Board & Staff

2026-2027 AEU Board of Directors Meeting Dates

• Monday, September 14, 2026, 7pm ET
• Monday, October 19, 2026, 7pm ET
• Monday, November 16, 2026, 7pm ET (Register →)
• Saturday, December 12, 2026, 10am ET (Register →)
• Monday, January 11, 2027, 7pm ET (Register →)
• Saturday, February 13, 2027, 10am ET (Valentine’s Day Weekend) (Register →)
• Monday, March 8, 2027, 7pm ET (Register →)
• Saturday, April 9-11, 2027, Onsite Weekend (Register →)
• Monday, May 10, 2027, 7pm ET (Mother’s Day Weekend) (Register →)
• Saturday, June 12, 2027, 10am ET (Register →)
• Monday, June 21, 2027, 7pm ET (Last Board Meeting before Assembly) (Register →)
• Sunday, July 25, 2027 (Tentative, Board Meeting at Assembly) (Register →)
• Monday, September 13, 2027, 7pm ET (Register →)

 

The AEU fiscal year is October 1 – September 30.

Guests are welcome to attend online AEU Board of Director meetings, but participation is limited to AEU Board members unless the agenda indicates otherwise. Registration is required for all attendees. The registration link is typically published within two weeks of the meeting (if not earlier).

How do items get added to the meeting agendas?
Proposals requiring Board decisions move forward through advocacy by Board members, Regional Teams, Board committees, and other groups. A call for agenda items is emailed prior to every regular Board meeting with instructions and a deadline for requesting time on the next agenda. The timeline for the call, the deadline, and publishing the Board packet is usually determined during the prior Board meeting. Folks are always encouraged to coordinate with their Board Representatives and Regional Teams, who are the first point of contact for Board business.

Board meeting agendas and related documents are shared with AEU Board Representatives before every meeting. Please contact your Board Representative if you would like to review any meeting documents.

 

 

Board of Directors

Jackie Simms (Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville)

Jackie co-founded the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville in 2001 and is currently president of the Board. She has been affiliated with the Ethical Society of St. Louis since 1978 when she enrolled her daughter in their Sunday School and is still a member to this day. Jackie is a retired educator and administrator, having spent over 40 years teaching deaf and hard of hearing individuals ranging from infants to adults. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying the great outdoors, listening to music, and dancing.

 

Wendell Bohannon (Ethical Humanists of Atlanta)

As a seeker of truth and transformation, Wendell accepted a Meetup invitation to learn more about Ethical Culture in March 2016 and has been a member of the Movement ever since. Wendell believes that it takes all of us to build an equitable society and he is more than willing to do his part. He was born and raised in New Jersey and is now living in Georgia close by to his two sons while raising two grandsons.

 

Carolyn Parker (Ethical Society of Austin)

Dr. Carolyn A. Parker is an Ethical Culturist and member of the Ethical Society of Austin. She is also an activist with experience in advocacy at local, state, and national levels. Carolyn’s education gave her a background in the liberal arts and social sciences, supporting her work in teaching, writing, and organizational management with an international perspective.

 

 

Khandra Sears (Baltimore Ethical Society) – Vice President

Khandra’s relationship with Ethical Culture began as she pursued an undergraduate degree in microbiology and began to question what faith and the Bible meant to her. As she moved to Baltimore to earn a PhD in Microbiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), she started to attend Baltimore Ethical Society Platforms and went on to join them as a member. Currently, Khandra works at UMSOM as part of a research team that develops live oral vaccines primarily against non-typhoidal strains of Salmonella enterica but also against other enteric bacteria. Since gastroenteric infections are still a leading cause of illness and death in children in resource-limited regions, she takes pride in the fact that she is working to address this issue and ultimately improve human lives.

 

Eric Sandhusen (Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County)

 

Tom Castelnuovo (Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture) – Treasurer

Tom Castelnuovo has been a member of Brooklyn Ethical since 2005 and has served as Treasurer and Board Chair for BSEC. Professionally, he has developed enterprise computer systems for New York City for Parking Violations, Special Education and Child Welfare. He founded Fulton Street Software, a child welfare computer system majority owned by NY Child Welfare agencies. Tom and his wife Carolyn host an excellent Halloween display in South Brooklyn each year.

 

Ken Novak (Chicago Ethical Humanist Circle)

An Ethical Culturist for over 30 years, Ken is deeply involved in our Movement and plays an active role in planning and implementing Societal growth. He also attended and staffed Ethical Culture Summer School programs. Ken is a founding Board member and currently President of the Chicago Ethical Humanist Circle and served as a member of the AEU Board from 2014 to 2020.

