Unity of Birmingham

Meet the Board
Diane David President	Diane E. David a native of New York was raised by her mom and grew up in the South Bronx with an older brother. A scholarship opportunity allowed her to go to high school in Andover, MA. From there she attended Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. She remained in Philadelphia until 1985 when she accepted a job in Birmingham with the thought of staying here for three years. Several events have turned that three year stay into nearly 25 years; Southern hospitality, developing wonderful friendships, meeting her soul mate with which she has been in a relationship with for 20 years, and last but not least, finding Unity of Birmingham 16 years ago. She lives in Crestwood, has two "kitties" (a girl - Tysyn and a boy - Quinton), and works for the Federal Government as a Program Integrator.
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Nancy Wasson Vice Pres.	I grew up in Seattle, WA, and then lived for more than 20 years in Mississippi. During that time I earned my M.Ed. in Counseling and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Mississippi State University in 1994 I moved to Birmingham and worked with adolescents for two years at Gateway Residential Treatment Center. I left Gateway in 1996 to start my own counseling practice in the Pinson area. One of the greatest joys of my life was meeting my soul mate Lee Hefner at Unity of Birmingham. We were married three years later. In 2004, Lee and I moved to Hoover and started our own home based publishing and consulting business together, designed to help couples create healthy relationships. In addition to Co-authoring two books with Lee and writing numerous articles, I provide phone coaching to individuals and couples worldwide. It was an unexpected blessing to discover Unity of Birmingham and to feel so at home. From the moment I stepped into the sanctuary on Sunday morning, I felt so much love and peace. It touched my heart deeply, as did the wonderful community of growing, supportive, positive members. I am delighted to have the opportunity to serve and give back to the church that has made such a profound difference in my life.
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Suzie Wagner Treasurer	Suzie Wagner is a commercial lines territory manager for a regional insurance carrier and a graduate of Auburn University. Born in Georgia she felt lucky that at 10 years old her best friend’s mother drug her to Unity in Atlanta for several Sundays. Little did she know what she had truly gained. Later Suzie moved from Atlanta and it wasn't until 30 years later that she embarked on her own spiritual path after being divorced, alone and lost that she found Unity of Birmingham. It was here that she truly felt touched by His presence and found hope, strength and a little sanity to face life. Jerry Bartholow fed her spiritual food and the Unity Lights made her soul stir! To move up the corporate ladder, she moved again in 2001 and attended other Unity Churches which were pale by comparison. She told herself and God that if she found her way back to Birmingham she would find a way to give back to the one thing that had affected her life so profoundly. She did find her way home in 2005 and was blessed with a son in 2006. Now more than ever, she wants to "pay it forward" by insuring our church exists to provide the spiritual foundation to empower not only her son to fulfill his divine potential but to anyone who enters our doors. "Unity has supported my growth as a human and spiritual being. It is a privilege for me to serve on the board at Unity of Birmingham!
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Bill Lewis Secretary	Born and raised in Dothan, AL Bachelor of Arts Degree, University of Alabama, 1969 Master of Arts Degree, University of Alabama, 1971 Alabama School of Banking Graduate, 1978 Active in UA student affairs, a leader in professional and student organizations, and editor of "Forum", a national public relations magazine for students. Bill has over 30 year of experience in communication, advertising, marketing, and branding for regional, national and fortune 500 companies. He worked in Birmingham on the corporate side for Alabama Power Co. & Compass Bancshares, before going into the advertising agency business for the majority of his career. His most recent experience was serving as partner of SlaughterHanson, a nationally acclaimed advertising and branding firm for over 15 years. Bill retired from SlaughterHanson in 2003. He has served on numerous Birmingham arts and cultural boards and been active as a trustee and leader for several professional, civic, and non-profit organizations. Bill has an ardent passion for international travel, fly fishing, golf, exercises, and reading. He describes himself as having a lot of imagination and a soft spot for dogs and ice cream.
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Leonard McCray Director	Leonard McCray and his wife, Nadine, became members of Unity of Birmingham in January 2008. He is a licensed social worker at Hillcroft Hospital and owner of HCR Health and Wellness. Leonard graduated with a BA from the University of Hawaii-West Oahu and the University Of Alabama School Of Social Work with a MSW. He is retired from the United States Navy as a Senior Chief.
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Jeff Khleif Director	Jeff Khleif graduated with honors and received the Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy in 1993. He began his rewarding professional career as a hospital pharmacist at Floyd Medical Center, a teaching hospital in Rome, Georgia. He later worked as a liaison to FDA for Solvay Pharmaceuticals in Marietta, Georgia, helping coordinate research activities of the company and providing data directly to the FDA in support of new drug approval. He met his wife, Millanne, while living in Atlanta. They moved to Birmingham in 2002 just after being married, where he had accepted the position of Director of Regulatory Affairs for BioCryst Pharmaceuticals. After a disappointing layoff 8 months later, he worked for CVS Pharmacy for a few years. He later worked at UAB, first as a hospital clinical pharmacist, and then within the School of Medicine, where he expanded and coordinated a program of specialized clinical research for kidney, liver and islet cell transplant patients. After it became apparent that resources would not be available to continue his position at UAB, he went to work for Target pharmacy. In 2010 he left Target and went on a journey of discovery, choosing instead to bridge the traditional allopathic pharmaceutical approach to “wellness” to include an integrated, holistic, and more comprehensive approach to health and wellness. He is now a Reconnective Healing® practitioner and nutritional counselor at 4Health Chiropractic in Hoover, where he provides a holistic and integrative approach to wellness. His interests include music, travel, bowling, the outdoors and spending time with family and like-minded friends. He and his wife Millanne have a son, Cameron, who blessed their lives in November 2003, and who continues to be his greatest teacher. They have lived in the Oak Mountain/Indian Springs area since originally moving to Birmingham in 2002.