Our Leaders

Although United Congregations of Metro East is mainly volunteers, our organization is led by an Executive Board of Directors. Our Organizers go out and connect with members of various communities to organize actions that will address the issues in those communities.

Rev. Michael L. Atty came to United Congregations of Metro East in 2018 as community organizer. He brought with him skills learned from his previous works in the community and church. Upon receiving his Master of Devinity in 2016 from Eden Theological Seminary, Rev. Atty pursued to use his ministry vocation to impact his community and surrounding areas. He believes that structures of racism, classism, sexism, and other "isms" that creates marginalized groups is the work of sin. He believes that these structures need to be dismantled and people of faith are particularly placed in the world to effect change on these systems to bring about God's kingdom and Christ's beloved community.

Rev. Michael Atty took position as UCM's Executive Director in 2019 and serves on the ministerial staff at The Antioch Baptist Church in St. Louis, MO.

Cheryl Sommer is the current Board President of UCM, however she has been a leader within UCM since 2002. Throughout her time with UCM, Cheryl has helped establish a drug court in St. Clair County, kept Rock Springs Mobile Home Park from being shut down, helped lead UCM's statewide efforst to eliminate an overly rigorous and unnecessary basic skills test that created a major teacher shortage in Illinois, and has a lead role in UCM's current battle with the Veolia Incinerator in Sauget, IL.