Board of Directors and PAG

Board of Directors and Program Advisory Group

Since General Conference’s action in May 2012, United Methodist Women is organized as an independent agency of The United Methodist Church with a modified board structure to meet the changing needs of women organized for mission.

The board now consists of 25 members (from 50) and is responsible for managing the organization’s program policies, finances, property and its top executive staff person. Twenty members were elected through jurisdictional channels and five through a nominations process to ensure diversity of age, race, language, physical ability and working status.

The leadership structure also includes the Program Advisory Group, which provides representation from each of the Annual Conferences and from 6 other general agencies, regional missionaries, deaconesses and home missioners and the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women. This Group gives voice from the membership directly into the working programs and initiatives of the organization and provides new connection across the denomination.

Program Advisory Group nominees include:

United Methodist Women’s 25-member board of directors.
The five United Methodist Women jurisdiction presidents.
A representative from each conference not already represented on the 25-member board.
Representatives of the Deaconesses and Home Missioner community
Regional Missionaries, with voice but no vote.

The Program Advisory Group will also include representatives from other groups that will be named by those groups:

Representatives from the board of General Board of Global Ministries.
Representatives from five other United Methodist agencies.
Representatives of women’s organizations related to the World Methodist Council.

Designed to focus on programmatic aspects of United Methodist Women, the Program Advisory Group gives voice from the membership directly into the working programs and initiatives of the organization and to the membership as members communicate with their conferences strengthening the connections between local women and their national policymaking body.

2016-2020 Board of Directors

The 25 persons elected as leaders for the 2016-2020 United Methodist Women Board of Directors are:

Five officers:

President: Shannon Priddy, Indiana Conference
Vice president: Clara Ester, Alabama-West Florida Conference
Secretary: Cindy Saufferer, Minnesota Conference
Chair of Governance Committee: Gail Douglas-Boykin, New York Conference
Chair of finance committee: Estella Wallace, Pacific Northwest Conference

Directors elected at the Jurisdiction meetings:

Ruby Anderson, Michigan
Lynn Baker, Arkansas
Jane Benner, West Ohio
Diane Braun, West Virginia
Colleen Cates, Baltimore-Washington
Debra Payne, North Alabama
Stacie Hawkins, Texas
Daryl Junes-Joe, New Mexico
Miran H. Kim, Virginia
Caroline B. Martin, Tennessee
Susan Rae Raymond, North Georgia
Cynthia Rives, Central Texas
Denise-Nicole Stone, West Pennsylvania
Carol Yvonne Toney, North Alabama
Susan Williams, Alaska

Additional nominated directors:

Taylorie Bailey, Michigan
Esther Barkat, Baltimore-Washington
Magdala Edmond, Florida
Elizabeth Leyva, Rio-Texas
Juliet Maliksi, California-Nevada

2016-2020 Program Advisory Group

Board of Directors: (20 elected)

Listed at left

North Central Jurisdiction

Rita L. Smith, President
Dakotas: Dawn Armstrong
East Ohio: Charlotte Jermy
Illinois/Great Rivers: La Von Wilson
Iowa: Amanda Heeren
Northern Illinois: Mildred Carter
Michigan: Suzanne Hewitt
Wisconsin: Mary Lainberger

Northeastern Jurisdiction

Denise Snyder, President
Eastern Pennsylvania: Janet A. Mills
Greater New Jersey: Yvonne Bouknight
New England: Arlene Mackie
New York: Shanae Als
Peninsula Delaware: Inez Freeman
Susquehanna: Jennifer Haines
Upper New York: Valerie Clark

South Central Jurisdiction

Charlotte Morrow, President
Central Texas: Darlene Alfred
Great Plains: Rosemary Karen Roberts
Louisiana: Staphenae Carey
Missouri: Katie Willis
North Texas: Camille Harry
Northwest Texas: Brenda Breeden
Oklahoma Indian Missionary: Patsy Eyachabbe
Oklahoma: Marsha Lyons

Southeastern Jurisdiction

Betty Helms, President
Holston: Marsheine McClurg
Kentucky: Charlotte Smith
Memphis: Virginia Mohundro
Mississippi: Kay Barksdale
North Georgia: Barbara Solomon
North Georgia: Ariel Murphy
Red Bird: Kathie Harris
South Carolina: Elizabeth W. Honan
South Georgia: Sara Bankhead
Tennessee: Margaret Fisher
Western North Carolina: Dixie Liggett

Western Jurisdiction

Judi Nibbelink, President
California-Pacific: Tiala Toetu'u
Desert Southwest: Deborah Williams
Oregon-Idaho: Roselyn Moy Collins
Pacific Northwest: Noriko Yokokawa Lao
Mountain Sky: Glenna Brayton
Mountain Sky: Jeannie Peterson Hall

Regional Missionaries:

Andrea Rocha Soares (Latin America)
Catherine Akale (West Africa)
Elmira Sellu (East & West Africa)
Emma Cantor (Southern & Eastern Asia)
Finda Quiwa (Africa-Continent wide)
Grace Musuka (East & Southern Africa)
Hikari Chang (Japan-Wesley Center)
Serna E. Samuel (Caribbean & the Americas)

Deaconess & Home Missioner Representatives:

Cindy Johnson
Steve Taylor

Boards and Agencies Representatives:

Division on Ministries with Young People: Ciere Fremon Turner II
General Board Church and Society: TBA
General Board Global Ministries: Mary Newman
General Board Global Ministries: Kelly Murray-Norman
General Board Global Ministries: Christy Bulus Yusuf
General Board Higher Education and Ministry: Cynthia Bond Hopson
General Board of Discipleship: TBA
General Commission Religion and Race: TBA
General Commission Status and Role of Women: Eunice Vega-Perez
World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women: Alison Judd
World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women - North America: Sandra Gadson