The Staff at Piedmont UU Church
Staff members can be reached by calling the church office at 704-510-0008.
Ali Allen (she/her)
Administrative Assistant
ali@puuc.org
Ali helps in the office with various communication and administrative tasks. Ali is a nerd who loves scifi and fantasy, cosplay, Ren Faires, and traveling to various summer festivals.
Deb Davelka (she/her)
Congregational Administrator
deb@puuc.org
Deb Davelka has been with Piedmont UU Church since 2007. As congregational administrator, she manages the church office and is responsible for a variety of administrative tasks including: facilities care, church calendar, assistance to the treasurer, and communications.
Deb’s background is in communication design. Not long before she began working with Piedmont UU Church, she moved with family to the Charlotte area. She enjoys travel and the new experiences it brings. Deb is a member of the Association of Unitarian Universalist Administrators.
Anne Pengilly (she/her)
Collaborative Pianist
anne@puuc.org
A native of Akron, Ohio, Anne was born into a musical family of teachers, composers and performers. Her musical path brought her to the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York City, where she studied with the late Dr. Zenon Fishbein. She also earned a post-baccalaureate certificate in Music Education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
Anne is currently a collaborative pianist at UNC – Charlotte, where she accompanies the vocal ensembles, and frequently collaborates with students and professionals in the area. She will earn her Masters Degree in 2023 from UNC – Greensboro, where she studies Collaborative Piano with Dr. James Douglass.
She is delighted to be the pianist at Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church, and looks forward to a wonderful musical journey!
Rev. Dr. Amy Rio (she/her)
Lead Minister
amyrio@puuc.org
Rev. Dr. Amy Rio is an Asheville area native, and has spent her life in North Carolina. She received her BA from Greensboro College, MDiv from Duke Divinity School, and her DMin from Wesley Theological Seminary with a focus on spirituality and story. During her 30 year career, she has served churches both full-time and as an interim. Most of her career has been in collegiate ministry, with her last position being as the Chaplain of Salem Academy and College in Winston Salem, NC. She is a certified spiritual director and is a mentor with the Haden Institute Spiritual Direction certification program. She has had several essays and articles published on spirituality and collegiate ministry.
Dr. Amy has two adult children. Caleb lives in Fort Collins, Colorado where he works in the software industry. He is engaged to Sara, who is a faculty member at Colorado State University. They have a highly energetic black lab mix, Patsy. Dr. Amy’s daughter, Ava, is in her last semester with a Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Campbell University. She and her fiancé, Will, live in the Raleigh area. Will is a firefighter with the Raleigh Fire Department. They have a very sweet-tempered rescue dog, Walt.
Dr. Amy strongly believes the foundation of the spiritual journey is seeing the Divine in each and every person, supporting them on their journey, and working towards making the world a more just and compassionate place. Her ministry focuses on love, hospitality (a deep, fully inclusive form), and social justice. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, writing, exploring nature, reading, and being with friends. Life is too short not to find some joy each day, and she strives to do this in her work and in everyday living.
