Rev George Grimm-Howell

Minister

Rev. George Grimm-Howell joined UUFH in August 2024 as its settled minister. George graduated from the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2022 and recently served the UU Church of Columbia, MO and the UU Fellowship of Jefferson City, MO. He was ordained in St. Louis, MO, in June 2024. 

George puts his energy primarily into efforts for building and sustaining a multigenerational, multicultural beloved community that centers love, justice, and healing. George frequently incorporates socially transformative art forms into the worship experience. He also seeks to create opportunities for encounter and dialogue in the Hendersonville community and beyond to support the LGBTQ+ community along with people of color, migrants, and indigenous people. 

George has deep roots in Indiana farm country. After college he lived in Northern Virginia where he met his spouse and life partner, Betsy, ultimately settling in St. Louis 1994 where they raised two children. During George and Betsy’s thirty years at the First Unitarian Church of St. Louis, George fell in love with this free and fearless faith and participated deeply in church life. In mid-life, George began to feel the call to ministry, finally enrolling at the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2017. There, George studied with other UUs, along with Christians and those of many other faiths, while also exploring the transformative power of art and theology. As a result, his theology is expansive, embracing pantheism, religious naturalism, and Earth-centered spirituality, along with Jewish and Christian traditions.

George’s vision for ministry in Hendersonville is to continue to center love and create a community of care, both at UUFH and for those in our community who are marginalized, suffering, or just plain lonely. He hopes to create a shared ministry for all ages that embraces music and the arts, poetry, and joyful worship that stirs the heart, engages the body, and fosters spiritual growth.

email Rev George, revgeorge@nulluufhnc.org

Sunday Shae (Angleton) Parker

Coordinator of Family Ministry

Sunday Shae (Angleton) Parker was born on a Monday in the small Texas border town of Del Rio. A graduate of the University of New Orleans and Loyola her professional careers include researching, writing, teaching, event organizing, and partnering with Tulane and Loyola Universities to open and direct a learning center offering free academic tutoring to 6th-12th grade public school students in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Sunday worked with the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival for more than ten years as a student program coordinator, editor, and writing contest judge; is a cofounder of the New Orleans Ernest Hemingway Contest; and a former event planner for the El Pobre de Mi Celebration at the San Fermin in Nueva Orleans festival (the New Orleans Running of the Bulls). She also served as the lead research assistant for the PBS Documentary: Lindy Boggs: Steel and Velvet. As if all this is not enough, Sunday has held a plethora of odd jobs, ranging from selling art in the French Quarter, wrangling musicians for the House of Blues, and waitressing in small-town Texas.

Sunday and her husband David – ghost writer, professor, novelist – have two children: Clyde Kelly (8) and Chloe Kae (5). Clyde goes to Hendersonville Elementary and loves their STEM projects; Chloe is a kindergartner in Bruce Drysdale’s dual language program. Rounding out the household is a 2-year old hound dog mix – Dorothy Parker. 

email Sunday, re@nulluufhnc.org

Janey Ryan

Choir Director

Janey Ryan was born in Uvalde, Texas.  She was immediately adopted by unsuspecting parents, James & Sybil Nance.

Growing up in Texas, Janey was a tomboy who derived great satisfaction in riding go-karts, skateboards (when a skateboard consisted of a piece of 2×6 and an old skate nailed to the bottom by Daddy), baseball with the neighborhood kids and climbing the mulberry tree in the front yard.

She loved talking ~ much to the dismay of that same Daddy, whose favorite word to her was “Shhhh!!!” ~ and elementary teachers were quick to write “Talks Too Much!!!” on her report cards….in INK! A legacy was born!

She grew up in the church of Christ and it is there where she grew to love singing. She gained early notoriety in the earth-shattering duet with Ruby Bertram, “Soup Without Onions”….perhaps you’ve heard tell….

Fast forward, after getting a degree in Music Education, Janey taught for almost 30 years in the field of ~ you guessed it ~ music education.  Choral music was her specialty & her super~power (one of them) was teaching middle school-aged kids. (A moment of silence please.) 

While she taught, she sang and acted professionally on the side .  She experienced the stages of Granbury Opera House, Deep Elum Opera, Abilene Opera Association, Dallas Opera, Dallas Lyric Opera and Houston Grand Opera.  It was during her 2 years as a chorister that Janey was fortunate enough to work with Bernstein and Sondheim.  (Name-dropping is another superpower of Janeys’, btw.)

In 2012, Janey founded and was the Artistic Director for SoCo Women’s Chorus in Austin, Texas.  She directed them until she retired in 2020.

In 2018, Janey began her new passion, watercolor.  Her paintings are whimsical and silly.  (If you want to check out her art, she’s on FaceBook: DivaLicious Arts)

Upon retirement, Janey moved back to Dallas, but the heat (& the heat of the political climate) caused her to seek cooler shelter.  

BOOM!  She found her haven on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains of WNC in the fall of 2023!  

Recently, a neighbor was, herself, looking for a part-time job and found the UUFH listing for a choir director.  She sent it to Janey, who was not looking for a job, but it just sounded too perfect for her.  

She applied and the rest is history.  She’s here! 

You’ve been warned……

Shirley Gruenhut

Choir Piano Accompanist

Shirley is an avid chamber music player and New York native who now calls Hendersonville home. A graduate of Brooklyn College, she was the first time recipient of the prestigious Charles Ives Award for excellence in musical performance. She studied graduate level piano accompaniment at the Manhattan School of Music. She assisted at the Metropolitan Opera House studios and has performed regularly in New York, as well as Europe and Israel. Shirley is a member of ACMA-Association of Classical Musicians and Artists, Sing For Hope, and ACMP-Association of Chamber Music Players. She is also a professional member of AAPF, the Asheville Area Piano Forum. She was founder of several chamber music ensembles

Louis “Lou” Johnson

AV/Website Tech

Lou will be responsible for managing Sunday worship audio and visual activities

Louis is a 14-year military veteran (US Air Force and Army) and is the owner of Kahalo Designs, a graphic design and website management firm based in Hendersonville.

Wanda Hughes

Office Manager

Wanda Hughes, after serving as our Interim Office Manager for 3 months, was chosen by the Personnel Team ( from among other candidates) to be our permanent replacement.  

Wanda “discovered” UUFH about 10 years ago. She was active on the Membership Committee for many years, appeared regularly with the Sunday Welcome Team, and was a member of the Concert Series Committee from its inception.

Wanda is a retired CAT scan tech. Her interests include, reading ( a good mystery), “adopting” lonely plants, and  repurposing “sad” furniture pieces.  She shares her space with a sweet dog and a crazy cat.

Email Wanda office@nulluufhnc.org

Regina Hutchison

Bookkeeper

Regina Hutchison is originally from Jonesville, VA. She is married to her lovely husband, Andy, and together they live in Etowah with their two fur babies, Daisy and Tansy. 

Regina helped found the Misty Mountain Covenant of UU Pagans chapter (MMCUUPS) at UUFH in 2013. She was formerly involved in the Welcome Team and headed up two pledge campaigns during COVID.

Things that bring her joy are taking care of her extensive collection of indoor plants, cooking, family time, thrift store shopping, driving her white convertible (named Blanca Evangelista), and being outdoors. She also very much likes to rock out to 70’s and 80’s music.

email Regina, bookkeeper@nulluufhnc.org