September 16, 2010 – Miami, Florida, United States…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
The Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Executive Committee for Inter-America elected a new education director to lead the dozen universities and hundreds of schools for the new quinquennium. The vote came in as top executives of the Inter-American Division (IAD) met during a special videoconference today with committee members throughout the 20 church regions in the vast IAD territory.
Dr. Gamaliel Florez of Colombia was voted in as the new education director for the church in Inter-America. Dr. Florez has served the church for more than 33 years, most of that time spent in the area of education. He will leave his post as education director for the church in North Colombia to join the IAD. Previously he served as president of Colombia Adventist University in Medellin.
“A search committee has been meeting for weeks [to find an education director] and we are happy to present Dr. Gamaliel Florez to the committee for voting,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, as he addressed the committee.
Pastor Leito said that leaders had planned to vote in the new leader during the year-end executive committee meetings scheduled for November, but since there is a strong emphasis in education strategy, the decision was made to take the vote now.
The IAD education director chair became vacant shortly after the 59th General Conference Session, which was held in June. The search for a new director began in July.
“We had some 12 candidate profiles that we looked at,” said Dr. Myrna Costa, vice president for the church in Inter-America and head of the special search committee. “We looked at each candidate’s profile, experience and expertise, narrowed it down to interviewing five possible candidates, and submitted the top name to the IAD administration.”
Committee members also voted to appoint Leticia De Los Santos as the new Shepherdess Coordinator for the church in Inter-America. As Shepherdess Coordinator, Mrs. De Los Santos will oversee the nurturing of the pastors’ spouses and children throughout the territory, a position she held for years in the North Mexican Union.
In addition, committee members voted to create the Office of Adventist Missions that will cover all projects dealing with missions, global mission, and 13th Sabbath offering promotion for the IAD territory.
Church leaders also voted to appoint Plinio Vergara as associate director for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Inter-America. Vergara is currently serving as ADRA Coordinator for Central America and will continue to be stationed in Costa Rica as he serves the IAD territory in his new position.
For news updates on the church in Inter-America, visit www.interamerica.org
