Spotlight on our Speakers

Our Resident Minister, Rev. Diane Diachishin graduated and was ordained by All Faiths Seminary in NYC in 2022 . She taught music for 30+ years in private and public school systems. She has been an active member of the UUCRT for 25 years, wearing many hats. Diane has been Chair of Pastoral Care, served as VP and Secretary to the Board, and Chair of Sunday Service Ministry. Shen facilitated the study and practice of Compassionate Communication for several years, and currently facilitates the monthly Soul Matters group. Diane considers herself a life- long Unitarian. From the age of four, summer vacations were spent with her family and her Star Island community, at an ongoing retreat for UU’s of all ages, which still continues to be a source of renewal and inspiration for her. Diane is passionate about her family, playing music, hiking, and travel.

Rev. Peter Fairbrother is an ordained OneSpirit Interfaith Minister based in Scotland. He serves with the intention to nurturing awareness of the importance of self￾care, for it is in loving and caring for our self that we develop our capacity to love and care for others. I hold a diverse ministry, serving a wide range of people through chaplaincy and spiritual accompaniment, worship services and sacred ceremony (including legal marriage and civil
partnership in Scotland).

Evan T. Pritchard, a descendant of the Mi’kmaq people, has taught Native American studies at Pace University, Vassar College, and Marist College and is the director of the Center for Algonquin Culture. Steeped in bird lore by his Mi’kmaq great aunt Helen Perley, he is the author of several books, including Native New Yorkers and No Word for Time. A regular on radio shows such as NPR’s Fresh Air and on the History Channel, he lives in the Hudson Valley.

Charles Isaacs has been a schoolteacher, a college professor, a community organizer, a Congressional consultant, a social activist, a gambler and an occasional journalist. He has written opinion columns and feature stories for numerous newspapers and magazines,
including The New York Times Magazine. During recent decades, he has been a consultant to dozens of non-profit organizations operating in the social justice arena. His recently published work includes fiction, poetry and award-winning non￾fiction.