1. !
To Whom It May Concern:
Having had the privilege of working closely with Terrie Coats during the 2015-16
church year, I am writing to wholeheartedly recommend her on the strength of her
leadership and organizational skills, creativity, versatility, and personal presence. She
has been an all-around terrific colleague and would be a blessing to your workplace.
Terrie stepped into the role of Acting Director of Religious Education on incredibly
short notice, and I knew right away how lucky we were to have her. Her experience as
a leader shone in the questions she asked. She rapidly got up to speed in a complex
job, working with a hundred kids, their parents, and dozens of volunteer teachers, as
well as supervising paid childcare and youth-group staff. She also juggled weekly
curricula across age groups and numerous special events for families. Before long, it
felt as though Terrie had served with us for years.
Terrie has a strong collaborative spirit and a broad range of proficiencies. When we
ministers sought to have more and better story times during Sunday services than in
the past, Terrie proved to be a fount of resources, collaborated on scheduling, and
took to the stage regularly to read to the kids — a role not in her job description. And
when the RE program faced the kinds of interpersonal conflicts and family crises that
can occur in an educational setting, Terrie proved to be a calm, adept leader,
reaching out to all parties, facilitating healthy resolutions, and improving the culture
and morale of a program that had struggled mightily the previous year.
Terrie bonded quickly with our staff of strong, varied personalities. She’s the real deal
— grounded, warm, authentic, goal-focused, and hilarious. All that, plus the voice of an
angel — singing wasn’t in her job description, either, but it should have been!
I trust you will find her to be as valuable a team member as we did and am happy to
answer any questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Rev, Jim Foti, Assistant Minister
jim@firstunitarian.org or 612-377-6608 ext. 107
900 Mount Curve Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403 • www.firstunitarian.org