General Conference Leaders Honored in Retirement

General Conference administrators greet retirees during a special appreciation program at the 62nd General Conference Session of Seventh-day Adventists on July 12, 2025, in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. [Photo: Nikolay Stoykov/Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)]

On the last day of the 62nd General Conference (GC) Session, retiring church officers were thanked and honored for their years of service to God and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Gerson Santos, GC associate secretary, announced each retiree in the following order:

Ted N. C. Wilson

Former president of the GC is retiring after 51 years of service working in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He was given a special recognition earlier in the day’s service.

Guillermo (Billy) Biaggi

After 50 years of denominational service, Guillermo “Billy” Biaggi is retiring. He has served on three continents in the roles of conference secretary, union treasurer, division treasurer, and division president. In 2015, he was elected as a vice president of the GC.

Mario Brito

After 44 years of denominational service, Mario Brito is retiring. From 1981 to 2005 he worked in Portugal as a Bible teacher, film director, pastor, and union president. In November 2005 he was elected the director of Sabbath School and Personal Ministries for the Inter-European Division and was elected to the role of division president in 2015.

Lael Caesar

After 42 years of denomination service, Lael Caesar is retiring. He served as a district pastor, youth director and in the health stewardship department in the Eastern Caribbean region. He later served as a campus chaplain and a university professor. From May 2011 to 2022 he served as the associate editor of Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines.

General Conference administrators Pastor Erton Kohler (center), president; Paul Douglas, treasurer; and Rick Edwards, executive secretary, share a moment with former president Pastor Ted Wilson (left) and his wife Nancy during a retirement celebration for denominational workers on July 12, 2025. The event took place during the 62nd General Conference Session at the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis, Missouri. [Photo: Seth Shaffer/Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)]

Dennis Carlson

After 46 years of denominational service, Dennis Carlson is retiring. He managed Adventist Book Centers for 20 years and was the director of Planned Giving for 12 years at the Washington Conference. In October 2015, he was elected the director of Planned Giving and Trust Services for the General Conference, where he served until April 2024.

Williams Costa Jr.

After 53 years of denominational service, Williams Costa is retiring. He served as a choir and orchestra conductor for 20 years, and in that time produced 100 albums and composed thousands of arrangements. In 1991 he was invited to produce and later be the associate director of It Is Written’s Portuguese programming. In 2005 he served as the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director for the South America Division. One year later, he became the associate director of Communication at the GC and later was elected as the Communication director.

Ganoune Diop

After 24 years of denominational service, Ganoune Diop is retiring. He holds doctoral degrees in Old Testament studies and was elected the director of Global Mission Centers for the GC in 2007, and acted as the church’s liaison to the United Nations in New York and Geneva. In 2015, he was elected the director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty at the GC.

George Egwakhe

After 47 years of denominational service, George Egwakhe is retiring. He was born in a small village in Nigeria and previously worked in the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division and in various finance administrative positions in the Southern Asia-Pacific Division before moving to the church headquarters in Maryland, USA. He served as an associate treasurer for the GC for 25 years and was the GC Session manager for the past four sessions.

Daniel Herzel

After 46 years of denominational service, Daniel Herzel is retiring. All 46 of those years were spent in auditing services, with 42 of them being in an elected position. He became a part of the GC Auditing Service (GCAS) team in 1979. In 1981 he moved to Maryland, the headquarters of the GC, and was elected the associate director of GCAS. In 1991, he became responsible for GCAS compliance and professional accounting and auditing standards, which he did until retirement.

Hudson Kibuuka

After 45 years of denominational service, Hudson Kibuuka is retiring. Kibuuka has been an educator since 1979. His experience includes service as a secondary science teacher, registrar, college and university lecturer, and director of Education for the Adventist Church in Uganda, director of Education for the Eastern Africa Division, and since 2003, director of Education for the East Central-Africa Division. He retires as an associate director of Education for the General Conference.

Yo Han Kim

After 34 years of denominational service, Yo Han Kim is retiring. He began his pastoral ministry at West Cheonan church of the Middlewest Korean Conference in 1991. In 1996, he was called to serve at the 1000 Missionary Movement Training Center and has served both as an associate director and as director for 10 years. He served as an overseas missionary in Uganda from March of 2013 to February of 2015. He retired as the president of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division.

William (Bill) Knott

After 46 years of denominational service, William “Bill” Knott is retiring. He has more than 25 years of networking and connecting with thought leaders and faith communities in the metropolitan Washington D.C. region. He joined Adventist Review magazine as an associate editor in 1997, and later became editor and executive publisher of Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines. He retires as the associate director of the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department at the GC.

Ezras Lakra

After 40 years of denominational service, Ezras Lakra is retiring. Lakra has served in a number of capacities in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, including evangelist, school teacher, and principal. He served as the president of the Adventist Church in the Northern India Union, where he oversaw the work of the church in several states of India. He retires as the president of the Southern Asia Division.

Peter Landless

After 49 years of denominational service, Peter Landless is retiring. He is originally from South Africa, where he was in academic and private practice as a clinical cardiologist with a special interest in nuclear cardiology. His first 11 years of practice were spent in a mission program, and during this time, two congregations were planted and church buildings completed. He retires as the director of Health Ministries at the GC.

