Who We Are
Board of Trustees
Rev. Kirti Cesaratto
President & CEO, Regional Representative
President email | Regional rep email
Rev. Kirti Cesaratto, ordained in 2020, is a dedicated Staff Minister at Unity of Houston, where she leads the Prison Ministry program.
She is deeply engaged with the Unity Urban Ministerial School, serving as co-creator and co-instructor of the Prison Ministry Certification Program Courses. Additionally, she is the Senior Minister of Divine Expression, an expansion ministry devoted to helping other Unity leaders establish their own Prison Ministry programs.
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Rev. Kirti is a Certified Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator and works part-time as a Chaplain with the Hospice Care Team.
In the business world, she has served as the CEO of Epic International Brokers since 2003 and is a licensed Texas Real Estate Broker. Her company has facilitated over $29 million in business transactions. She presently consults with others on business development and strategy.
On a personal note, Rev. Kirti enjoys traveling with her husband, Joe. She cherishes time with her family, which includes two daughters, a grandson, and a granddaughter. With her extensive experience in ministry, business, and community service, Rev. Kirti is honored to serve and support the Unity South Central Region.
Rev. Nina Clark
Secretary
Rev. Nina found a home in New Thought in 1996 and has been a devoted and ardent student ever since. Learning, growing, and sharing ideas is a passion of hers and she has been teaching in one capacity or another for most of her adult life. She was ordained as a Unity Minister in 2021, a New Thought Interfaith minister in 2025, and has also earned a Master of Religious Studies. The mother of two adult children and a lover of this adventure we call Life, she is delighted to be of service to the South Central Region.
Rev. Brenda Peters
Vice President & YFM Representative
Vice president email | YFM representative email
Rev. Brenda brings a deep passion for transforming lives, serving others, and lifelong learning. She shares her inspiring message not only at Unity churches but also at various other organizations. With a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, focusing on photography and broadcasting, along with a minor in English, Rev. Brenda’s diverse background reflects her commitment to communication and service.
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After more than 20 years of working in administrative and support roles, Rev. Brenda felt a profound calling to inspire others to embrace their true selves while deepening her own spiritual awareness. This calling led her on a quest to find a faith community that aligned with her values, eventually bringing her to Unity, where she found a sense of alignment with its teachings.
Following her membership at Unity of Omaha, Rev. Brenda pursued her ministerial calling, and on June 15, 2020, she was ordained as a Unity minister. As a speaker, she connects with audiences through heartfelt storytelling, drawing on her personal experiences to offer fresh perspectives on life. Her approach encourages individuals to integrate these insights into their own lives, empowering them to pursue their dreams.
Rev. tomás de león
Treasurer & LUT Representative
Treasurer email | LUT representative email
tomás de león is a Licensed Unity Teacher and an ordained Unity Minister. Born in Donna, TX. He has been married for 45 years to Rosemary, and they have two grown children, Marcos (39) and Marisa (32). He served as Spiritual Leader of Unity Spiritual Center Rio Grande Valley, TX, from 2014-2021. He is currently the Minister at Unity of Georgetown, TX.
tomás is an Honorably Discharged U.S. Navy Vietnam veteran. He is a lifelong musician (drummer and vocalist).
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He has been “a seeker” for more than 50 years and has read everything from Edgar Cayce to the Baháʼís, to Gibran, to Zen, to the Great Courses, to name a few. He has a podcast of his Sunday Unity Lessons with over a million hits. He is fluent in Spanish and has a goal of converting those lessons to Spanish at some point. He has been self-employed for the last 25 years. Before that, he served as office manager of a construction company for 12 years. He is 12 hours (non-accounting classes) short of a degree in accounting. He has an associate degree in electronic technology from Texas State Technical College (1977), as well as a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from The University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley (1991). He is an avid Dallas Cowboys and Houston Astros fan. Enjoys watching and playing golf as well. His journey as a student of life continues every day.
