IMN BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
President – 1st term through 2026
Cynthia Vermillion-Foster, Unity Church
Director - 1st term through 2027
Rev. Cynthia Vermillion-Foster- An ordained Unity minister since 1997, Cynthia has served Unity ministries in both the US and in Canada. Her passion for systems thinking and adaptive leadership has led her to pursue consulting, mediation and transitional work. Openheartconsulting.net
In 2018, Cynthia completed the Interim Ministry Network’s training, and has served on their Board of Directors since 2024. She has served several communities as a transitional minister and has recently completed a 2-and-a-half-year assignment with Unity Church of the Hills in Austin, TX.
In addition to Interim Network training, Cynthia is a certified Healthy Congregations Facilitator, and has two certifications from Conrad Grabel University’s Peace Studies Program:
Conflict Management and Congregational Leadership
Conflict Management and Mediation
Cynthia was Director of Member Services for Unity Worldwide Ministries from 2016 to 2021, where she oversaw all aspects of ministry services, including ministry development, consulting and transitional services, conflict transformation, ethics, ministry employment, and credentialing.
Cynthia’s first career was as a ballet dancer. The metaphors of dance and movement continue to inspire Cynthia on the spiritual journey, which she views as an ongoing dance of discovery, growth, and transformation.
Vice-President – 1st term through 2026
Dave Clements, Unitarian Universalist Association
Director - 1st term through 2027
Reverend Dave Clements is an Ordained Minister in the Unitarian Universalist Faith and served as an Interim Minister at the Cape Town, South Africa Unitarian Church. He is a graduate of Meadville Lombard Theological School. Prior to his call to ministry, he worked as an organizational development consultant overseeing strategic planning, entrepreneurship and fundraising, held several management and director positions, and owned his own consulting business. He is currently serving as the accredited Developmental Minister for the Unitarian church in Alexandria VA Dave has served with distinction as IMN’s Annual Conference Team Lead for several years, including guiding its transition to a virtual Conference during and after the pandemic.
Secretary – 2nd term through 2026
Shannon Mang, United Church of Canada
Director - 2 year term through 2027
Rev. Shannon Mang, based in Western Canada, has been in paid accountable Ministry since 1989. She did the Intentional Interim Ministry training early in her career, and her first formal IIM was at Trochu-Elnora, Alberta in 1994-1995. She applied Interim Ministry tools and skills to several short-term appointments, and to a ten-year ministry with St. Andrews United Church in Calgary, re-entering formal IIM with Living Spirit United Church, Calgary (2017-2020). At present, she enjoys life in the Rocky Mountains in Canmore, Alberta and is doing a virtual IIM with St Andrew’s United Church in Markham, Ontario, some 2000 miles/3500 km away, teaming with an “on-the-ground” ministry partner. Raised in the United Church of Canada and ordained in 2005, Shannon brings significant ecumenical experiences: as a steward at the 1983 World Council of Churches meeting in Vancouver, as a student at an ecumenical seminary (Vancouver School of Theology), as a college chaplain (joint United-Presbyterian at the University of Calgary), and as a Director of Religious Exploration with the Calgary Unitarians. She is drawn to justice and contemplative practice, is an avid singer and learner, and one who loves to play in the snow.
Secretary – 4th term through 2026
Margret O'Neall, Unitarian Universalist Association
Director - 2nd term through 2026
Rev. Dr. Margret A. O’Neall an Accredited Interim Minister serving Unitarian Universalist churches in times of transition and development. Margret holds academic degrees in Community Development and Sociology and earned her Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School. She entered intentional interim ministry following a 35-year career working in the public and private sectors, and her call to ministry follows her passion for the transformation process that individuals and organizations may engage with intention in times of change. Since entering the ministry in 2009, Margret has served interim ministries in Sarasota, FL; Buffalo, NY; Schenectady, NY; Phoenix, AZ; and a developmental ministry in Cherry Hill, NJ. She is now serving a half-time contract ministry in Kingston, NY. Margret is a member of the IMN faculty.
BOARD MEMBERS
Doug Duerr, Unity Church
Director - 2 year term through 2026
Rev. Doug Duerr is an ordained minister with the Association of Unity Churches and has served in leadership with Unity Worldwide Ministries and as a settled and Intentional Interim Minister. He aligns with IMN as an organization dedicated to “strengthen the spiritual and organizational health of faith communities by equipping and supporting those who lead during times of transition.” Doug is passionate about the value of the interim period and the substantial results of effective transitional guidance and leadership. He currently serves as a Ministry Consultant, Student Cohort Leader, Coach, Transition Specialist, and Intentional Interim Minister with a focus on organizational change and transition. Doug’s passion for organizational development, education, and process consulting are evident in his work. Rev. Doug is a faculty member for the Unity seminary teaching courses on purpose, leadership, and mediation skills. He is a published author and is Dare to Lead Trained™ from Brené Brown. His latest book, Resonance, is filled with daily devotionals inspired by his original photography depicting God’s beauty in nature that is often missed in the busyness of life. His ministry is grounded in “Unlocking the creative genius of communities and co-creating a culture of belonging.”
