UCT Staff

Neusom Holmes Minister

Rev. Neusom Holmes is a native of Sanford, NC. Like many of us, his path to Unity took many turns. As a child, Neusom thought he would be a minister. But by the age of 16 he doubted that any church held his beliefs in universal divinity. He gave up on being a minister, but never fully gave up on being a spiritual leader.

He received his B.A. in psychology from the University of NC-Chapel Hill.

For the next ten years he was a professional river guide on the Grand Canyon and around the world. During his career as a river guide, he was the first to descend 12 rivers on 4 continents.

At age 29 he began a serious quest for answers and personal growth. He studied Eastern religions, mythology, meditation, dreams, healing, and various therapeutic methods. Neusom’s meditation training comes from TM, Brugh Joy, S. N. Goenka in the Vapassana style, Unity at Unity Village, MO., AHAM’s Self Inquiry curriculum in North Carolina and India, and various retreats including a 30 day silent retreat at Spirit Rock in California.

In 1992 Neusom enrolled in a Presbyterian seminary. About half way through his M. Div. he went to his first Unity church. One month after graduation he went to Unity Village for the two year ministerial program, and upon ordination, he became the minister of Unity of Corvallis in Oregon. He has been the senior minister of Unity Church of the Triangle since 2002.

Jennifer Holder Associate Minister

Rev Jennifer Holder serves as the associate minister, working with prayer and congregational care needs, teaching classes, supporting young adult/ family programs, and advising the youth and family program.

Ordained in 2006 at Unity Village, Jennifer has served congregations in Northern Virginia, Manhattan, Kansas, and Overland Park, Kansas. She co-hosts a unity.fm weekly internet radio show, "Unity Family Matters" with her husband, ministerial candidate and church music director, Ogun.

Currently, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family, husband Ogun and 9 year old daughter, Joy; likes movies, reading and walking her dog, Lily.

Mary Goheen Office Manager

Mary began working as Office Manager in May 2009. Mary has extensive administrative experience in both the private and public sectors having previously worked for area non-profit organizations and local municipal government.

A long-time resident of southwest Wake County, Mary is an active volunteer in the community with a particular interest in the arts, the environment and eldercare. Mary is working toward her certification as an environmental educator and teaches an arts and crafts class for seniors. In her spare time she enjoys drawing, hiking, kayaking, and birding. An avid gardener, Mary and her daughter live with two dogs and four cats on an acre lot filled with perennial beds in constant need of weeding.

Paula Graff Dir. of Transformational Studies/Membership Coordinator

Paula serves UCT as the Director of Transformational Studies and the Membership Coordinator. She grew up in Indiana where her two brothers and mother still live. Her sister also lives in Raleigh. he and her husband Dale are graduates of Purdue University. Dale also attends UCT and they are both prayer chaplain emeritus.

Paula has worked as an educator, ran her own interior design business for 12 years and helps empower women through life makeover groups. She studies alternative healing modalities, enjoys meditation, jewelry making, photography, and music. She likes to keep her musical skills honed by playing Rockband on her wii.

Amy Allen Youth and Family Ministries Director

Amy is committed to helping children and families be in loving relationships as they grow and mature. She is the mother of three sons, and brings to her position a wealth of experience as well as her compassion and desire to help children and youth (and their parents!) realize their innate Divinity.

Amy earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish from Wake Forest University. While there, she had the great fortune of studying abroad in Salamanca, Spain, and is a fluent Spanish-speaker. She later earned a Master’s degree in Counseling from UNC at Chapel Hill. Amy is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor. She has been providing counseling and play therapy for children and families since 1996.

Amy finds peace and joy in practicing Siddha Yoga meditation and Hatha Yoga. She also enjoys fun with family, walks in Nature, quilting and fabric art, cooking, gardening and dancing.

Scott McKenzie Music Director

Scott grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and Indiana University where he graduated with a degree in Piano Performance. He then went on to do choral conducting graduate work in San Francisco, where he lived for 13 years. While in San Francisco, Scott was very active in the music theatre where he conducted and played piano for many celebrity artists. He then moved to Charlotte, North Carolina where he worked as the artistic director and primary conductor for Carolina Voices (Charlotte Choral Society) and music director at Cokesbury United Methodist Church. He recently returned from traveling the world as a music director for Holland America Cruise Lines.

Cindi Johnson Music Associate

Cindi is an accompanist and soloist, and co-directs the UCT Choir. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in Music Education with certification in Early Childhood Education from the University of North Carolina. She served as a music director for several churches in Wake County. She then went on to teach Kindergarten for 31 years.

In addition to serving the music aspect of UCT, Cindi creates the Sunday Power Point that provides the words “on the wall” for our service. She schedules the ‘clickers’ who run the Power Point. Cindi also coordinates scheduling of the Platform Speakers and provides information to those speakers to ensure the smooth transition of the service.

Mary Petriano Sunday Office Manager

As the Sunday Office Manager, Mary is responsible for orchestrating our fabulous Sunday service experience. This includes opening and closing the building on Sunday mornings and assisting with various teams including the ushers, greeters, refreshment, and bookstore. Mary has held this position for the past 3 years.

A New York native, Mary lived in Rhode Island for 11 years before moving to North Carolina. She is a 30 year veteran of the Airline Industry, having worked in corporate and Human Resources. She now lives her passion of Aromatherapy and is close to completing her training as a certified aromatherapy instructor.