Board Of Trustees

Joe Davidson, Facilitator

Joe grew up in Oklahoma City, attending Putnam City United Methodist Church. He received a Master’s Degree in Geology from Oklahoma State University and began work in Tulsa. From there, he went to Houston, then Bakersfield, and then to Santa Maria, where he retired after a 38-year career working for numerous oil companies.

While in Bakersfield, he was married and raised a son and stepson. He performed with a theatrical non-profit in melodrama for eight years to raise money for the Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. He was active at the Center for Spiritual Living, Bakersfield, where he was head of grounds and maintenance, served on the Board, and sang in the choir.

Joe is blessed with loving family and friends, including those at Unity-Five Cities, where he served on the Board as treasurer for six years from 2018 to 2024, helps with audio/visual and Zoom, attends the men’s group, sings in the choir, and plays with the Unity Ukes. Hobbies include gardening, reading, music, ballroom dancing, and antique cars.

Jeanne Surber, Treasurer 

Jeanne grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and was a cradle Catholic.   She graduated from Creighton University with a degree in mathematics, and later obtained her Masters in Counseling and School Psychology from Cal State University Los Angeles.  She has been married to her high school sweetheart, Frank Surber,  since 1967.   Upon their marriage they left for California and have considered California their home ever since.  After moving every year while Frank was in the Air Force and having three children in three different states, they settled in Pasadena, California.  They lived there until 1986 when they moved to Santa Barbara.   Jeanne had worked as a high school math teacher, a school psychologist, and school administrator until retiring in 2007.

While in Santa Barbara, she was introduced by a friend to Unity Church.  She again felt like she had found her home.  She became a member in around 1992.   For a time she was a Youth of Unity teacher in Santa Barbara.  

In 2017, she and Frank moved to Arroyo Grande and found Unity Five cities.  She loves living here and enjoys her hobbies of fiber art, crocheting, and travel.  She feels honored to having been elected to the Board and looks forward to serving her church and her community.  

Ethel "Tink" Landers, Secretary

Ethel “Tink” Landers. I was born in Terre Haute Indiana and adopted when I was three days old. My family moved to Oregon, Bakersfield, and eventually the Central Coast of California.

I was raised knowing and loving a ubiquitous God of joy, love and peace. My mom, Fanny, studied Spirituality and closely followed Edgar Cayce. Fanny, my dad, Pep, and I  did not attend or follow any particular church or denomination but visited many as we moved from town to town.  After dad died, Fanny and I moved often using our pink Rambler station wagon filled with all our possessions, our Spiritual books, dogs, cats  and our love.   

My adult Spiritual adventure includes attending a variety of churches and spending 10 weeks in Thailand studying art and Buddhism. I found Unity Christ Church in 1995. Leona Evans was the new minister and I appreciated her gifts, her creativity and her Spiritual connection. Fanny always saw an aura around Leona’s head when Leona gave a sermon.  I served on the Board of Unity Christ Church, San Luis Obispo, for two years.

I moved again, but in 2018, after spending years questioning and searching, I discovered my birth father’s family and learned my paternal Grandmother, Frances Boyer Johnson,  was a well-known psychic in the Midwest. She held gatherings of psychics in her Spiritualist Church plus in her home on 12^th Street In Terre Haute, Indiana. She had amazing Spiritual gifts, some of which I inherited. Finally, I understood why I felt things and “knew” things others couldn’t see or understand. I am abundantly grateful.

Over the past 37 years I’ve served on approximately 12 boards including Sunrise Terrace Mobile Home Owners Association and Unity 5 Cities. I am a Prayer Chaplain and now your Prayer Chaplain Coordinator.  It is an honor to serve others as a conduit of God’s powerful, creative, loving, healing energy.

Ruth Jackson

Many years ago I was born in Washington, D.C. and moved multiple times before settling in Santa Maria.  I have remained in Santa Maria for 24 years. 

I have two wonderful daughters and four grandchildren.  My daughters are Jill Roberts, who you know because she attends here at Unity Five Cities, and Jody Balian who lives in Arizona.

Growing up no matter where I lived my family always found a Baptist or Methodist Church to attend.   I was introduced to Religious Science in El Monte, California around 1965.  I have attended several different Religious Science Churches.  With no Religious Science Church in Santa Maria I attended Unity Santa Maria around ten years ago.  Just before my husband passed away I saw an ad for Unity Five Cities and has been attending for the past four or five years.

In my working years I worked for several not-for-profit organizations and then I was a Rehabilitation Counselor for the State of California.  I served mostly adults who were Deaf or Hard of Hearing and students who had a disability who were transitioning out of High School into College or seeking employment.  I retired 02/20/2020…and adapted quickly to retirement!

I’ve had three…soon to be four…articles published by Dynamic Aging Magazine.  You can read them at https://dynamicaging4lifemagazine.com

Art Westerfield, Trustee

Rev. Jan Morgan. Trustee