Habitat for Humanity International Appoints Tjada D’Oyen McKenna as Chief Operating Officer
Habitat for Humanity International has selected a new Chief Operating Officer, Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, who began tenure Nov. 2. According to a news release, McKenna most recently served as Deputy Coordinator of Development for Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative and Assistant to the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Food Security. As COO, she will lead the operational execution of Habitat’s new strategic plan to advance the organization’s mission, grow capacity and increase global impact across its 1400 U.S. affiliates and more than 70 country programs around the world.
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Debuts New Weekly Podcast Titled GPS: GOD. PEOPLE. STORIES.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) has stepped into the digital realm with a new podcast titled “GPS: God. People. Stories.” The episodes highlight in-depth stories of how God is working in people around the world to impact others and will be released weekly. Two are already available, one featuring Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly and his wife Amber, and the other featuring Naghmeh Abedini, whose husband Saeed is imprisoned in an Iranian jail for his beliefs. The podcasts will also feature select audio from Billy and Franklin Graham, according to CrossMap. Episodes can be found and downloaded on iTunes and Stitcher as well as streamed from the BGEA’s website at billygrahamradio.com.
Lutheran World Relief to Link Latin American and Haitian Farmers to Global Markets at International Cocoa Event
In an effort to support cocoa farmers in Latin America and Haiti, Lutheran World Relief is participating in The Salon du Chocolat, an annual trade fair for the international chocolate industry. The organization brought farmers to their booth at the exhibition Oct. 28-Nov. 1 in Paris to highlight the quality of cocoa produced in countries like Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti and Peru. LWR’s country director for Nicaragua says there are significant “technical and commercial hurdles” for these farmers to reach bigger markets and that they need “greater involvement from chocolate companies” to attain sustainability. As part of the initiative to support the cocoa industry in these countries, LWR also helped organize local Cocoa of Excellence competitions, which is the entry point for farmers to participate in the International Cocoa Awards, the only competition of its kind recognizing the work of cocoa farmers and celebrating the diversity of cocoa flavors globally, according to MarketWatch.
Sister Donna Markham on a New Vision for Catholic Charities
Sister Donna Markham, the new — and first female — president of Catholic Charities spoke to the Wall Street Journal about her plans for the future of the organization, spurred on by Pope Francis’ recent visit to the U.S. With this momentum she hopes to take Catholic Charities’ disaster relief, housing, health, food, childcare, job training and education services even further, particularly integrating these with other significant services like Catholic healthcare systems to provide for a spectrum of needs to the country’s most vulnerable individuals. She explains that the organization is facing potential budget cuts from the government, which could be devastating to those in need. Markham also clarifies some of the common misconceptions about Catholic Charities, that it is not solely emergency-relief, nor does it only serve the Catholic population. Markham calls the Pope’s visit a “shot in the arm” for the organization and renewed motivation to keep serving the suffering.
New Chief for Biblica Europe
Inspire Magazine reports Biblica Europe, which translates and publishes the Bible in the top 100 major spoken languages, has appointed a new Executive Director, Lindsey Holley. She has worked for the organization since 2012 as a Project Manager for Community Bible Experience and previously served as Policy Officer for Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland. The translation sponsor of the New International Version, Biblica Europe also offers programs and resources to churches and ministries to help people engage more deeply in Scripture for life application and transformation, including Community Bible Experience.
