Ministers and Staff

Rev. Walter LeFlore, Minister
Office: (540) 342-8888 | Mobile: (978) 618-1961
Email: revwleflore@gmail.com
Available: Tuesday-Saturday (by appointment only)

Rev. Walter and his wife Yvette relocated to Roanoke from Poughkeepsie, NY, where he served as minister to the UU Fellowship of Poughkeepsie from 2011 – 2019. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Unitarian-Universalist Ministers Association (UUMA), and he co-chaired the UUMA’s Committee on Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression, and Multiculturalism in 2016. He holds a Master in Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School. Rev. Walter explains that his call to serve as the Developmental Minister at UUCR came about because he was “looking for a congregation that I can genuinely partner with and can more fully utilize my interests, skills, competencies and vision for Unitarian Universalism. I want to work with a congregation that is interested in deepening a sense of community and more fully living into our covenant/principles.”

Rev. Kirk Ballin, Minister Emertius
Office: (540) 342-8888| Mobile: (540) 793-0752
Email: uurevkirk@aol.com
Rev. Kirk received his Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School in 1983. He served the Unitarian Universalist Church of Meadville, PA, from 1983-1987. Kirk was the full-time minister at UUCR from 1987-1999, and part-time minister at First Unitarian Church in Lynchburg, VA, from 2000-2003. He has been Minister Emeritus at UUCR since 2017.

Jessie McKeon, Director of Lifespan Faith Development
Office: (540) 342-8888 | Mobile: (540) 358-1588
Email: jmckeon@uuroanoke.org

Jessie (she/they) began their adventure as the Director of Lifespan Faith Development at UUCR in 2020. Jessie believes strongly in creative, brave, experiential religious education, drawing on seven years as a UU volunteer educator, 15 years of experience as an ACA accredited camp director, and a lifetime of wandering in the woods. Originally from Texas, Jessie holds a BA in Visual and Performing Arts and an MEd in Instructional Design and Technology, with a passion for visual literacy and accessible learning. Outside of UUCR, they can be found in our community and online as Raggedy Auntie in Raggedy Auntie Reads. Jessie loves living in Virginia’s Blue Ridge with their sweet cat, Endymion, and an ever-growing collection of rocks and string.

Kerry Morgiewicz, Music Director
Home: (540) 989-3190
Email: kmorgiewicz@uuroanoke.org
Kerry can meet by appointment
Choir on Wednesdays 7:15 pm.
Kerry Morgiewicz has been the Music Director at UUCR for 14 years. She loves the people here, and each year, she finds new and inspirational music to bring to the folks at UUCR. Kerry also works as an Instructor of Music at Hollins University and teaches private piano lessons. While her degrees are in piano performance, her heart resides in choral music and with UUCR choir, of course. Kerry often writes and arranges for the choir. Kerry and her husband Sev have twin boys, who make them very proud.

Our Governance

UUCR Board and Acting Board Members – As a self-governing religious organization, the congregation holds the Board of Directors accountable through the election process. Board members serve two-year terms, which are staggered for continuity. Each year at the Annual Meeting, a president-elect and new at-large Board members are elected to replace those who have completed their terms. The Board elects from its members a Personnel chair, and selects stewardship and governance committees. The Board may also create additional ad hoc or standing committees as needs arise.

Erika Joyner, VP Finance
Erika brings 25 years of bookkeeping for small businesses and non-profits to her position as VP Finance. She helped found the Roanoke Diversity Center and served on their board as Treasurer for seven years. She is the current Treasurer of Ladies and Gents of the Blue Ridge Transgender Alliance which she also helped to launch. She is a published poet, musician and transgender woman whose self-realization has brought much joy and wisdom into her life.

Jill Thompson, Member at Large: Personnel
Jill Thompson began attending UUCR in 2009, & after a few years away living in Pittsburgh, she returned to become a UUCR member in 2017. Jill lives in Roanoke County with her husband (Mike), teenagers (Heidi & Maya), dog (Jasper), & chickens (Luna, Pecky McPeckerson, Egga, Quarantina, Karen Carpenter, Dos Eggies, Peanut, & Ada Lovelace).  In her non-UUCR life, Jill is a physical therapist who works as Adjunct Professor in Radford University’s Department of Physical Therapy, & also provides pro-bono physical therapy at the Bradley Free Clinic.  In her spare time, Jill is a Girl Scout leader who enjoys helping girls get outdoors, help others, & have fabulous adventures.

Matt Livingston, Member at Large
Matt grew up going to UU churches in New York and Pennsylvania. He visited UUCR for the first time in 2002 shortly after moving into a nearby house in the Grandin neighborhood with his wife, Lori. Previously, he was on the UUCR Board from 2005 – 2009.  He and Lori have two daughters (Frances, 14 and Beatrice, 11). For 20+ years, he’s worked at Novozymes, a Danish biotech company, in various technical and commercial roles on projects related to wastewater treatment. He plays the mandolin and you occasionally might see him playing music as part of the service or at various establishments around Roanoke. You might also see him running on the streets around the Grandin neighborhood or the Roanoke Greenway. He’s recently taken up swimming and joined the Olympic Park summer swim team with his daughters and loves it! He’s an enneagram 3, “achiever”. His Myers-Briggs personality type is ENTP.

Rev Walter LeFlore, Non-Voting Board Member