Meet the people serving this community

Mickey Koziol (Reta Michaele Rousseau) remained spiritually with Unity, and recently came back in person after a number of years caring for her parents. The first experience with Unity came when moving to the area while trying local spiritual places for a better fit. Unity provided an upbeat message and atmosphere, and so much that was missing, felt uncomfortable or incomplete elsewhere. Unity provided a spiritual home and promised to accept everyone wherever they were in their spiritual journey. During the first years the music welcomed as did the community, amazing and genuine as they are, and there was encouragement: “I am alive, awake, alert, joyous, and enthusiastic about my life.”

Mickey grew up in Vermont and loves family, friends, quiet peace, country, woods, mountains, and animals. Being a mom has been the most special of endeavors. Volunteer work has included park district, daughter’s Home and School, school district, Girl Scouts, as leader and regional cookie manager, dog rescues, the library (movies and coordinating volunteers for book sale) and on a more personal level, read books weekly to a blind friend. At Unity I now volunteer as a greeter, help with landscaping, the library, and what comes up…ice cream social, book sale, cleaning, and I really enjoy game night!

Work part of life has included financial, marketing manager, supervisor, sales, scheduling, factory work while attending University of Rhode Island, detasseling corn, restaurant work, and began decades ago as a youth gathering worms for sale! Mickey is the author of a book and screenplays.

Unsure of what other people would want to know about someone, a friend for over sixty years wrote this…“Mickey — A mindful seeker of well-being for people and animals. A country soul, someone who appreciates the wisdom and guidance of those who have lived and learned from life lived honestly. Books, art, music, flowers, and animals inspire joy.”

Joey Nelson started attending Unity of Fox Valley Church in 2008. Soon after, he joined the Greeter Ministry and in June of that year became a member. In 2009, he took more classes and joined the Men’s Group. In 2010, he became the Landscape Chair and completed the 4 T’s class taught by Rev. Jan.

Joey presented an overview of ACIM at a 2011 Men’s Group meeting and has been part of the ACIM group ever since. He has been off and on as the lead usher and has helped at one of the Men’s Retreats.

In 2016, he ran and was elected to his first 3-year term on the Board of Trustees, served as Vice President, and later served as President. Joey is now back on the Board and will do his best to support Unity of Fox Valley Church.

Nathaniel (Nate) Birr first attended Unity on the North Shore in Evanston, IL as a young child growing up on the north side of Chicago, and started attending Unity of Fox Valley in 1993 after moving to Geneva, first as a Uniteen, then as a Y.O.U.er, which involved going to many retreats and activities including the international Y.O.U. conference at Unity Village. He was also part of the leadership team for the Great Lakes region of the Next Generation of Unity (NGU). Nate has been a part of the Men’s Group here for many years as well as the A Course In Miracles weekly study group. This vibrant, energetic spiritual community has always been a welcoming and supportive presence in Nate’s life.

Nate enjoys reading, gaming, and spending time with friends and family. He was a volunteer for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in both 2016 and 2020 and continues to support various local political campaigns and movements. As a member of the LGBTQ community, the fact that Unity accepts everyone, no matter where they may be on their spiritual journey, is cherished and appreciated. He is currently employed as a pharmacy technician and is in his first term as a Trustee on the Board.

Dave Rolison is a retired educator with forty-three years of experience at all levels as both a teacher and administrator. He lives in Batavia with his wife, Sue. They have two grown sons and six grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, traveling, riding his bike, spending time with his family and friends, the Cubs, and of course, doing projects around the house! Dave is in his first term as a Board Trustee. Both he and Sue help in the Landscaping, Greeter, and Sacred Grounds ministries.

Dave believes that Unity is truly “a practical approach to Christianity.” Unity of Fox Valley is a joyful, welcoming place that encourages every congregant to seek his own personal relationship with God, and to better understand himself/herself. There is a wide variety of services and ministries available to help anyone along his/her spiritual journey. Whether it is the minister’s message at the weekly service, the music, the accessibility of the Prayer Chaplains, the Sacred Grounds Cafe, the Men’s Group, the Youth Program, or any of the other ministries, anyone can find something that will help him/her to become more faith-filled and happier in life.

Carl Strang was a Naturalist with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County for more than 34 years, providing programs, classes, and interpretive writings for children, families and teachers, before retiring in 2015. Carl holds a Ph.D. in wildlife ecology from Purdue University, and taught biology for 5 years at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania before coming to the District. He has won awards from the Illinois Wildlife Federation, from the Chicago Audubon Society, and from the National Association for Interpretation. His current research is on the distribution and ecology of singing insects, and he is volunteer steward at St. James Farm Forest Preserve. He is a member of the music team at Unity of Fox Valley Church in Batavia and has served on the board of that church.