Our Staff
Rev. Dave Franks (he/him)
Pulpit and Pastoral Care Minister
A United Methodist Minister and native Californian, Rev. Franks moved to the Tampa Bay area in 2003. He now lives in Dunedin with his little Shorkie (Shi Tzu/Yorkie) puppy. Prior to his arrival in Florida he served several congregations, ranging from rural, suburban to urban settings. Subsequently, he served in several positions that assisted people affected by HIV.
Rev, Dave approaches pastoral ministry with a listening ear, a warm heart, and a commitment to helping others find the spiritual resources within themselves to cope with life's challenges and opportunities. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Pacific School of Religion/Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy/Religious Studies from California State University, Chico.
Email: revdave@uuc.org
To schedule an appointment with Rev. Dave, call the office (727-531-7704). His normal office hours are 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Rev. Roberta Finkelstein
Rev. Roberta Finkelstein is a life-long Unitarian Universalist, raised in the Community Church of New York. Her early UU experiences taught her that the church could and should be a place of prophetic witness, courage, and transformation.
Rev. Roberta earned her M.Div. from Wesley Seminary, following a career as a nurse-midwife devoted to high-risk adolescents in Washington, DC. She has served in consulting ministries, a new congregation start up, and several settled ministries. Most recently, Roberta served as ¼ time Transition Minister in Jacksonville, FL, a position that became virtual in March as the pandemic arrived.
She has just finished a term as President of the Transition Minister’s Chapter of the UU Minister’s Association and is the author of chapters several books about transitional ministry. She also has an essay in the most recent version of the UU Pocket Guide.
Roberta and her husband of 46 years, Barry, have two badly behaved cats named Bonnie and Clyde and one relatively well-behaved dog named Brandy.
Email: revroberta@uuc.org
To schedule an appointment with Rev. Roberta, call the office (727-531-7704).
Anne Gilbert (she/her)
Office Administrator
Anne joined our team in October 2019. She is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a BA in Mass Communications and Public Relations. A lesser known fact about Anne is that she is a Pinellas County native. She lives in Clearwater with her husband, two children and a host of rescue animals. In her spare time, she enjoys running, baking and spending time with family.
Email: admin@uuc.org
Dr. David Katz (he/him)
Music Director
Dr. Katz has been with UUC since 2009. David directs the adult Chorale and administrates the musical offerings at UUC. He has held positions at a number of UU congregations throughout Florida, and has also served as cantorial soloist at Temple Shalom in Port Charlotte. A classically trained singer, pianist and organist, he holds degrees from Peabody Conservatory of Music and Ohio Wesleyan University. His life is shared with his partner, Chuck, and their Chihuahua.
Email: music@uuc.org
Linda Jones (she/her)
Pianist
Linda Jones began her job at UUC as piano accompanist/ soloist in the summer of 2001. She previously served the Beloved Community for a few years in the 1980's as she was in transition from undergraduate studies to graduate school. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance from UCF and a Master's degree in Piano Performance from USF. She maintained a private piano studio for many years and was a member of the Florida State Music Teachers' Association and National Guild of Piano Teachers. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Doug, and they have two grown children, Daniel and Kristin. Five parrots are part of the family as well. Linda enjoys gardening and making all things mosaic. She feels blessed to have the honor of making music at UUC with the wonderful chorale and section leaders and the very talented Music Director, Dr. David Katz.
Email: pianolinda88@gmail.com
Ito Santana (he/him)
RE Assistant
“Mr. Ito” is a Florida native who comes from a large family and has always been around kids. He often has one of his 12 nieces or his nephew hanging out around him at UUC. Ito has been working here at UUC with the children’s programs since 2013. Ito says, “We have a lot of really cool, smart, charming kids here and I hope they consider me cool enough to be their friend. When they really have something to say, they can tell when someone is genuinely listening to them and you can see how much they actually appreciate it.”
When he’s not here at UUC, you can find Mr. Ito at the Mellow Mushroom serving up delicious pizzas, or spending time with his family.
Email: itosantana123@gmail.com
Ashley Rodriguez (she/her)
Nursery Attendant
Ashley Rodriguez is a New York native who loves children. She cares for the youngest UUs here, working in the nursery with kids ranging from 0 to VPK. She has been working at UUC since 2017. Ashley brings current and past experience working in childcare to her position here at UUC. When she’s not at UUC, you can find Ashley working at R’Club Childcare or spending time with her fiancé, Shane.
You can contact Ashley here: ashley802@hotmail.com