Rev. Victoria Poling
Minister
Rev. Victoria (she/her) is our ¼-time minister with a focus on worship, pastoral care, and shared ministry. Her theology centers on Spirit–a flow of divine love, breath, and life energy through the interdependent web of all life. In her ministry, she witnesses tender and joyful moments, asks guiding questions, teaches spiritual practices, leads rites of passage, engages environmental justice, and honors the wisdom of the body. Following a career in nonprofit administration and experiential education, she received her Master of Divinity from Seattle University in 2020. She serves concurrently as Minister to the Vashon Island UUs, and as a Spiritual Director in private practice.
Melinda Hughes, Director of Religious Exploration
Melinda Hughes
Director of Religious Exploration
Melinda Hughes is our 1/4-time director of religious exploration, overseeing programing for children and youth from crawlers through high school graduation. Melinda has spent her adult life working with children at girl scout camp or in the classroom. In addition to working at KUUF she teaches high school full time. She has a Bachelors in English from the University of Washington, Masters-in-Teaching from The Evergreen State College, and administrators credential from Western Washington University.
Tanesha Smith
Congregational Administrator
Tanesha Smith is a treasure to our fellowship! When you enter our admin building she is the one who will greet you. She loves her family, her dogs, and the KUUF community.
Tanesha was raised in Portland, Oregon and then spent 15 years on Maui, Hawaii where her husband Robert and her raised their five children. Tanesha loves caring for animals, surfing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and creating art.
Contact Tanesha if you have any questions regarding your membership, your pledge, or renting our building.
Jennifer Ingalls, RN
Parish Nurse
Learn about what a parish nurse provides.
You can contact Jennifer by phone, email or in person on Sunday mornings.
Brian Kenny
Music Coordinator & Accompanist
Brian coordinates all of our music and accompanies our musicians, our choir, and our fellowship every single Sunday. When he isn’t at KUUF, he is practicing his piano and playing recitals around Kitsap County. Brian has been with KUUF since 2018.
Alena Hemingway
Choir Director
Alena directs our all-comers choir, and holds rehearsals every Thursday evening at 6:00 here at KUUF.
A seasoned performer in jazz, pop, R&B, a cappella, and musical theatre, Alena brings an eclectic perspective to our group. With degrees in Speech and Hearing Science, and Vocal Performance, she shares the artistry and mechanics of singing in equal measure.
“I grew up in this choir. Singing at KUUF helped me find my calling as a professional vocalist and music educator. I’ve toured the world performing everything from rock to jazz, arias to R&B. After earning degrees in speech and hearing science, and vocal performance, I feel so blessed to be back home sharing what I’ve learned with our wonderful community.”
Alena also loves hiking, mountain biking, and playing pickle ball with her family — and jumping into any body of water she can find.
Meet the Childcare Staff:
Dianna Blair: Childcare Coordinator
Mal Hughes: Religious Exploration Teacher and Childcare Provider
Yuuto Blair: Childcare Provider
Hello, I am Yuuto, I'm a nonbinary person and my pronouns are they/them. I'm a writer, photographer, artist, and a reader to name a few and I'm always ready to learn something new. While working at KUUF I learn a lot and get to meet many wonderful people in the process. Thank you!