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The Unitarian Universalist
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UUCP
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In Focus: Julio Perez, President UUCP
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 Julio Perez became President of the UUCP in June 2001. Known for his affable personality and readiness to face a challenge, he seemed a most likely candidate for the position. As Julio recalls, "The process by which I have become president of this congregation was totally unexpected. It felt more like being drafted. Though I was interested in continuing to participate in a leadership role, I didn't feel ready to take on such a heavy responsibility as that of president." Julio spent the next several weeks thinking about what undertaking such a huge commitment would entail and sought counsel from many individuals. Specifically he sought the support of his wife Sydelle and daughter Hannah, as well as members of the Board of Trustees whose support and encouragement "relieved a great deal of the anxiety. I recognized that the bond of trust and common objectives, which holds us together as a spiritual community, would continue to be there." Julio saw that his most important role would be to listen closely and transform the many thoughts moving through the congregation into action with purpose and direction. Prior to taking on this leadership role, Julio was Chair of the Program Team. He was drawn to that team because he found the tone and variety of themes expressed in Sunday services to be "fascinating." Julio said, "I wanted to be a part of that expression. My Ex-Catholic, Neo-Pagan heart and soul yearned to share and learn with those who understood that the truth is in the search and there are many paths to explore. I soon found myself participating or leading such diverse services as the Summer Solstice, Dia de los Muertos (November 1st), Kwanzaa, July 4th, Freedom, as well as many others."The Perez family began attending the UUCP in 1997 when Julio's cousin Rosa introduced them to the congregation. They joined about eight months later in 1998. The incentive to join was because "Unitarian Universalism provided an environment where I could feel naturally at home with the variety of spiritual paths I have followed throughout my life. I was happy to find a community that encourages the search and sharing of spiritual understanding from a variety of perspectives. It was extremely refreshing to find a denomination with a set of core principles that so clearly reflected and supported the way of life I wished to lead. UUCP's proactive approach and commitments to promoting cultural diversity and understanding and eliminating racism made it an irresistible combination." As President, Julio has experienced many joys. "They've come from seeing how we can work together to identify a course of action and taking the steps necessary to realizing our goals. A perfect example is the development and adoption of our growth campaign and the comprehensive remodeling of our organizational structure, which we have instituted over the past six months, to achieving the goals necessary for growth."One of the more challenging experiences was dealing with the variety of political views and reactions stemming from the tragedies of September 11th. Despite a range of intense feelings from pacifism to justifiable military intervention Julio believes we have managed to comfort each other. "Under terrific stress and fear, we've allowed each other the space to cry and rage, giving vent to our pain and losses. As we've weathered the emotional storm, we've taken care to understand, forgive and validate our diverse views as needed." As President, perhaps the most frustrating challenge is balancing large goals with limited time and resources. Julio says, "In order to reduce frustration and burnout, we need to balance the amount of time and energy we devote to the congregation with compassion and appreciation for each other as well as ourselves. We need to remind ourselves this is a volunteer organization, and appreciate all the things we manage to accomplish." Julio's major short-term goal is to find a more suitable home to hold our worship services and other congregational activities. His overall goal is to have an active membership of 75 or more within the next two years, and a full time minister in 3 to 4 years. The ability to manage a career, family life, and being President of this congregation would be an enormous challenge to anyone. Julio is also blind. "As I've grow older, I find that blindness is less relevant to my core identity. Over time, it has become less of a handicap and more like a gift of perspective. What I do for the congregation I am also doing for myself. It is directly proportional to the love and acceptance I have been receiving from the beginning of our journey together." Julio was also a member of the Communications Team. His contributions to the team include introduced standards with the technology. To those feeling a bit apprehensive about using computers and other new technology Julio suggests, "When confronted by a piece of technology I do not understand but need to use, I find it extremely helpful to play with it like a child would; lifting the hood and kicking the wheels; tempering my fear of the unknown with directed familiarity. After this phase, I can adopt a more mature approach and start learning how to get it to do what I need it to do." In closing, Julio said, "We are engaged in an evolutionary growth process during which mistakes will be made and learning is more important than blame. By coupling dedication and generosity with compassion and appreciation we will create the operating environment we need to function and grow." |
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