The Mennonite Women USA
Board of Directors

President: Rebecca Sommers, Goshen, Ind., is a fabric artist, storyteller, frequent retreat speaker.

Vice president: Gail Harder, Reedley, Calif., is a teacher by profession and coordinates a cross-age tutoring program at Reedley High School.  She also serves as a mentor to teen moms; her passion is working with at-risk teens. 

Secretary: Gail Shetler, Silverwood Mennonite Church (Goshen, Ind.), is a stay-at-home mom to three children as well as a seminary student. She has served as president of Central District Conference Mennonite Women.

Treasurer: Jean Kilhefer Hess, East Petersburg Mennonite Church (Akron, Pa.), works in resource development for Mennonite Central Committee East Coast.

West Coast representative: Carolyn Holderread Heggen, Corvallis, Oregon, is the lead trainer for Eastern Mennonite Seminary's STAR program (Seminars in Trauma and Resilience). She is an author and psychotherapist and has spoken internationally on gender issues, peacemaking and healing. 

Central States representative: Barbara R. Voth, Newton, Kan., is a registered nurse. She has served as president and vice president of Western District Women in Mission and is now co-coordinator of Grace Hill Mennonite Women.

Great Lakes representative: Regina Shands Stoltzfus, Prairie Street Mennonite Church (Elkhart, Ind.), is currently working on her doctoral thesis on the experiences and thought of African American women in Mennonite-affiliated congregations from 1948 to1968.

East Coast representative: Evie Hertzler, Harrisonburg (Va.) Mennonite Church, is a retired teacher active with a child care center, heritage center, and Book Buddy reading program.

African-American Mennonite Association representative: Cora Brown is Pastor of Evangelism at Church Without Walls in Elkhart, Ind., and provides leadership for the Emerge women's ministry.

Iglesia Menonita Hispana representative: Vilma Padilla, Goshen, Ind., from Canada, is studying at Goshen College. She and her husband are the parents of three children. She calls this time in the U.S. “an amazing time to grow spiritually depending on God” as they left everything to receive training.

Editorial Advisory Council representative: Patricia Burdette, Grace Community Church (Bryan, Ohio), is a professor at Bluffton (Ohio) University.

9.3.2007