Unity In Marin's Board of Trustees
You are encouraged and invited to seek out a Board Trustee to present any of your questions, observations, ideas, recommendations and/or compliments concerning your church.
Tom McAuliffe - Board President
Tom has been attending Unity in Marin since 1986, he became a member in 1988. His wife Erika Martinez also attends Unity In Marin.
He has been a personal financial adviser, managing portfolios and preparing financial plans for families and organizations since 1986. He assists families and organizations in managing their investment portfolios.
Tom has facilitated classes at Unity In Marin, especially the 4T class, as well as a Masterminding class and many 7 week book study programs. He helped form and currently leads the Unity in Marin Men’s group, Has been involved in the leadership of the Unity in Marin Legacy Circle aka Candida Wright Legacy Circle, which is the community of planned giving supporters for UIM.
To contact Tom please leave a voicemail at 415-475-5000 x105
Barbara Cochran, Vice President
Barbara originally attended Unity in Marin when founding Minister Rev. Candi was in leadership. She lives in Novato with her husband, Larry Gorski who is also an active member of Unity and has served on the Board of Trustees.
She is dedicated to creating opportunities for community members to develop heart connections with each other in a non-judgmental, just-being, learning, discovering and expanding way.
Barbara is presently employed in private practice in Novato at 9 Corners Center for Balanced Living, a holistic wellness center. She is an Educational Psychologist, Cognitive Behavior Therapist, Life and Relationship Coach and Corporate Team Builder.
She has participated as an Usher, Spiritual Counselor, Chaplain, and has taught a few classes. She co-leads the Women’s Retreat at Mercy Center.
Barbara also was the leader of our Perfect Vision 2020 process that has supported our community in planning and building community and realizing the dreams of what is so feeding us from Spirit.
Frima Stewart, Board Member
Frima has been attending Unity In Marin since 2005 and became a member along with her husband, Joe Stewart, in July 2006.
Frima has a Masters in Social work and worked for over 30 years in the management and leadership of public health and human services in Marin County. From 2001 to 2009 she served as the Director of Public Health for Marin County in the Health and Human Services Department. She retired from that position in August, 2010.
Frima has also served in other leadership roles. She was a Board member of The Canal Alliance from 2007-2010. In 2009 she joined the Board of North Bay Children’s Center where she serves as a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Fund Developement Committee. She was a founding member of the Marin Family and Children’s Commission, formed in 1991, and was Chair of that Commission from 2005-2007.
At Unity In Marin Frima has served on the Charitable Contributions Committee since 2007, she was an Associate Member of the Board since April, 2010. Frima also served on the Vision 2020 Steering Committee, under the leadership of Barbara Cochran. And she served on the Education Steering Committee, headed by Rev. Medora Gordon, and is currently a member of the Program Oversight Team which is a team: Ministry Leadership members and the Board to coordinate programming and space use for UIM.
Frima's communication style is inclusive and collaborative and she creates meeting structures and agendas that allow all voices to be heard. She serves this community with enthusiasm, skill and great joy.
Larry Hinkle, Board Member
Larry was born and reared in Dayton, Ohio. He is the father of twin sons Sean & Shane (Sean now transitioned) and four wonderful Grandchildren; three boys and a girl.
Larry graduated from Bowling Green State University with a degree in Sociology and has a MBA degree from the University in Phoenix.
He worked for General Motors for ten years. Is currently employed in the banking industry and has worked for the same bank for over 25 years in the Retirement Programs sector. He is also a part-time Weight Watchers leader.
He enjoys playing basketball and swimming
Larry was raised Baptist, loved Sunday school and went an entire year without missing a Sunday. He then dropped out of organized religion for over 30 years.
In 1984 he moved to California and lived in San Francisco for 21 years. He came to Unity in Marin in 2005 and became a member in 2006. He was guided to Unity by his partner Caroline; she was looking for a new Spiritual home and Unity was a natural fit for them.