Get in Touch with the Board
You can write to our board members individually using the above emails, or you can send a message to the whole board using board@unitysouthcentral.org. Alternatively, feel free to send the board a note using the form to the right.
Staff
Elaine Schweizer, LUT
Executive Administrator
Elaine has over 30 years’ experience in communications, marketing, and business administration. Her work has centered on supporting non-profits, including performing and visual arts organizations, as well as Montessori educational institutions. Along with her husband, she has lived and worked in Switzerland and Australia before moving back to the States.
Elaine became a Licensed Unity Teacher (LUT) in 2016, focusing on pastoral care while serving at Unity of Houston. She served as USCR’s admin in 2020–21, and returned in 2024.
She loves photography, arts and crafts, and taking in a beautiful view.
Julie Core
YOU Consultant
Julie has been attending Unity since 1986. She has served as a YOU sponsor for 26 years and is a recipient of Unity Worldwide Ministry’s Distinguished Youth Services Award. Her experience as a sponsor includes working closely with YOUers in planning and organizing many YOU retreats. She encourages and supports the teens in developing their leadership skills and creating youth-led events. Julie has served as a Head Sponsor at more than 30 international, regional, and sub-regional YOU events, rallies, and retreats. She also serves as the IYOU Event Agent for Unity Worldwide Ministries.
Janette Jordan, CSE
YFM Consultant
Janette is a Certified Spiritual Educator, has 10 years experience as a YFM Director, and has been involved in the Unity Movement for 10+ years. She has a Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Social Work. She has extensive experience working with children, families, and adults in a variety of settings. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano, and spending time with her family and two toy poodles.
Rev. Shirley Knight
Regional Representative
Shirley graduated from Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute in 2018 with a master’s degree in divinity and was subsequently licensed as a Unity minister. As part of the first class to go through the new ministerial program she was a founding member of the Unity Ministers Student Association (UMSA) and served on the board.
She is certified in mediation and in the Connection Practice, a body of work involving conflict resolution. In addition she studied Effective Being with author and spiritual teacher Nathaniel Newby for the equivalent of a PhD. They have one book published so far titled “River of Being” and several other books in the works. Videos are available on YouTube @AwakeNowJoy.
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Rev. Shirley has served as an associate minister at Unity of Houston since 2019 where she oversees the Media Team, produces Wednesday night events, and launches special projects in addition to participating in Sunday services. The Wednesday night Midweek at Unity events are experiential gatherings such as sound healings, drum circles, tai chi sessions, and other opportunities. The YouTube playlist is titled Midweek at Unity @unitychurchhouston.
Prior to becoming a Unity minister, Shirley completed a 27-year-career in information management where she progressed from training specialist to quality assurance lead to program manager.
Jessica Quin
Uniteen Rally Coordinator
Uniteen rally coordinator email
Jessica has gone to Unity her whole life—she grew up through the little kids, Uniteen, YOU, and NGU programs. She has been a Uniteen and YOU sponsor for about 11 years after graduating, and didn’t skip a beat to be back helping the teens grow to know and love the Unity principles as much as she does. She served as the teen director, and serves as head sponsor and photographer for the rallies and retreats in the South Central Region. Having attended almost every Unity youth retreat event since her early teens, the total reaches over 40 so far. She enjoys being a dog mom and spending quality time with family and friends with a passion for photography, road trips, and art.
Rev. Scott Schell
Accountant
Rev. Scott Schell was ordained in 1994 but his history with Unity began in 1968 when his family started attending Unity of Des Moines. Scott is a CPA and has worked in both accounting and management positions. Scott has been involved with the finances of our region for over 25 years, serving first as treasurer and now as accountant.
Get in Touch with the Staff
You can write to our staff individually using the above emails, or you can send a message to our main email address: info@unitysouthcentral.org. Alternatively, feel free to send the staff a note using the form to the right.