“Rev. Rob” was born and raised in Kentucky and Indiana. He moved to Orange County to attend Chapman University in 1997 on a church and broadcast scholarship. In 2013, Rob felt a calling to ministry. He received a full ride scholarship to Claremont School of Theology in 2014 and earned his Masters of Divinity in 2017 with an emphasis on Grief, Death and Dying, and religious trauma in the LGBTQIA+ community. Rev. Rob also served as a chaplain intern at St. Joseph’s hospital in Orange. Soon after graduation, Rev. Rob was hired as Senior Minister of All Peoples Christian Church in South Los Angeles where he served for seven years. In February of 2025 Rev. Rob started his new position with UUCF. While Rev. Rob is ordained in The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), he is a progressive Christian minister, and the core values of Progressive Christianity are very similar to the principles of Unitarian Universalism.

Joy Ellis joined the UUCF staff in the summer of 2023. She is proud to be a Youth Religious Exploration (RE) teacher and enjoys exploring a variety of topics with the students each week. Whether discussing our personal values or celebrating a new holiday, every Sunday proves a new adventure. She has previously worked as a special education teacher and does her best to make sure the classroom is safe and welcoming for all who enter. When not teaching at UUCF, she can be found working in the children’s department at two local libraries.

Carrie Van Diest is honored and excited to introduce herself as the new Office Administrator at UUCF. Carrie has been blessed to be married to her wonderful husband, Scott, for 27 years. Together they have three amazing adult children: Jakob, Noah, and Lily. ​In addition to her new role at UUCF, she also works as a bookkeeper for First Christian Church of Fullerton and a banking law firm in Anaheim. Outside of work, Carrie loves getting lost in a good book and spending time camping with her family. ​Her prayer is that she can serve you with kindness, compassion, and a joyful heart while supporting UUCF in any way she can. She looks forward to getting to know each of you and serving alongside UUCF's wonderful staff, leaders, and members.

Amy joined the staff in August 2021, and comes to us via our host congregation, First Christian Church of Fullerton, where she has been a member since 1978. She recently retired from full-time work at Santiago Canyon College, and then retired from office work at FCCF and UCCF. Amy stays on with UCCF as our bookkeeper. In addition to her mad administrative skills, Amy is a singer and artist. She lives in Fullerton with her husband, David. Together they have four grown children, seven grandkids, and a dog, Princess Leia.

Christine Araoka is a composer, performer, and educator based in Southern California. She writes and arranges for a wide range of ensembles, including big bands, jazz combos, and brass bands, and has collaborated with groups such as Heartland Marimba, Lala Brass, and Pandemonium Prism. Christine has also toured the UK with legendary pop singer Engelbert Humperdinck. As a versatile musician, Christine can be found performing throughout the Los Angeles and Orange County area, playing jazz, pop, rock, and classical music. She brings the same energy and creativity to her work as an educator, running a thriving private studio in Fullerton and teaching on faculty at UC Riverside and Riverside City College. In 2024, Christine released her debut album, Wander—a genre-blending project that highlights her storytelling, compositional range, and performance.