Larry serves as an Usher team leader, is on the count team and belongs to the Unity in Marin Men’s Group. He is the Co-leader of the Unity in Marin Chaplain Program along with Caroline McKinnon and an associated member on the Board of Trustees.
Larry feels nourished by Unity in Marin spiritually, intellectually and emotionally. His life has been enriched beyond measure by his experiences at Unity; through the people he has met and the activities in which he has participated.
Mayra Merritt, Secretary
Marya Merritt and her husband Norlin Merritt and sons, Ian and Colin, began attending Unity In Marin in October 1996. Marya and Norlin became members in 1997. In the past, her husband has served on the Board of Trustees and continues to be an active member. Both Marya and Norlin knew from their very first service experience that they belonged at UIM.
Marya has participated on the Faith In Action Team since 1998 and continues to serve as FIA Chair since 2005. Marya also has served on the Usher Teams from 2004 to 2006 and served as Usher Team Co-Coordinator from 2006 to 2008. Marya served on the Charitable Contributions Committee in 2000 and served as an office angel from 1997 to 1999. Marya has participated in many UIM classes over the years including Unity Way of Life, 4T Prosperity Program, Twelve (12) Powers, Spiritual Economics, Lessons in Truth, Aramaic Our Father, Abundant Life, and Quest Program to name a few, and has participated in eight (8) Fall Book Study Programs over the years.
Marya has been a Chiropractor since 1981 and has practiced with her husband, Norlin, since 1985. Marya and Norlin infuse Unity Principles in their work. Her love and practical application of these principles have and continues to guide her in her personal and professional life. It is with this guidance that Marya brings love and understanding with a strong dose of gratitude, appreciation and enthusiasm to the Unity community.
Jeffrey Perry, Treasurer
Jeff has been coming to Unity In Marin since 2000. He and his wife Cathering Graham became members in 2001.
Jeff is CEO and founder of Vista Imaging Services, Inc. an x-ray outsourcing company. He has centers and staff located in California, Nevada and Texas. The company serves outpatient surgery centers as well as bio skills medical training labs for a number of national medical device companies. It made the Inc. 500 Magazine list of top growing companies for 2010 and 2011.
Jeff is a self employed, licensed x-ray technologist who started Vista Imaging Services, Inc. in 2004. We provide x-ray technologists and x-ray equipment to surgery centers. He is acting CEO of an $18M company with 45 employees.
He has participated in the Unity In Marin Prayer Chaplain program in 2007 and 2008. He served on the Candida Wright Legacy fund as an advisor. He has given two Sunday talks- workshops on Healing based upon my experiences as a cancer survivor and as a dialysis & kidney transplant patient.
Jeff also assisted his wife Catherine Graham for 3 years on the UIM Gala Committee. They took over the Fall Gala as it was in Larkspur and expanded it to the black tie fundraising event that it is today, now raising an annual $35,000 including the “fund in need” portion.
Jeff has been blessed with many gifts in life due to his firm belief and practice of the Unity Principals.He considers it a privilege to serve this community.
Denise Ruelas, Associate
Denise has regularly attended Unity in Marin since 2000 and joined Unity around that time. She is a licensed attorney since 1988, with experience in employment law, liability and property insurance, nonprofit incorporation, some family law and preparing simple wills, health directives and powers of attorney. She is a Bay Area native and received her law degree from Hastings and her undergraduate degree from U.C. Berkeley.
Denise has many other interests and talents, including playing and teaching piano, singing and yoga.
At Unity in Marin, she is presently serving as a prayer chaplain and in the choir. Over the years, she has served in a variety of capacities, including as a teacher in the children’s program and usher.
Denise lives with her teenage daughter and has a son at Oberlin College. She survived her late husband, Tony Ruelas, who was an active member of Unity in Marin from 2000 until 2008. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve and connect with this community as an associate board member.
For Information about the state of our Finances and for Board Meeting Minutes click here.