On June 10, 2007 after a lengthy search to replace our retiring Music Director, Jennifer Rodgers Beach was introduced to the congregation as our next Director of Music. (From left in photo: Dick Gilbert, search committee chair; Rev. Lynn Strauss; Jennifer Rodgers Beach.)

Jen's formal education includes a degree in Voice Performance with a minor in Acting (B.M. summa cum laude, Ithaca College) and a degree in Opera Theater (M.M., University of Maryland). She teaches voice and theater to students of all ages, both in a private studio and in classes at the Reston Community Center. Her directing experience includes six years as a church choral director (First Baptist in Ithaca, NY and St. Matthew's Episcopal in Hyattsville, MD) and music/stage direction including the Young Actors' Theater of the Reston Community Center and the Summer Repertory Company of the Finger Lakes. Jen is also co-founder of Plunge! Cabaret, a performance and artistic residency program for institutions of higher education and for community service organizations.

In addition to music, Jen has 10 years of experience at the University of Maryland, primarily in fundraising research and internal consulting. Her experience with small businesses spans a variety of areas: music (Plunge! Cabaret), business consulting (Icarus Evolving), and board and card games (Cheese Weasel Logistics). You can reach Jen at jrbeach -at- uucr.org.