Title: Lutheran World Relief President Wolford Resigns, Accepts New Role ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 10, 2006
Lutheran World Relief President Wolford Resigns, Accepts New Role 06-121-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Kathryn Wolford, 48, resigned as president of Lutheran World Relief (LWR), Baltimore, effective Oct. 31 to become president of The McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis, starting Dec. 1. LWR is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.
"I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude for the opportunity to have served as LWR's president," said Wolford, in an Aug. 9 LWR news release.
"It is very difficult to leave LWR, an organization that I love deeply and feel so passionately about. I am humbled by what God has accomplished through LWR over these years. What attracted me to The McKnight Foundation are many of the same qualities I will miss as I complete 13 years of service as LWR's president: clear and compelling values, a strong mission, a wonderful track record in innovation, and a commitment to positive social change through grant-making, building networks on issues and strategic policy reform," she said.
"In a time of decreasing public trust in institutions," Wolford said, "whether government, private industry or charities, I am very proud of LWR's stellar reputation within the Lutheran church community and beyond, including peer organizations, major private foundations and government officials. We are known for having a strong ethical stance while operating in the nitty- gritty challenges of providing effective humanitarian action in often complex, polarized global contexts."
As LWR's third president, Wolford headed the organization since 1993. Under her leadership LWR became a founding member of Action by Churches Together (ACT) in 1995, and she oversaw LWR's move from New York to Baltimore in 1995. ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergency situations worldwide. It is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Geneva. The ELCA is a member ACT, WCC and LWF.
Under Wolford's direction LWR focused its work on poverty eradication, sustainable development and advocacy centered on global trade justice, gender equity and peace building. Wolford became a leader among faith-based groups in the fair trade movement. The Daily Record, a newspaper in Baltimore, has named Wolford one of "Maryland's Top 100 Women" three times.
Wolford previously served as board chair of InterAction, an association of more than 150 U.S. organizations that work internationally, and board chair of ACT. She also served on the boards of the Lutheran Community Foundation, Minneapolis; the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, Baltimore; Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pa.; Foods Resource Bank, Kalamazoo, Mich.; and on the advisory committee of the Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies, Baltimore. She has received Gettysburg's Young Alumni Achievement and Women of Distinction awards.
Wolford is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Gettysburg College, where she earned a bachelor's degree. She earned a master's degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, and she earned another master's degree in religious studies from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. She received honorary doctorates in public service and humane letters from Gettysburg and Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pa., respectively. Gettysburg and Muhlenberg are two of 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA.
"I have the utmost respect for Kathryn Wolford and have tremendously enjoyed working with her," said Betty Duda, chair of LWR's board of directors. "I wish her all the best as she moves on to the next phase of her distinguished career. LWR is blessed with an incredibly mission-minded, knowledgeable and experienced staff team which is fully aligned with the goals of our organizational strategic plan and will continue to move this organization forward in many ways that increase LWR's innovation, influence and impact. LWR is in great and capable hands during the upcoming transition to an new president."
Duda has formed a transition committee to lead a national search for a new LWR president. The next meeting of the 13- member LWR board is in September.
Founded in 1953, The McKnight Foundation provides grants in support of children and families, the arts, the environment, region and communities, and select international scientific research efforts. In 2004 the foundation awarded a $60,000 grant to LWR for its work in sustainable agriculture, natural resource management and livestock husbandry program for women in Uganda. - - -
Information about Lutheran World Relief is available at http://www.lwr.org on the Web.
Information about The McKnight Foundation is available at http://www.mcknight.org on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog