Citing unprecedented economic challenges facing the Executive Committee (EC), Frank Page, president and chief executive officer of the EC since Oct. 1, announced structural and staffing changes in two memos sent to EC members Nov. 17 and 29.
Page informed the EC that he has reduced the staff from five divisions to three, combining the duties of two divisions and bringing another into the president’s office.
The office of news services and the office of convention relations, separated into two offices since 1991, have been combined back into one office and will become the office of convention communications and relations.
Given the economic situation the EC is facing, Page said he thought it “wise to return to this arrangement, at least for the immediate future.”
Roger S. “Sing” Oldham, current vice president of convention relations since 2007, will assume oversight of the new office.
The position of vice president of news services, filled by Will Hall since 2000, has been eliminated. Hall’s last day of service was Dec. 3.
In his Nov. 29 memo, Page also indicated that, “beginning immediately,” the responsibility for Cooperative Program (CP) promotion will be housed in his office. He wrote, “I hope Southern Baptists will see in this my desire to give a heightened sense of priority to Cooperative Program promotion by making it a direct responsibility of the president’s office.”
A separate office of CP was created in 1997. It was expanded to include stewardship education in 2006.
With the duties of CP promotion being brought directly into the president’s office, the vice presidential role filled by Bob Rodgers since 2005 will come to an end Dec. 10.
In other action, Page changed the name of the office of convention policy to the office of convention policy and operations. D. August “Augie” Boto, an EC staff member since 1998, will oversee the office and will continue his duties as executive vice president.
Page also renamed the office of business and finance to the office of convention finance. This position, vacant for the past 17 months, will be filled by William “Bill” Townes, who will serve as interim vice president of convention finance until his formal election at the February EC meeting.
In his Nov. 17 memo, Page wrote, “Bill comes to this role with a strong resumé of denominational service. He is currently the director of development at the North American Mission Board, where he has been serving since 2007. He has previously served as the chief financial officer of the Georgia Baptist Convention from 1992 to 2006.”
Page added, “Among Bill’s credentials include his licensure as a CPA. He also holds an MBA degree.”
Townes assumed his office Dec. 1. (BP)
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