Board of Trustees

Payson Burt

Payson Burt

President

Payson is a professional Actor, stuntman and movement specialist. He has worked and taught across the USA and Canada.

Introduced to Science of Mind in California by his wife Kristin, Payson finally found a spiritual home after 30 years of wandering in the wilderness! Now back in his hometown, he is committed to his new spiritual home – the Greater Philadelphia Center for Spiritual Living.

Payson is a graduate of Temple University with a BA in communications. He, along with his wife (and the active support of the Center), are co-chairs of the local Better Angels Alliance which works to bring civility back to political discussions through developing skills – both listening and speaking – but all based in love and respect.

 

Monay Farrington

Monay N. Farrington

Vice President

Monay was born in the Bronx, NY and was raised in Philadelphia, PA during her teenage years. She has always enjoyed helping others and positively impacting people’s lives which is evident by her career in healthcare which started in 2000 when she became an EMT.

In 2016, she began working at a start up benefits navigation company as a patient advocate helping people solve their health insurance issues and helping them manage their healthcare needs. She currently works behind the scenes of the growing company, as an operations specialist to create and improve processes for a superior cohesive patient experience.

Monay is the mother of a wonderfully kind, and amazing daughter, Myla. Spending time with her loved ones, taking long walks, exploring nature, going fishing, learning new things, and listening to music and audiobooks all bring her great joy.

Her journey to GPCSL started many years ago. Over the years Monay sought a deeper connection with her spiritual source but had difficulty finding a spiritual home where she could be her authentic self and one that reflected her beliefs and values. So, she took her search online and upon hearing about Religious Science she plotted the various “churches” to visit. Her church tour was short-lived because by the end of her first Greater Philadelphia Center for Spiritual Living Sunday Celebration she knew she’d found her spiritual home and family. She began attending Sunday Celebrations regularly, learning about Religious Science and Science of Mind and ultimately became a member of GPCSL in 2018. Since that time she’s completed multiple classes, joined the choir, became part of the bookstore team, attended and organized community events.

 

Suzanne Smethers

Suzanne Smethers

Secretary

Suzanne has been an active member and volunteer of our community and enthusiastic student of our philosophy, having taken over ten classes/workshops in the last three years. She is an entrepreneur and business owner of Inteprod, a medical product design, development and contracting company. She has been a leader for both Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, providing leadership to wonderful girls, and boys.

For the last 10 years, Suzanne has been a board member of Advisors for SEWN. SEWN helps Pennsylvania manufacturing survive, grow, and thrive. She is also a member of the Methacton School District Advisory Council, focused on career readiness.

She loves to organize and brings high energy, creativity, problem solving solutions and an open heart to our Board!

 

Linda Solomons

Linda Solomons

Trustee

Linda has been an active member and volunteer of our community for over ten years. Her  enthusiasm, positivity, and kindness will be an asset to our community. In addition to being a nurse and life coach, she has 15 years of marketing experience and has over four decades of public speaking experience.  She did a Health and  Wellness talk with 6 ABC online reporters including Sara Blumquist.

She will also be serving as our enthusiastic Welcome Team leader and will support our marketing efforts.

 

Rev. Dr. Maxine Kaye

Rev. Dr. Maxine Kaye

Spiritual Leader

Our Spiritual Leader, Dr. Maxine, works closely with the other distinguished, capable, and dedicated members of the Greater Philadelphia Center for Spiritual Living Board of Trustees. She delights in everyone’s conscious and caring participation in the forward-movement of our Center, appreciating the co-creating aspect of the shared work done on behalf of our Community.

Maintaining a deep connection with the Infinite Wisdom that guides the implementation of healthy ideas and programs for GPCSL, she is dedicated to inspiring others to keep the High Watch of Infinite Possibility for our Beloved Community.

Dr. Maxine and Rev. Mike enjoy taking visitors into Philadelphia and sharing its rich history, as well as its wonderful art, dining, and theatre, especially music and modern dance. They also delight in trips to Manhattan for Broadway plays, elegant vegan faire, and taking sizable bites out of the Big Apple. Family is especially important to them, and our Community sees an occasional son, daughter, or grandchild when visiting “Dr. Nana” and “Rev. Papa!”

*At GPCSL the current Spiritual Leader always holds a position on the Board of Trustees.

Board Support Team:

 

Karen Davis

Karen Davis

Treasurer & Past President

Karen has over 31 years experience in business operations. She was the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Owner of Spherical Concepts, a small manufacturing business, for over 20 years. She is currently the Operations Manager of Lamb McErlane, PC, a law firm located in West Chester, PA.

Karen has been attending GPCSL for over 20 years. She has served in many volunteer roles including as a Teen Advisor for over 5 years, and as a founding member of the CARE Support Leaders small group program at GPCS and has served as GPCSL’s Treasurer for the past 10  years.

 

John Szal

Abundance & Asset Allocation Team Leader

John Szal has been a member of the Greater Philadelphia Center for Spiritual Living since its early beginning, nearly 30 years ago. He has taken many Science of Mind classes from the 100 series up through the 400 series of Practitioner training. He also attended the National Centers for Spiritual Living Financial Freedom training course.

He has served as Treasurer for over 15 years, and Member of the Board of Trustees for 12 years and long-term Finance Chairman over his many years of membership.

John founded his own company, Spherical Concepts, designing and manufacturing world geography and astronomy globes. He also managed the world-wide operations of the globe division of the National Geographic Society for over a dozen years.

 

Linda O'Neill

Linda O’Neill

Operations Manager & Recording Secretary

Linda, our Office and Operations Manager, knew she found her spiritual home the first time she attended a Sunday Celebration in 2007. With a strong interest in personal growth and searching for a positive and welcoming spiritual community, she was drawn to the Centers for Spiritual Living’s mission of “Awakening Humanity to Its Spiritual Magnificence.” She began taking classes and over time served on most of GPCSL’s volunteer teams. She later stepped up to serve on the Board, eventually serving as President for two years as the Center searched for and found its current Spiritual Leader. Linda currently serves as a CARE Support Leader and has led several small CARE groups.

Linda holds a B.A. in Economics and Business Administration from Immaculata University and prior to joining GPCSL, had more than 30 years of business experience as a versatile, results-oriented manager successful in customer service, operations, project management, process improvement and team building. She also served on the Board of the Philadelphia Area Coaches Alliance (now ICF Philadelphia) and later as its Director of Operations, as well as a Program Manager for the Habit Change Company. Linda is also the proud proprietor of the Inspiration Café where visitors ‘gather together to grow in spirit.’