Rev. Alison Duren-Sutherland (she/her)
Minister

Saltwater Church and Rev. Alison got creative for the 2023-24 church year, embarking on an adventure in hybrid/remote ministry. Rev. Alison is in-person at Saltwater two Sundays per month and the week in between. The rest of the time, she serves the congregation remotely from her home in Southern Oregon where she lives with her partner and children. Rev. Alison’s roots in the Puget Sound area run deep: She learned midwifery at the Puget Sound Birth Center, gave birth to her first daughter in Renton, and her father lived in Tukwila for most of her life before his passing. Rev. Alison is a minister in preliminary fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Appointment Scheduling: https://calendly.com/minister-swuuc

minister@saltwaterchurch.org

Tom Burt (he/him)
Music Director

Tom is a longtime member of the Saltwater community and has been serving in our Music Ministry since 2008. You can reach Tom at music@saltwaterchurch.org.

Ariel Candies
Pianist

Ariel Candies is a creative and an ambivert who believes in the transformative powers of music.  Despite having a diverse and varied job history, nothing has been as rewarding as teaching and playing music. When she isn’t teaching piano, she spends time with her two daughters. 

Katherine “Bubba” Miller (they/them)
Office Administrator

Katherine, or Bubba as many of you know them, joined our staff in February of 2021. They have an eclectic background in administration and in construction. Bubba and their family have been part of the Saltwater community for over a decade and look forward to many more wonderful years. You can contact Bubba at administrator@saltwaterchurch.org.

Jessica Nash (she/her)
Director Faith Formation

Jessica has been a part of our community for many years. She recently joined our staff in honor of her commitment to our youth and is looking forward to helping expand our multigenerational programming.

Nina Watson (she/her)
Audio/Visual Technician

Nina Watson joined our staff in December 2022. She is a Los Angeles native with over seven years of experience in documentary filmmaking as an Associate Producer and Production Manager. Nina, her partner Larry, and their daughter Lylli, joined the Des Moines community in 2020. Nina loves a good story, and she welcomes any movie or tv show recommendations.