You’re Invited!
Unity of South Sound's Annual Membership Meeting
Immediately following the Sunday Service, Our Youth and Family Ministries Team will be serving lunch on a love-offering basis. After lunch, we’ll gather in the sanctuary for our Annual Membership Meeting.
At this important meeting we will discuss general church business, review 2025 financial info, look at our 2026 budget, updated on Ministry Activities, Successes, and Vision for the Future, and voting members will be electing board members (slate of candidates below).
Notice to Members Attending Online:
Online voters: To vote during the annual meeting, please request your ballot by emailing office@unityofsouthsound.org no later than Saturday, Feb 21st. Ballots will be emailed during the meeting, so you can vote live.
Proposed Bylaw Changes
Below are the Board proposed revisions to the current Unity of South Sound bylaws.
These revisions will be voted on for approval at the Annual Meeting February 22, 2026.
Board of Trustees Nominees
These candidates will be voted on at the Annual Meeting on February 22, 2026.
Michael Mathis
Kelly Latimer
Chris Lizarraga
Kaycie Schloer
Michael Mathis was born in Palo Alto, California, graduated from Fremont High School in 1978, and moved to Washington in 1980. He worked for the Metro Park District of Tacoma and the Town of Steilacoom in utilities and grounds maintenance, gaining hands on experience with operations, equipment management, regulatory requirements, and daily collaboration with community members and local government officials. After a serious on the job injury required a career change, Michael returned to school to study supervision and management and earned his CNA. He then served for 13 years with a small nonprofit hospice supporting individuals with HIV and AIDS, working in both administration and direct service. In that role, he partnered closely with the Board of Directors and managed a wide range of responsibilities including facilities, finances, grants, staffing, and organizational operations. These years of service, marked by compassion and presence with those at the end of life, profoundly shaped his leadership and values.
Michael brings to board service resilience, adaptability, and a deep commitment to compassionate stewardship. Having faced significant health challenges and achieved remission through determination and holistic self-care, he understands perseverance, informed decision making, and faith in possibility. His life experience also includes being a lifelong caregiver and legal guardian to family members, which cultivated patience, unconditional love, and the ability to meet life as it is. Grounded by a love of nature, gardening, music, and community, Michael sees service on a Board of Trustees as a way to give back, support sound governance, and help a Unity spiritual community thrive through practical wisdom, collaboration, and heart centered leadership.
Kelly Latimer has been a part of Unity and New Thought Spiritual Centers since 1999. In addition to being on the board, she teaches preschool/elementary aged children twice a month with the Youth Ed Ministry, and she is a member of the Usher and Greeter team.
Kelly is a Mom to Ricky, and she has been a teacher for 20 years. She loves going to concerts, movies, cultural events, road trips, and eating out. She also enjoys going to all the museums in Tacoma. Kelly loves to cook—mainly vegan dishes—and every once in a while, she bakes something. She has a black Lab/Pitbull dog named Cocoa and 5 birds: Tia, a cockatiel and Ava, Cathy, Cleopatra, and Philip who are all parakeets.
Kelly feels called to serve on the board to represent youth and their families. She also knows it will be a way for her to grow spiritually and put spiritual principles into action.
Chris Lizarraga has served on the Unity of South Sound Board of Trustees as Vice President for the past three years and is grateful for the opportunity to serve a second term. Unity has been part of Chris's life since childhood—first at Tacoma Unity and, for the past 12 years, at South Sound. The teachings continue to guide and inspire Chris every day. Chris is blessed to share this spiritual community with their husband, Adrian, and their daughters, Esperanza and Gabriela.
Chris has spent the last 4-plus decades growing within the McDonald's organization, beginning with a simple high school job that turned into a lifelong career. Chris's work in operations, leadership development, project management, business consulting, and raising two beautiful daughters helps bring both heart and experience to the role as a trustee, and Chris looks forward to continuing this sacred work.
Kaycie (Karleen) Schloer started attending Unity of Kent in the late '90s. In 2001 she started going to the Unity of Edgewood Center where she soon became a member. She has been involved with hospitality for many years, has taken several classes and book studies, been on lots of committees, and been an usher and greeter. She has never been on the Board, so now she believes she owes it to the community to do her part.
Kaycie has been married to her husband Larry for 34 years and they have a Brady Brunch blended family of three boys and three girls. They have blessed Kaycie and Larry with 12 grandchildren and five great grandchildren, with another one due in May. They are both active volunteers at the USO at McChord Field and have been involved with that for 18 years. They have also visited all 50 states, driven I-90 and Route 66, both from beginning to end, and are now visiting Presidential Libraries, hoping to go to Nixon and Reagan in the Spring.