wfn.org | Alabama-West Florida executive earns Board of Pension award

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

May 1, 1998     Contact: Tim Tanton*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
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By United Methodist News Service

The Rev. Gerald Maddox, conference benefits officer for the Alabama-West
Florida Annual (regional) Conference, has received the 1997 Charles L.
Calkins Award from the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health
Benefits.

Maddox was cited for leadership in his annual conference. He has served
the conference board of pensions since 1984 and became conference
benefits officer in 1991.

"Gerald always approaches problems with a positive attitude," said
Jackie Miller, benefits educator with the Board of Pension, in a
prepared statement. "He is one who wants to find solutions."

The Board of Pension gives the Calkins Award annually to honor
leadership in pension and benefits administration. The award is named
for former General Secretary Charles L. Calkins, who served the board
from 1938 to 1964.

Maddox was recognized at the board's regular spring board meeting, April
17-18, in Skokie, Ill. The award was presented by Alabama-West Florida
Bishop William W. Morris, vice president of the pension agency's board
of directors, and the Rev. Karl Stegall, a member of the Board of
Pension and the Alabama-West Florida Conference.

The Board of Pension noted Maddox's work in raising his conference's
pension rate-to-average compensation ratio, bringing the level of
retiree benefits in line with the standard for other conferences.

In the early 1990s, he became one of the first conference benefits
officers to use a new telecommunication system to transmit data to the
Board of Pension. Last fall, he volunteered to help test the board's new
recordkeeping system. In addition, he has held several financial
planning seminars in his conference.

Maddox, who turns 61 on May 6, is retiring this year. He also will
finish a term on the Coordinating Committee of the Association of United
Methodist Pension and Benefit Officers.

United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
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