William Schulz to serve as interim UUSC head
Search for former CEO Charlie Clements’s successor underway.
The Rev. Dr. William Schulz has been named interim president and CEO of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, an independent human rights organization, effective Monday, March 15. Schulz is replacing Dr. Charlie Clements, who left the UUSC in January to become director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University.
Schulz, a UU minister and former UUA president, brings a wealth of experience to the job having served as executive director of Amnesty International USA from 1994 to 2006. He also served as a UUSC board member and chair. He was president of the Unitarian Universalist Association from 1985 to 1993.
Schulz said that he was delighted to be stepping in as interim president and that he wanted to build on the work of the previous administration. “I want to ensure that the energy, momentum, and vision that the organization has built up during Charlie’s tenure is in no way diminished,” he said. Schulz’s focus will be on the public dimensions of the UUSC: working with donors, the media, and congregations. Constance Kane, vice president and COO, will be handling administrative and financial matters.
The UUSC is a non-sectarian organization founded in 1940 to advance human rights and social justice in the United States and around the world. One of its programs supports the rights of people during times of humanitarian crisis. The UUSC has partnered with the UUA in setting up funds for victims of the Haitian earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, and the 2004 South Asian tsunami. The UUSC tries to work with grassroots organizations in affected areas to offer support to groups that might be overlooked by larger aid organizations.
The Rev. John Gibbons, senior minister of the First Parish in Bedford, Mass., and chair of the UUSC board of trustees, expressed pleasure at Schulz’s appointment. “The UUSC has worked hard and made strides to strengthen its connections with Unitarian Universalists and UU congregations,” he said. “Bill Schulz offers the best of many worlds. He has credibility with Unitarian Universalists, and he has wide-ranging human rights experience.”
Schulz will be serving on a part-time basis until a permanent successor can be found. Gibbons said that he hopes the position will be filled within a year.
See sidebar for links to related resources.
