Board
The board is a team that administers the business of the church. We believe board membership is a Divine appointment, vital to our church’s operation and growth.
The Board members are:
Anne Purser (President)
Anne has been involved with the Unity Bon Air Board for a little over three years. She lives in Bon Air and is the founder/owner of Metropolitan Sign Co., Inc., located on Forest Hill Avenue in Westover Hills.
"I cannot express the value of the education, guidance, healing and growth I’ve received from the classes, speakers and workshops here and through other means made available to us through this church,” she said. She adds, “Serving the church is the most important gift you can give yourself. The love, growth and support one receives from the very beginning at Unity of Bon Air are so immense and are examples of the wealth and presence of Spirit that you cannot help but be drawn in and reciprocate."
Harry Simmons (Vice President)
Before coming to Virginia, Harry was a 20-year member of Christ Universal Temple in Chicago, a New Thought church. In his 10 years on that church’s board, he served as vice president during the planning, financing and construction of their new church.
Harry became a member of Unity Bon Air in February 2009. His past church experience makes him a valuable Board member and newly elected Vice President. In his professional life, he is a Human Resources Specialist for Henrico County Public Schools.
Harry and his wife Carrie are very excited to be part of the new church building campaign. After all, Harry played a major role in the building of his new church in Chicago that quadrupled the size of the old church. His experience and guidance is a major asset to the church.
Susan Paavola (Secretary)
Susan has a Masters Degree in Health Education and has worked in the healthcare arena for over 25 years. Susan has been a member of Unity Christ Church of Bon Air for four years.
How does she feel about Unity of Bon Air? "When I first entered the sanctuary, I instantly felt that I had found that which my soul had been seeking. I became a member of the church at the first opportunity and have participated in numerous life-altering workshops, including Keys to the Kingdom. As coordinator for Community Outreach, I am passionate that the love and light of this ministry continue to be extended to those outside of our church community."
Susan Wheeler (Treasurer)
For the past nine years, Susan has been employed by Dominion Virginia Power as a project manager, leading many process-improvement and money-saving projects. She said her job at Dominion has helped enhance her leadership and organizational skills. Before Dominion, she was a teacher of the gifted and small business owner.
Her organizational skills have been an asset to the church, which she has served in numerous ways, including founding the successful Sit n’ Knit Shawl Ministry. This ministry provides beautiful shawls for church members to give to others on sad as well as happy occasions.
Chuck Clark
Pharmacist/Pharmacy Manager Chuck Clark, and an admitted “baseball fanatic,” has many talents that he shares with the church.
You’ll find him serving up spaghetti at the annual Papa’s Spaghetti Dinner, or helping artists set up at the annual Arts at the Garden’s event. He’s been an usher, lay leader, a Y.O.U. coach and appears in church theatre productions.
“I enjoy sharing with others how Unity has changed my life,” he said, “and I want others to experience what Unity has to offer.”
Karen Hawkins
Karen has a long-term career in the financial services industry and brings knowledge of financial matters gained through education and work experience to the Board. She has had held leadership positions in numerous nonprofit/volunteer organizations.
“The teachings and Spirit of this church have made an important and lasting impact in my life,” she said. “Our church is experiencing a period of phenomenal growth, and we are embarking upon a significant project to build a new physical structure. I welcome the opportunity to serve and be a part of this growing church community.”
Gary Schepker
Gary is a Materials Engineer at the Virginia Department of Transportation where he supervises the fabrication, production and rehabilitation of the state’s bridges. He says he has spent a good part of his career working for state, county and city government, building Virginia’s infrastructure. In the private sector, he oversaw residential and commercial construction.
Gary is a key member of the Building Team for the new church and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role. As a new Board member, he wants to be a good representative of the congregation and wants to uphold their interest in conducting church business.
Jane Gordon (Trustee)
Jane has seen many evolutions of the church, having been a member of Unity Christ Church when it was housed at Stony Point School and then moved to the Bon Air location. She is very excited about a new church building.
Jane has a Master’s degree in Special Education and has done everything from being a classroom resource, to teaching the homebound to being an educational diagnostician. Currently, she is an educational consultant with a private practice. As a trustee, she says she offers experience, longevity and a true commitment to the ministry of Unity Christ Church of Bon Air.
Tom Layman (Trustee)
Tom Layman became a member of Unity Christ Church in the early 1990s. He spent 36 years in the advertising business, 31 of those years with the Martin Agency in Richmond, before retiring several years ago. He currently does freelance graphic design work. An avid environmentalist, Tom donates much of his time to environmental causes and organizations.
A former Board member, Tom is now devoting his time as a member of the Building Team for the church expansion, as well as providing communications about the expansion. Tom states, “I marvel at how far the church has come since my early involvement.”
Rusty Rothrock (Trustee)
For the past 25 years, Rusty Rothrock has been a custom home builder and now owns his own home inspection business.
Rusty was largely responsible for supervising the renovation of the existing church in the mid 1990s, converting it from a small home into a place of worship, including building a parking lot and assisting with landscaping the Meditation Gardens. Today, he chairs the Building Team for the new church and says he “is very excited about how the congregation enthusiastically has provided the funding to begin the project.” Rusty is a former Board member and has been involved in almost every aspect of making the church a success.
Karen Hatton (Alternate)
According to Karen Hatton, when she and husband Michael found Unity Christ Church of Bon Air in 2002, it was “love at first sight.”
Since that time Karen has taken many classes in an effort to learn as much about Unity as possible. Her favorite Unity principle is: “We are co-creators with God, creating reality through thoughts held in mind.”
A former teacher and businesswoman, Karen has experience in church leadership, having served on the board of deacons at a previous church. She believes a Board of Directors position at Unity Bon Air is a natural extension of her desire to serve the expanding Unity community. “I am so excited about what we are creating here,” she says, “and I am honored to offer my service to you, my Unity family, in these growing times for our beloved church. Let’s be ‘bright and shiny’ so those seeking will find us!”
Frank Einsmann (Alternate)
Frank has been a Unity member for about three years and felt at home right from the start. He has been involved in many areas of service at Unity, including the Hospitality Committee, and has hosted and facilitated Family Circle meetings. He also participates in Men of Unity events, serves on the Love in Action Committee as a liaison with the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, and is a lay leader during Sunday services.
In his professional life, he has worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a clinical chemist and educator since 1972.
Frank considers Unity as his spiritual home and the church members as part of his spiritual family. Frank believes that happiness is a byproduct of service, and it is in giving that we receive. He looks forward to serving the community as we grow and move into our new church home.
Lynda J. South (Alternate)
Lynda South has attended Unity Christ Church of Bon Air since 2001 and has volunteered in various capacities. In the last few years, she has focused her talents on leading the communications effort for the capital campaign to build a new church and creating the church’s new web site.
In her professional life, Lynda was chief of communications for the Virginia Department of Transportation before retiring a few years ago. Prior to her career with VDOT, she was a communications manager for an electric utility in Washington, D. C. and also a press secretary for a U.S. Senator.
“My goal is to help others find Unity Bon Air,” she said.“ “I wish I had known about the Unity philosophy and principles earlier in life. I love that Unity is an all-inclusive community, models positive, guilt-free Christianity and respects the many paths to God. It’s a joyous place for spiritual growth.”