Andrea Luxton

After 41 years of denominational service, Andrea Luxton is retiring. She began her career in education as Head of English for Stanborough Park School in England, her home country. Beginning in 1991, she held multiple responsibilities as education director, Sabbath School director, and women’s ministries coordinator of the British Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In 2001, she went to serve as vice president for academic administration at Canadian University College (now Burman University). In 2010 she transitioned to Andrews University and became the president in 2016 and retired in July 2023.

Wendell Mandolang

After 43 years of service, Wendell Mandolang is retiring. He began his career in 1981 and held various roles in the West Indonesian Union Mission and Southern Asia-Pacific Division, including district pastor and department director, secretary, and president of a local conference. In July 2022 he was elected secretary of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division, and he retires in this role.

Almir Marroni

After 43 years of service, Almir Marroni is retiring. Almir was born in Brazil to a third-generation Adventist family. After finishing his studies in theology at Brazil Adventist University, he has served the church for more than 35 years, 30 of which were as Publishing Department director at conference, union, and division levels. Prior to coming to the GC, he served as South American Division vice president for four years.

Geoffrey Mbwana

After 48 years of service, Geoffrey Mbwana is retiring. He was born and raised in Tanzania to a pastor family. He has served as a literature evangelist in India, Sweden, Tanzania, and Uganda. He has been a teacher, chaplain, associate pastor, school principal, conference secretary, union president, and East-Central Africa Division president. He retires as a vice president of the General Conference.

Duane McKey

After 54 years of service, Duane McKey is retiring. He retires as the president of Adventist World Radio. In his career with the church, he served as the director of Sabbath School and Personal Ministries at the GC, assistant to former GC president Ted N. C. Wilson, and vice president and president of local conferences.

Julian Melgosa

Born in Spain, Melgosa holds a degree in psychology from the University of Madrid and a doctorate in educational psychology from Andrews University. A member of the British Psychology Society, he was a university professor and is the author of various articles and books in the area of emotional health. He most recently served as dean of the school of education and psychology at Walla Walla University. He retires as an associate director of education at the GC.

Derek Morris

After 48 years of service, Derek Morris is retiring. He has spent time in pastoral ministry, 10 years as a professor at Southern Adventist University, and 13 years as an associate secretary for the GC. He retires as the president of Hope Channel International, where he will continue to serve part-time.

Daisy Jane F. Orion

After 50 years of service, Daisy Jane F. Orion is retiring. In 1973, she was a ward secretary for the Manila Sanitarium and hospital, where she later served as the senior vice president for finance. In 1989 she became the vice president of finance for the Adventist Health Services in Asia. In 2005, she was elected associate treasurer of the GC and retired on January 1, 2024.

Timothy Poirier

After 44 years of service, Timothy Poirier is retiring. All 44 of those years were spent working in the Ellen G. White Estate in various roles. He has the unique distinction of beginning his role while Arthur White, Ellen White’s grandson, was working in the office. He retires as the vice director.

Claude Richli

After 33 years in service, Claude Richli is retiring. He was elected as associate secretary of the General Conference in July 2015. He serves as liaison officer to the Inter-European Division, the Trans-European Division, and the Chinese Union Mission. He served in Canada, Switzerland, and Kenya before coming to the General Conference.

Marlon De Souza Lopes

After 46 years of service, Marlon De Souza Lopes is retiring. His family all works in some capacity for the church. He has been a conference assistance treasurer, treasurer, and director of the Novo Tempo Communication Network. He spent the past 14 years as the treasurer for the South America Division.

Alberto Timm

After 43 years of service, Alberto Timm is retiring. Timm has served as a district pastor, director of the Brazilian Ellen G. White Research Center, and Spirit of Prophecy coordinator for the South American Division. At the GC, he served for more than 10 years as an associate director at the Ellen G. White Estate and is a member of the Biblical Research Institute.

Filiberto Verduzco, former treasurer of the Inter-American Division, and his wife Alma are greeted by Erton Kohler, president of the General Conference, during a special tribute to retirees on July 12, 2025, in St. Louis, Missouri. [Photo: Seth Shaffer/Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)]]

Joel Tompkins

After 35 years of service, Joel Tompkins is retiring. He spent his career as an internal auditor and treasurer, under treasurer, associate treasurer, and vice president of finance at various conferences within North America, the Egypt Field, and the Northern Asia-Pacific Division.

Filiberto Verduzco

After 45 years of service, Filiberto Verduzco is retiring. Born in Mexico, Verduzco’s church service began as general manager of an Inter-American Health Food Company branch. His years of service also include vice president of finance and vice president of development of Montemorelos University in Mexico. He spent the remaining 22 years as the treasurer for the Inter-American Division.

Thomas Wetmore

After 40 years of service, Thomas Wetmore is retiring. Of his 40 years, 38 were spent as an associate general counsel in the Office of General Counsel at the GC. He also served at the Washington Adventist Hospital in Tacoma Park.

Lory Yingling

After 43 years of service, Lori Yingling is retiring. She worked as the Human Resources director for the GC and began her career in the church at Adventist Risk Management. She also was the director of health care and benefits and was key in transitioning the GC to a paperless organization.

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