Our Minister and Staff
Rev. Marcus Liefert,
Developmental Minister
Email: revmarcus@uumarin.org Phone: (415) 578-9632
Rev. Liefert serves our congregation as a Developmental Minister, working on five goals the congregation established as priorities to grow in health and vibrancy. Rev. Liefert is a dynamic speaker and storyteller who leads worship services that engage the head, heart, and spirit. One focus of his ministry is multiculturalism, rooted in the Unitarian Universalist vision of a justice-centered beloved community that finds strength and wholeness in embracing diversity. As a Millennial—a member of the least church-going generation in American history—he also seeks creative ways to support the congregation to meet the needs of youth and young adults. Brought up in the Bay Area, Rev. Liefert is a graduate of Starr King Seminary in Berkeley. He has served congregations in Vancouver, British Columbia and Rochester, New York. Rev. Liefert lives in Berkeley with his four-year-old son, Henry.
Rev. Theresa Novak, Affiliated Minister
Rev. Theresa and her spouse, Anne Spatola, first joined UU Marin in the mid-90’s when their three children were small. Both were active lay leaders until Theresa took early retirement from the Social Security Administration and entered Starr King School for the Ministry. She graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 2007 and UU Marin ordained her that same year. After serving an internship in Annapolis, Maryland, Rev. Theresa served the UU Church of Ogden, Utah for seven years. They have honored her by naming her Minister Emerita. After returning to California, Rev. Theresa served as a part time minister for the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarians and later as an interim minister for the UU’s of Petaluma. She is now retired and happy to be back at UU Marin. Anne and Theresa are both active in the Unitarian Universalist Retired Ministers and Partners Association. As our affiliated minister, Rev. Theresa offers occasional worship services and sometimes teaches classes.
Religious Exploration (RE)
Rev. Lynne Scarpa, Director of Family Ministries
Email: revlynne@uumarin.org
Raised in the Bay Area, Rev. Lynne graduated with a degree in Water Resources, and has taught science for elementary schools in both outdoor and classroom settings. After graduating from seminary, she was ordained by the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) and coordinated religious education and volunteer programs among other roles. After seven years, she left ministry to raise her two sons, yet continued to coordinate and teach religious education as a volunteer. Now that her sons are adults, Rev. Lynne returns to ministry as our Director of Family Ministries. She strives to provide a robust Sunday program for our children, as well as creating events for families to connect with one another. Rev. Lynne encourages play-based learning in the Sunday morning programs which includes a new in-person table top role playing adventures for our older children. She collaborates with Rev. Liefert to include our youth in worship and interactive holiday services.
Libby Reyff, Assistant Director of Family Ministries
Email: libby@uumarin.org
Our newest staff member, Libby Reyff, comes to UU Marin with a background of spiritual study in Sufism and Zen Buddhism. They are an early childhood educator by day, with a passion for creating opportunities for children to experience the beauty of the natural world and cultivate a sense of stewardship of the land. Libby graduated from Scripps College with a degree in Environmental Analysis and a focus of study on how and why humans interact with the environment as we do. When not teaching, you can find them exploring trails in Marin County or planning backpacking trips across the country.
Luka Coole, Elementary Childhood Coordinator
Email: luka@uumarin.org
Luka Coole is a third generation UU, born and raised in Sonoma County. They have previously studied
early childhood education, though they are currently pursuing degrees in theatre arts and fashion design. Working with children and families has been a big part of their life and one of their many passions, mainly taking the form of supporting children with special needs and their families. Luka has attended UU Marin since August 2018, volunteering as an RE techer. Now, they are delighted to serve on the RE team as our Elementary Age Childhood Coordinator and work with the elementary class while assisting Debra with the preschool and kindergarteners.
Debra Bright, Early Childhood Coordinator
Email: Debra@uumarin.org
Debra is happy to be working with the birth-to-five year olds in RE. As a retired 
pediatrician, it is a pleasure for her to be in the company of all types of children. Her children’s experience in RE over the years gave them a personal depth of experience unparalleled elsewhere in their lives. Debra is a lifetime UUer, and wherever she has moved, she has always found home in the local UU community. She arrived at UU Marin in the fall of 2007. A warm welcome and lifetime friendships were what kept her coming back. Debra’s family background is multi-racial. She loves singing hymns, doing yoga, and walking outdoors.
Music Programs
Amanda Nelson, Choir Director
Email: mUUsic@UUMarin.org
Amanda Morando has been the choir director here at UU Marin since late 2012. She has sung in choirs since she was young and received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from UC Santa Barbara in 2010. She studied conducting with Jan Pedersen Schiff at Singers Marin as the youth choral program director. Currently, other than her position as choir director, she teaches Music & Drama at Dixie Elementary School, Drama at Vallecito Elementary, and teaches and directs children’s musicals at Rhythms Performing Arts in Novato.
Milton Wong, Pianist
Milton works with numbers by day at CSAA Insurance Group but fills his evenings and weekends with various musical activities. Chamber music being his favorite musical genre, he plays piano, violin, and viola in several freelance chamber music ensembles in the Bay Area. Milton graduated with a minor in music, has a lot of accompanying and orchestral experience, and has been the pianist at UU Marin since 1993.
Administrative Staff
BE Lundy, Administrator 
Email: belundy@uumarin.org
Direct: (415) 578 9577
BE has worked in the nonprofit world for two decades in areas ranging from personnel management to development and communications to legacy giving. A native of upstate New York, she graduated from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam with a major in violin performance and spent the first half of her career as a classical musician and violin teacher. Most recently she held positions at San Francisco Girls Chorus and San Francisco Opera prior to becoming the administrator at UU Marin in August 2021.
Alisa DePalma, Rental Coordinator
Email: events@uumarin.org
Direct: (415)578-9785
Alisa DePalma, a member of UU Marin since 2019, is former artistic director and producer of her dance company in Los Angeles, By the Light of the Moon Dance Project. An avid tea enthusiast, she can often be seen blending, brewing, drinking and talking about tea, as well as hosting small tea parties.
