Our Staff
Rev. Sangye Hawke
Minister
Rev. Sangye Hawke
Minister
We are so excited to announce that we have a new minister!
Reverend Sangye Hawke is a recent graduate of the progressive Unitarian Universalist Seminary, Starr King School for the Ministry of Oakland. Sangye graduated UC Berkeley at age 20, married, and became a stay-at-home mother of two daughters. Sangye also received the Bodhisattva Vow in Karma Kagyu Buddhism, became a Martial Arts instructor, and a historic cemetery preservationist in the city of Santa Cruz, California. It was here that the Call to Unitarian Universalism Ministry and a passion for local history guided Sangye as they/she unearthed new discoveries of Unitarian ancestry and activism in “pre-statehood” California. In early 2021, after receiving her/their Master of Divinity, Sangye was welcomed into Fellowship by the UUA and ordained by two congregations, each historically part of California’s history: the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Santa Cruz County, California. Sangye also identifies as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous Person of Color) and serves as an active executive member of Diverse & Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM).
Rev. Sangye will start the week of August 1 on a one-year renewable contract, and will preach at our service on Sunday, August 7!
Bob Miess
Office Manager
Bob Miess
Office Manager
Bob Miess became our office manager in 2020. Ordained as a Lutheran minister over 45 years ago, he chose a secular career in technology after three years in the ministry. Bob became a member of the First Unitarian Church of San Jose in 1998, and has been Unitarian Universalist ever since. He works with a dynamic team of Office Associates to support the ministries of our congregation. He and the Office Associates can be reached by email here. If you would like some help with something, or you would like to be a part of the team, or if you have any questions about how we do what we do, he would be happy to help. Just email him here.
Lian Li
Pianist
Lian Li
Pianist
Lian grew up in China and got her undergraduate degree in piano performance from Xinghai Conservatory of Music. She then came to the United States and received her Masters of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Cincinnati. She is working on her Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano.
Lian’s husband Leo is a pharmacist, and they have a three-year-old daughter, Aria. When Lian is not playing the piano she likes to listen to classical music, jazz, and Aria has introduced her to Disney music. Lian also likes to travel, work out, do puzzles, and try out new coffee shops.