 

Nastassia Snaden (Northeast Indiana Ethical Humanists)

 

Steven Seiden (Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island)

 

Jill Aul (Ethical Society of Mid Rivers)

Jill has been a member of the Ethical Society Mid Rivers since 2005. She served as Board President for 8 years, chaired various committees, and has been the Society Administrator for the past 5 years. Jill returns to the AEU Board in 2025, having previously served from 2015-2018. In addition to her 30 year career as a retired public school teacher, Jill has also been a professional clown, Weight Watchers leader and regional director for PFLAG National. She and her spouse, Bill, are the proud parents of two adult sons and one adorable grandson.

 

Liz Singer (New York Society for Ethical Culture)

Liz has been a member of the New York Society for Ethical Culture for 10 years and is in her seventh year of serving on their board. Professionally, she is a Geriatric Care Manager and End of Life Specialist. Prior to her Geriatric business, Liz held executive positions at Federation Corporation, Associated Dry Goods, and Cansal USA.

 

 

Scott Wright (Ethical Society of St. Louis) – President

Scott has been a member of the Ethical Society of St. Louis for 11 years and served on its board for three years as a President-Track Trustee. He holds a master’s degree in project management from Washington University in St. Louis, where he currently works in project management. A casual gamer, tabletop dungeon master, philosophy enthusiast, and adventurous foodie, Scott has been an AEU Director since June 2024 and currently serves as the AEU Board President.

 

 

Melissa Sinclair (Northern Virginia Ethical Society)

Melissa has been a member of the Northern Virginia Ethical Society (NoVES) for 18 years and is currently Board President. She was also the Education Director at both NoVES and the Washington Ethical Society, increasing enrollment in their education programs by 600% and 525% respectively over a four-year span at each.

 

Jeanine Rosh (Ethical Culture Society of Essex County)

 

Daniel Hoffman (Philadelphia Ethical Society)

 

Thomas Raffaele (Ethical Humanist Society of Queens)

 

Kay Dundorf (Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture)

 

Pattie Arduini (Susquehanna Valley Ethical Society)

 

John Dukovic (Ethical Culture Society of Silicon Valley)

 

Fred Breidt (Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle)

 

John Daken (Washington Ethical Society)

John is a past President of the Washington Ethical Society and served as chair of the AEU Membership Committee from 2020 to 2023. This is his second year on the AEU Board. In the personal sphere, John works as a psychotherapist with a particular interest in extending high-quality services to his diverse community of Silver Spring, MD. Along with his family, he is also a founding member of a residential cohousing community dedicated to intentional and sustainable living.

 

Rhiannon Johnson (Westchester Community for Ethical Culture) – Secretary

Rhiannon recently moved to the New York area and joined the Westchester Community for Ethical Culture to build a community that works together to serve others. She is currently the Director of Laboratory Science and Services at PDI. At work, Rhiannon serves on the Women’s Empowerment Network Mentorship Committee. She is also passionate about volunteering and has mentored professional scientists in the Association for Women in Science for the past three years. While living in Boston, Rhiannon was an active member of Boston Cares, participating in multiple volunteer groups over six years with an emphasis on food insecurity, the environment, and animal welfare.

 

Celi Veras (Ethical Society of Northern Westchester)

 

Louise Jett (National Leaders Council Representative)

Louise Jett is an Ethical Humanist Leader, creative director, storyteller, and educator who helps turn ideas into meaningful human connection. As Creative Director for the Ethical Society of St. Louis and Statewide Branding Manager for the State of Illinois, she brings values to life through storytelling, design, programming, and community-building. Her career spans journalism, higher education, graphic design, photography, leadership, and social media, united by a gift for making complex ideas clear, memorable, and inspiring. Louise approaches her work with curiosity, compassion, humor, and a commitment to helping people flourish together.

 

Randy Best (National Leaders Council Representative)

 

Julia Julstrom-Agoyo (Future of Ethical Societies Representative, Affiliate Organization)

Julia grew up in Ethical Culture and serves as the Future of Ethical Societies Liaison to the AEU. Currently, she works for the United Nations’ Department of Peace Operations on a team tasked with analyzing their demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration processes. Previously, Julia worked as a Family Reunification Specialist for unaccompanied immigrant minors in her hometown of Chicago and assisted in the representation of detained non-citizens facing deportation in New York as a paralegal. 

 

Awaiting Appointment (National Ethical Society Representative, Affiliate Organization)

 

 

Staff

Greg Bonin, Developmental Director

Greg is an Ethical Culture Leader who specializes in institutional and organizational facilitation. Greg brings a praxis grounded in embodiment, humanistic interdependence, and reflective inquiry as a method for lifelong formation. Greg is also a community minister with the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Schedule a Zoom call with Greg →

 

Sheron Fraser-Burgess, Leadership Dean

Sheron is an ethicist and Professor Emeritus of Social Foundations of Education and Multicultural Education at Ball State University. She also lectures in Educational Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania. Her scholarship explores ethics, democracy, social justice, and the role of education in cultivating critical inquiry, pluralism, and civic responsibility, with particular attention to Black consciousness across the African Diaspora. She has published widely, co-edited major handbooks on ethics and education, and serves in leadership roles within the philosophy of education field.