The Network continues to grow and evolve. Blessed by the Holy Spirit, our community has been gifted with some amazing leaders. And every year at about this time, we do some shifting around, as the needs of the Network change and as new gifts emerge.
With Pastor Regina Goodrich and Becky Cole finishing up their terms on the Board, we welcome two new members to that group: Pastor Jade Ortiz and Lisa Herlocker will fill vital roles as the Network continues to dream and vision about what God is calling it to become.
Pastor Dan Fugate was re-elected to a second three-year term as well. In addition, Dan was elected to serve a one-year term as the chairperson of the Network’s Board of Directors. We are grateful for his willingness to serve. Pastor Heather Hansen was re-elected to serve as the “recorder” for the Board.
As you may be aware from the Extravaganza, the Network’s nine “Regional Facilitators” all ended their terms this February. Regional Facilitators were originally conceived of to serve as the primary communicators to their regions and to facilitate local networking, and facilitated local networking.
Now, with digital communications as our primary method of communicating, the role of the Regional Facilitator has changed dramatically. We were not certain that aspect of what they did was as critical as it was when the positions were created. Regional Facilitators were also elected by their regions. That being the case, it made it very difficult for the network to live into its goals of increasing diversity within its leadership. We are working now on a new way of making sure that good regional connections happen.
The Extravaganza team also experienced some shifts as we look to next year. I continue as the Director of the Network, and Catherine Anderson will continue to serve as co-manager for operations. Charlie Roberts has worked with programs in the past. But Charlie is going to serve in a new “team leader level” role as spiritual director for the Extravaganza team and the event. Pastor Manuel Retamoza, who has served last the Hospitality Team chairperson, is stepping up into the role of Extravaganza co-manager. Elizabeth Hood will take leadership of the Hospitality Team.
The Multi-Cultural Initiative has always been an adjunct team that has done their own planning work and has received support from the team leaders. This year we are integrating that group deeper into the leadership system of the Extravaganza, and Krystal Hamlett will serve as team leader and sit on the team leader’s group.
Pastor Andy Arnold has done a great job leading our communications team for the last several years. We know that in 2022, we will need to invest more time and resources in our digital strategies, so we can pull off a hybrid event. Andy is going to step out of his Communications Team leader role to focus much more on the event technology, along with Jacob Smith. Amy Wagner will take overall leadership of the Communications Team.
The remaining team leaders will stay in their roles: Tom Hoegel on the tech team, Pastor Nikki Fielder leading the Main Stage Team, Pastor Pam Miles providing leadership for the Learning Team, and Anne Corti and Moses Robson working with Exhibitors and Partners.
The Network is blessed with leadership. Solid leadership. And we are grateful for the work of these teams. We’ve got other fantastic teams as well. In a future post, I’ll talk a bit about their work. I’m grateful to God for working through all of these people to continue the work to which we’ve been called.
Thanks be to God!
Networked in Christ,
Todd
Network is a Verb 