News
Press Releases » Montreat Board Begins Search for Conference Center President
Montreat Board Begins Search for Conference Center President
Montreat Conference Center’s board of directors has elected a search committee to begin the process of finding the institution’s next president. Members of the committee are: Frank Spencer, Chairman of the Board representing the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic; Phil Shannon, Synod of Living Waters; Gilmour Lake, Synod of the Mid-Atlantic; Jonyrma Singleton, Synod of the Covenant; Mary Scott (KK) Cooper, Synod of the South Atlantic; and Anne Brown Rogers, member at large.
Frank Spencer is an elder at Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC. He has led numerous church housing projects including a Habitat mission to Malawi. A member of Urbanland Insititute, Spencer’s background includes land planning, facilities, and finance. He is the President of Cogdell Spencer Inc. in Charlotte whose specialty is healthcare land planning and facilities.
Phil Shannon is an elder at Balmoral Presbyterian church in Memphis, TN where his ecclesiastical service has included treasurer, stewardship, finance, administration and outreach. He is currently the treasurer for the Presbytery of the Mid-South. Shannon has also served as the chairman of the board of the Metropolitan Interfaith Association in Memphis. He is currently on the board of directors of Pinnacle Airlines.
Gilmour Lake is a deacon and elder in the PCUSA. He is a member of the Highland Presbyterian Church, Winston-Salem, NC. His commitment to the work and witness of the Presbyterian Church is evident through his dedicated service on the boards of Montreat Conference Center, Davidson College, and Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education, Richmond, VA.
Jonyrma Singleton serves as Associate Pastor at the Church of the Covenant in Shaker Heights, OH. Her ecclesiastical service includes serving as the college chaplain at Barber-Scotia College, interim pastor at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church, and on the presbytery’s committee on preparation for ministry (2 terms), and the hunger committee. Singleton’s PCUSA service includes Montreat youth and family ministry conferences.
Mary Scott (KK) Cooper is an elder and member of the Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church in Tampa, FL. Cooper has served as the chair of the personnel, youth, and Christian education committees and on three pastor nominating committees. She has been visiting Montreat for over 30 years and has owned a cottage for 10 years. She chaired the 2007 and 2008 planning teams for Montreat’s newest adult conference the Women’s Connection.
Anne Brown Rogers (Mrs. John) has been visiting Montreat since the 1960s. She has attended the Women’s, Missions, and Youth conferences and Sunday worship in Montreat for 50 years. A life-long Presbyterian, Anne has been a member of the Davidson College Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC, First Presbyterian Church in Shreveport, LA, Covenant Presbyterian in Charlotte, and is currently a member of the continuing Montreat Presbyterian Church, PCUSA. Rogers has taught English at Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC, and Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport, LA., and in several public high schools.
“We recognize the position of President of the Montreat Conference Center is critical to both national and regional constituencies of the PCUSA. Our committee is both honored and humbled by the enormity of the task that lies ahead of us. It is clear the Spirit of God is moving among us as we search for the conference center’s next president. We remain confident in God’s guidance through this process,” said Chairman Frank Spencer.
People interested in being considered for the position of President of Montreat Conference Center may send their Personal Information Form (PIF) or resume to the attention of Libby Baldwin, Executive Assistant to the President, Montreat Conference Center, PO Box 969, Montreat, NC 28757.
Montreat is one of three national conference centers of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Located in the mountains of western North Carolina, the conference center serves 35,000 people annually. Montreat plans and/or hosts over 45 conferences and Elderhostels each year as well as hundreds of weekend church retreats throughout the year. Known for its ministry to youth, Montreat youth conferences serve 6,000 senior high youth each summer. And the newly acclaimed college conference draws college students from over 140 colleges to the mountains in January.