is supposed to be working Monday through Friday. But you may have already seen him about on many Saturdays, overseeing the new mini split install in the space shared with Imagine ELC daycare. Or rebuilding the escape hatches to the boiler room. Or tinkering with the boilers. (You get the idea.) When he’s not devoting his immeasurable talents to maintaining and improving our facilities, John enjoys playing a rousing match of Gaelic football or spending time with his children, Kerryann and Patrick.
Sean Sellers, Youth Ministry Coordinator, sean@firstubrooklyn.org.
Sean is a Licensed NYC Tour Guide with a focus on student educational tourism. He works with middle school and high school students across the US and England. He has been a member of First Unitarian for over 7 years and has worked with our Youth Group for the past 4 years, including accompanying the youth on their annual justice-learning trip.
Yvonne C. Garrett Intern Minister (she/her/hers) yvonne@firstubrooklyn.org is a second generation UU, feminist, activist, Religious Humanist/Ethical Vegan, and Aspirant for UU Ministry. She holds an MLIS (LIU), an MFA (The New School), two Masters from NYU, and a Ph.D. from Drew University. Currently pursuing a Master in Divinity at Starr King, she also serves as a Spiritual Life Advisor at NYU. She works full time at The New School, is a Shop Steward for the Teamsters, and works part-time as an editor at Black Lawrence Press. She was recently appointed Editor of the UU Studies Network Journal.
