DHE Board of Directors To Discuss Leadership Development During Spring Meeting

When following an unfamiliar trail, it helps to have a guide who knows the terrain. As the Division of Higher Education examines how it can help nurture transforming future leaders for the church, the DHE Board of Directors will hear from three trailblazers who are known for their abilities in transforming institutions and people during its meeting April 12-14 in St. Louis.

"We believe it would help us to hear from leaders who have either transformed an institution or who have built a successful organization from scratch," DHE President Dennis Landon said. "There are no clear rules for identifying transforming leaders, but we know them when we see them. We feel our guests at this meeting will help us understand what DHE and Disciples-related institutions can do to shape a more faithful future for the church."

Three leaders will join a conversation with DHE directors on leadership development:

• John Moore, president of Drury University in Springfield, Mo., has served since 1983 as president of the institution related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. A Missouri native, Moore earned his undergraduate and master's degrees in history at Yale University before earning his doctorate at Harvard University. He was the Assistant Commissioner of Education for the state of Missouri prior to his tenure at Drury. Moore helped to lead Drury through a period of institutional reshaping in the early 1990s that has led to increased enrollments from both Disciples students and students of other denominations.

• Holly McKissick has served as pastor of St. Andrew Christian Church in Olathe, Kan., since its founding in 1990. St. Andrew has undergone a decade of rapid growth and is known as one of the more dynamic congregations in the church. A native Texan, McKissick earned her Master of Divinity degree from Brite Divinity School. She serves on administrative boards for the Division of Overseas Ministries and the Disciples Divinity House at the University of Chicago, and her past service includes the General Board and Administrative Committee of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Council on Christian Unity, the Disciples Peace Fellowship, and the Disciples Caucus for Clergywomen.

• Wallace Ryan Kuroiwa is the Team Leader for the United Church of Christ's Economic Justice Ministry Team. Part of UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries, the team addresses economic justice issues related to globalization, health, poverty, hunger, education, labor relations, and economic development. Kuroiwa assisted in the recent re-visioning of the North American Pacific Asian Disciples (NAPAD). A native of Hawaii, Kuroiwa earned his doctorate from Emory University.

"What we hope to do is learn about the experiences that each of these leaders has had - ask them, 'what made you the way you are' - and see how the church and our institutions can provide similar experiences," Landon said. "How have you lived your lives, how were you shaped by, and in spite of, your education, who were your mentors - these are just some of the important questions we have for our guests."

Other items on the DHE Board's agenda are:

• Awarding College/University Grants for 2002. Disciples-related colleges and universities are eligible for one-time grants to fund special programs that will serve both their students and the church at large. This year, approximately $40,000 will be distributed through this program. (List of previous grant recipients)

• Selecting the T.A. Abbott Award winner for 2002. The T.A. Abbott Award recognizes a faculty member at a Disciples-related college or university who excels in the classroom and demonstrates commitment to the integration of Christian faith and learning. (List of previous honorees)

• Official election of three new directors to the board. New members of the DHE Board are Miriam Cruz of Washington, D.C., Paul Rivera of Valley Stream, N.Y., and Madge Vasquez of Austin, Texas. All three will be in attendance at the upcoming meeting.

• Reviewing the denomination's Model Executive Search Policy, guidelines to be considered when a Disciples-related institution is in the process of calling executive officers.

• In financial matters, discussion of the proposed changes in the denomination's funding structures, the annual review of the audit of 2001 financial activities, and discussion of contributing to a fund to pay for emergency needs of the denomination.

• Revising policies on sabbaticals and parental leave.

• Reviewing the division's communications plan in the context of the denomination's changing communications network.