August 14, 2014 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ansel Oliver/ANN
Officials from the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s world headquarters have tapped the director of Information Technology Services of the denomination’s North American Division to serve in a newly created position of Chief Information Officer.
Nancy Lamoreaux was appointed by the General Conference Administrative Committee on Tuesday to serve in the new post, in which she’ll oversee a global technology strategy among regional Church entities and institutions, as well as protect online security.
Lamoreaux has served as ITS director in North America since 1998. She previously served for 13 years as director of Management Information Services for the Church’s Maryland-based Columbia Union Conference.
“She comes with a wealth of experience and qualifications, and I’m confident she’ll do an excellent job,” said Adventist Church Treasurer Robert E. Lemon, who supervises the position. Lemon said Lamoreaux was chosen after the committee worked for several months reviewing a list of 20 candidates from around the world.
Lamoreaux holds a bachelor’s degree in information systems, a master’s degree in organizational management and an executive certificate in leadership and management. She is also a certified Netware Engineer, Netware Administrator and IBM LAN Server Engineer.
Though Lamoreaux will report to the Adventist Church’s treasurer, her CIO post is also an officer position at the world headquarters, Lemon said.
The CIO position was created by the Church’s Executive Committee last year.
Lemon emphasized that while the CIO works at the denomination’s headquarters, the position is one to serve the entire world church. Lamoreaux said she will coordinate a think tank with global representation to develop a common technology strategy among the Church’s 13 world divisions, attached fields and General Conference institutions.
She also said one of her top priorities was to protect online security. “I’ll review the technology functions being done throughout the General Conference territory and see how they might be improved. As we all know, online security is becoming one of the biggest issues out there.”
Lamoreaux said she comes to the position with a strong group of technologists already in place throughout the world church.
“The Church is blessed with a global high caliber of IT people,” she said. “They take their job as seriously as any other Church employee, and they are also missionaries. Like many others, they could be making much more financially working outside the Church but have a strong desire to serve where the Lord has called.”
Lamoreaux will begin her new position September 2.