First Unitarian Church of Des Moines is proud to welcome Alice Stewart, our new Director of Finance and Administration. Alice was chosen for the position from a field of five wonderful candidates, after interviewing with our HR Committee, members of the Financial Oversite Committee and Reverend Amy, Alice will be moving to Des Moines on April 1st, 2022, and coming in to see the building and meet the other staff on April 5th, 2022. Congregation members will be able to meet her briefly at the April 7 Board Visioning session, and we will be arranging several Meet and Greet opportunities throughout the month of April. A little later, beginning in May and June, we will be scheduling time for Alice to meet with all of our various church groups and committees, so that she can meet people and learn about how our church functions, and our groups and committees can share with her what they need from the DFA position.
Alice has a master’s degree in anthropology (focus in religion, expertise in linguistics and biology). She served in the Peace Corps in Cape Verde, West Africa before returning to the US where she got her MBA. She’s served the Church in many roles for over 20 years, most often leading the business office. She’s a Certified Project Manager, consultant, and creative writer. Her fiction focuses on creative communities and collaborative leadership. Her academic work involves semiotics, sacred sites, and offering practices. Alice was born in Germany to a military family and grew up in Texas where much of her family still reside. She enjoys exploring urban areas, long train rides, and knitting.