wfn.org | Racial Ethnic Minority Fellowship winner announced

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

May 17, 2000 News media contact: Thomas S. McAnally·(615)742-5470·Nashville,
Tenn.  10-30-71BP{241}

NOTE: A photograph is available for use with this story.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - United Methodist Communications has selected
Nicole R. Benson, a recent graduate of Langston (Okla.) University, as the
2000-2001 recipient of the Racial Ethnic Minority (REM) Fellowship.
 
The fellowship provides the recipient with a one-year, salaried position in
a conference communications office of the United Methodist Church.
Throughout the year, the REM fellow works hand in hand with an experienced
director of communications.
 
UMCom chose the Southwest Texas Annual Conference as the receiving
conference for the next year. Douglas Cannon, director of communications,
will be Benson's mentor during the term of the fellowship, Aug. 1, 2000, to
July 31, 2001. The conference center is in San Antonio.
 
"We are looking forward to Nicole coming to Southwest Texas," Cannon said.
"She will have the opportunity to be involved in a wide range of
communications activities. We consider communications an important part of
disciple-making, especially in the area of public witness."

This will be the third year that UMCom has offered the REM Fellowship. The
agency developed the program in 1998 as a step to encourage people of ethnic
minority background to consider religion communications as a career. Of the
66 annual conferences in the United States, only four have communications
directors with ethnic minority backgrounds.
 
A native of California, Benson graduated from Langston University this month
with a bachelor of arts degree in broadcast journalism. While a student, she
served as a staff writer for the campus newspaper and worked at the school's
television and radio stations.
 
Benson is active in the United Methodist Church and serves on the board of
directors for the Wesley Foundation in Langston. In applying for the
fellowship, she wrote, "I am called to take the word of God to all people
through the fast-changing world of media."
 
"We are excited about Nicole joining the communications team in the
Southwest Texas Conference for her year of learning and sharing," said
Barbara Nissen, resource consultant with the Conference Resourcing Team of
UMCom. "We feel it is a good match on all sides." The Conference Resourcing
Team is the coordinating body for the REM Fellowship. 
 
Benson was one of 17 candidates applying for the program. A seven-person
selection committee chose finalists. Interviews were conducted April 28 at
UMCom in Nashville. 
 
The 1999-2000 REM Fellowship recipient, Eunice Dharmaratnam, completes her
year June 30. Lynne B. DeMichele, Indiana Area Communications, has been her
primary mentor. 
 
Larry Hygh Jr., of Marshall, Texas, was the first recipient. He served his
fellowship in the New England Conference with Director of Communications
Michael Hickcox. Hygh is currently director of communications for the
Mississippi Annual Conference, but he has accepted a position in the
Communications Office of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference.
 
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United Methodist News Service
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