Our Leadership

Staff Team

The Reverend Doctor Tera Landers
Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. Tera Landers has served as Throop’s minister since 2012. In March 2017, she accepted the call to serve as their settled, permanent minister. Rev. Tera earned her Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School, where she won the prize for religious education. Currently, Rev. Tera also serves as an Assistant Professor at Starr King School for the Ministry. She earned her Doctor of Ministry degree through Pacific School of Religion in May 2024. Her D.Min. project title is "Nature's Rhythms Reflected in Our Spirits: A Seasonal Liturgical Cycle in Unitarian Universalism." Prior to her ministry at Throop, Rev. Tera worked for 16 years as UUA Congregational Life Staff.

Rev. Tera is active outside of Throop on issues related to Earth care, sustainability, and housing justice. She is a frequent contributor to Coloradoboulevard.net, writing about eco-feminist spirituality.

Rev. Dr. Megan Visser
Community Minister in Affiliation

Rev. Dr. Megan Visser is a Unitarian Universalist minister, educator and social scientist. In Fall 2018, Megan entered into a formal relationship with Throop as a community minister in affiliation. Megan received her ministerial training at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, First UU Church of San Diego, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center here in Los Angeles. She was ordained in 2019.

Megan serves full-time as the Assistant Professor of Ethics and Society at Starr King School for the Ministry, which prepares people for Unitarian Universalist ministry and progressive religious leadership. Meanwhile, she participates in the spiritual care research and chaplain community here in Los Angeles. Her doctoral dissertation focuses on the religious/spiritual experiences of women of color coping with congestive heart failure. The relationship between religion/spirituality and health is central to Megan’s ministry. Megan shares her life with her partner, Stefanie, a cat named Emerson and a dog named Violet.

M. Hawkes
Musician in Residence

M. Hawkes is a SoCal native, professional musician, and educator. For over a decade, they have been involved in music ministry and directing worship services, and finds deep joy in creating beautiful experiences with others through the joining of instruments and voices. M. holds a Bachelor of Music in keyboard accompanying from California Baptist University, a Master of Arts in historical performance practices from Claremont Graduate University, and is currently in the process of completing a doctoral degree in the same.

M. loves making connections with and mentoring students at Norco College as an adjunct associate faculty member and the staff accompanist for their music department. M. spends much of her free time swing dancing, hiking, and traveling with her partner.

Phillury Platte
Administrator

Phillury Platte joined the Throop team as the part-time Administrator, bringing nonprofit management experience as retired vice president for a Midwest behavioral health organization serving children and families. Phillury has coordinated teams in university and social service settings to advance donor relations and strategic planning, and served as liaison to board committees and community partnerships during her career.

Phillury moved to Los Angeles to join her son and extended family, and to escape snowy winters.

Nicholas D'Agosto
Throop UU Intern Minister

Nicholas D'Agosto (he/him) is a professional actor and UU seminarian at Meadville Lombard Theological School. His podcast God & Other Delicacies (G.O.D.) begins with the question, "How and when were you introduced to the idea of God in your life?" and follows the guest's journey from there.

A long-time LA resident who was born in Omaha, Nebraska, Nicholas lives in North Hollywood with his wife, son, and dog.

Faith Nagel
Children's Program Coordinator

Faith Nagel is Throop's Children's Program Coordinator. After earning her B.A. in Theatre from Truman State University, Faith went on to work as a substitute teacher for OKC Public Schools and a teaching artist at an assortment of theatre companies, including The Coterie Theatre, Sooner Theatre, and The Actor Factory. Faith has experience working with children ranging in age from 6 months old all the way to 18 years old in a variety of classroom settings. Faith has loved bringing that experience to Throop.