United Women in Faith Announces 2024-2028 Board, Program Advisory Group

For Immediate Release

Contact: press@spotlightpr.org

NEW YORK — United Women in Faith today announced the names of its new 25-member board of directors and a new Program Advisory Group for the 2024-2028 quadrennium.

Conference United Women in Faith delegates elected 20 new directors to represent their respective areas in recent jurisdiction meetings. Five additional directors were selected by the extended governance committee of the outgoing board to enhance age and racial diversity of the board.

A nominating committee from outgoing and incoming board members also named members to serve on the organization’s Program Advisory Group for the upcoming quadrennium.

Elected officers for the new board are:

President: Jana Jones | Mountain Sky Conference
Vice President: Heidi J. Careaga | Wisconsin Conference
Secretary: Melba McCallum | North Carolina Conference
Chair, Finance: Julia Paradine-Rice | Michigan Conference
Chair, Governance:  Mikele Haskins-Delmore | Baltimore-Washington Conference

The 20 board members elected by United Women in Faith jurisdiction meeting delegates are:

North Central Jurisdiction
Heidi J. Careaga | Wisconsin Conference
Kim Harris | Minnesota Conference
Roxie Hutsell | West Ohio Conference
Julia Paradine-Rice | Michigan Conference

Alternates
Lois Moreland-Dean | Northern Illinois Conference
Kathie Clementz | Indiana Conference

Northeast Jurisdiction
Yvonne Bouknight | Greater New Jersey Conference
Allison Francesco | Susquehanna Conference
Mikele Haskins-Delmore | Baltimore-Washington Conference
Hazel McIntosh | New York Conference

Alternates
Denise Snyder | Peninsula Delaware Conference
Diane Miller | Western Pennsylvania Conference

South Central Jurisdiction
Patricia Dye | Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference
Lynne Grandstaff | Central Texas Conference
Cynthia Harry | North Texas Conference
Kelly Grace Loeb | Missouri Conference

Alternates
Cheryll Felder | New Mexico Conference
Yolanda Faye Perry | Oklahoma Conference

Southeastern Jurisdiction
Stephanie Dressler | North Georgia Conference
Renee Hayes | Western North Carolina Conference
Zan Jones | Alabama-West Florida Conference
Melba McCallum | North Carolina Conference
Patsy Thomas | South Georgia Conference
Katy Wrona | Alabama-West Florida Conference
​
Alternates
Margaret Gipson | Mississippi Conference
Lori Sluder | Holston Conference

Western Jurisdiction
Hamu Chigwada | Mountain Sky Conference
Jana Jones | Mountain Sky Conference

Alternates
Laddie Perez-Galang | California-Pacific Conference

The five additional board members are:
Olhivia  Abigail Gutierrez | Rio Texas Conference
Susan Kim | New England Conference
Deborah Pintsch | Alaska Conference
Stephanie Pounds | Texas Conference
Marilyn Reid | Pacific Northwest Conference

All board members also serve on the Program Advisory Group, as do representatives from General Board of Global Ministries and General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, two United Methodist general agencies.

Jurisdiction presidents become members of the Program Advisory Group upon their election. All others listed were elected at the organizational meeting on July 19, 2024.

Program Advisory Group members are:

North Central Jurisdiction
Linda Blazek Garvin | Iowa Conference
Heidi J. Careaga | Wisconsin Conference
Susan Connor | Illinois Great River Conference
Linda Crowell | East Ohio Conference | Jurisdiction President
Diana Davis | Northern Illinois Conference
Kim Harris | Minnesota Conference
Kathy Hopkins | East Ohio Conference
Roxie Hutsell | West Ohio Conference
Emma McKirdy-Wilsey | Dakotas Conference
Julia Paradine-Rice | Michigan Conference
Felicia Stewart | Indiana Conference

Northeastern Jurisdiction
Yvonne Bouknight | Greater New Jersey Conference
Ruth Campbell | Peninsula-Delaware Conference
Gail Douglas-Boykin | New York Conference | Jurisdiction President
Allison Francesco | Susquehanna Conference
Mikele Haskins-Delmore | Baltimore-Washington Conference
Barbara Hess | Western Pennsylvania Conference
Susan Kim | New England Conference
Hazel McIntosh | New York Conference
Judy Raines | West Virginia Conference
Myka Kennedy Stephens | Eastern Pennsylvania Conference
Marthalyn Sweet | Upper New York Conference

South Central Jurisdiction
Julie Risch | New Mexico Conference
Cathy Blackwood | Arkansas Conference
Carolyn Cobb | Northwest Texas Conference
Melanie Dewey | Oklahoma Conference
Patricia Dye | Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference
Charlotte Gooday | Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference
Lynne Grandstaff | Central Texas Conference
Olhivia Abigail Gutierrez | Rio Texas Conference
Cynthia Harry | North Texas Conference
Stacie Hawkins | Texas Conference | Jurisdiction President
Kelly Grace Loeb | Missouri Conference
Lisa Maupin | Great Plains Conference
Stephanie Pounds | Texas Conference
Tanjileah Russell | Louisiana Conference
Paulina Webber | Arkansas Conference

Southeastern Jurisdiction
Pat Bellingrath | Holston Conference
Debbie Bracewell | Alabama-West Florida Conference | Jurisdiction President
Garlinda Burton | Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference
Toya Dillard-Allen | Mississippi Conference
Stephanie Dressler | North Georgia Conference
Marcella Forrest | South Carolina Conference
Mae Griner | Florida Conference
Martha Hannifan | Kentucky Conference
Renee Hayes | Western North Carolina Conference
Barbara Jackson | North Alabama Conference
Zan Jones | Alabama-West Florida Conference
Melba McCallum | North Carolina Conference
Debbie McDaniels | Virginia Conference
Marilyn Osborne | Central Appalachian Missionary
Patsy Thomas | South Georgia Conference
Katy Wrona | Alabama-West Florida Conference

Western Jurisdiction
Maria Capezio Crookes | Alaska Conference
Hamu Chigwada | Mountain Sky Conference
Diane Gin | California-Pacific Conference | Jurisdiction President
Jana Jones | Mountain Sky Conference
Young Mae Kim | California-Pacific Conference
Jo Ann Lawson | California-Nevada Conference
Gloria Marple | Oregon-Idaho Conference
Deborah Pintsch | Alaska Conference
Marilyn Reid | Pacific Northwest Conference
Kathy Schock | Desert Southwest Conference

United Women in Faith, the largest U.S. denominational women’s mission organization, supports programs to empower women and improve life for women, children, and youth in the United States and internationally since 1869.