Patrice Curtis, Unitarian Universalist Association
Director - 1st term through 2028
Rev. Patrice K. Curtis is UUA’s Transformational Interim Ministries Director. Patrice collaborates with and supports interim ministers in amplifying and practicing diversity, equity, and inclusion within congregations, and in disrupting unhealthy patterns that make Beloved Community difficult to realize. Before beginning ministry at the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), Patrice served four congregations and as Program Director with the UU Justice Ministry of California. Patrice practices Tibetan Buddhist-based spirituality (20+years), has trained in teaching Shamata meditation, and studied Mindful Self-Compassion, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
Keith Copeland, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Director - 1st term through 2028
Rev. Dr. Keith Copeland has served as an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Pastor for 30 years. He has served as settled pastor in 4 congregations and as the interim pastor of 14 congregations in 3 different denominations. In addition, he coaches leaders in communities of faith who are leading in times of transition as well as those experiencing personal and professional transitions. Keith is active on several IMN teams and projects and is the ELCA’s Interim Ministry Association Board Chair.
Ilana Garber, Jewish, Conservative
Director - 1st term through 2026
Rabbi Ilana C. Garber is the Senior Director of Rabbinic Leadership for the Rabbinical Assembly, a global membership organization of over 1,600 rabbis who are associated with the Conservative/Masorti Movement of Judaism. Previously, she served the synagogue community of Beth El Temple (West Hartford, CT) for fifteen years.
A graduate from the double degree program of List College (Talmud) and Barnard College (Religion) in 2000, she received her MA from the Wm. Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education in 2003, and was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2005.
A visionary Jewish educator, Rabbi Garber created SULAM (Seek, Understand, Learn, Act, Marvel) in a complete overhaul of Beth El Temple’s religious school. Passionate about the mikveh, she wrote the curriculum to train mikveh guides for Boston’s Mayyim Hayyim: Living Waters Community Mikveh. Currently she serves on the board of Greater Hartford’s Mikveh Bess Israel.
Robert McFarlane, Uniting Church in Australia
Director - 1st term through 2027
The Rev. Dr. Robert McFarlane serves as Presbytery Ministry Leader within the Parramatta Nepean Presbytery – PNP – (Synod of NSW and the Australian Capital Territory – NSW/ACT – within the Uniting Church in Australia). PNP has 60 congregations with 35 ministers, serving a region of 2,000,000 in western Sydney, characterized by cultural diversity and new housing areas.
This means that he works with congregations to help them be as healthy in their own life, and as strong in their mission and service in their communities as they can be. Rob also works with ministers to help them be as spiritually and emotionally healthy as possible, and as effective in their ministry as they, too, can be.
Rob oversees the placement of ministers in congregations (including IIM), continuing education for ministry, and ministry retreats. He also works with congregations in mission planning and discernment using IIM-related skills, notably Appreciative Inquiry and Asset Mapping.
Jeff Nelson, United Church of Christ
Director - 1st term through 2028
Rev. Jeffrey A. Nelson is the Minister for Ministerial Calls and Transitions for the United Church of Christ, with over 15 years as a local church pastor in northeast Ohio. He holds a Bachelor’s in Religion from Heidelberg University and a Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary. Trained as a spiritual director, he focuses on Christian spirituality, aiming to educate and connect the transcendent to everyday life. His latest book, The Unintentional Interim: Ministry in Times of Transition, was to released, alongside other works on spirituality and pop culture
Jack Shitama, United Methodist Church
Director - 1st term through 2028
Rev. Jack Shitama is the Director of the Center for Vital Leadership, which serves the Peninsula-Delaware and Baltimore-Washington Conferences of The United Methodist Church (UMC). He is an ordained UMC minister and has served as pastor of churches in Port Deposit, MD and Chesapeake City, MD.
Jack is the author of four books: Anxious Church, Anxious People: How to Lead Change in an Age of Anxiety, One New Habit, One Big Goal: Change Your Life in 10 Weeks. If You Met My Family You’d Understand: A Family Systems Primer, Everyone Loves a Non-Anxious Presence: Calm Down, Grow Up, and Live Your Best Life. His website is the www.thenonanxiousleader.com. His podcast, The Non-Anxious Leader podcast is available on all platforms.
Carolyn Spalding Woodall, United Church of Canada
Director - 1st term through 2028
Rev. Carolyn Woodall is an ordained Intentional Interim Minister of The United Church of Canada. Her experience includes three settled pastoral charges and three Interim appointments over 35 years. Her passion is exploring the cultural/political/social contexts of the biblical texts, especially Pauline and prophetic, so that the ancient words might speak again boldly to the circumstances of our own times.
Kate Young, United Church of Canada
Director - 1st term through 2026
Rev. Kate Young has served in ministry in the United Church of Canada since 1987. From the large cattle ranches of south Saskatchewan to the silver and copper mines of the near north in Ontario, in rural, urban, and suburban congregations, single, and multi point, small, medium, and large congregations she has always found people dedicated to serving God and neighbor, especially through change and transition. A proud mom of 3 grown daughters, a nana of 3 small grandsons, Kate and her husband Neil make their home in Mississauga, Ontario. She has just completed her first official intentional interim position with a Toronto congregation. Kate has lots of experience in governance and judicatory boards at all levels of the church.