Catholic Relief Services Names Sean Callahan President and CEO
Catholic Relief Services has announced Sean Callahan as its new president and CEO, the Baltimore Sun reports. Callahan assumes the role Jan. 1 amid a staggering refugee crisis worldwide with 60 million people displaced. The new leader sees the issue as an opportunity to help Americans better understand the plight of refugees and debunk the assumption that all refugees simply want to come to the U.S. He wants to help refugees establish good livelihoods in their own countries. Callahan takes over from Carolyn Y. Woo, who has held the role for five years. He most recently served as COO for the organization and also held the position of executive vice president for overseas operations for eight years.
Christian Broadcasting Network Recruits Glenn Beck Alumni to Launch Millennial-Focused Wews Website
The Christian Broadcasting Network is launching a new site called faithwire.com, with the goal of reaching millennials with an array of content, including articles, podcasts and video features. It will be led by Dan Andros, former head writer for Glenn Beck, as managing editor, and Sara Johnson, former manager of social media for Beck, as the social media director. The team will be rounded out by Stephanie Parker as assistant editor. The site will focus on person-centered stories and “lean toward values more than a political ideology,” according to Business Insider.
Mercy Ships Founder Nominated for Congressional Gold Medal
Don Stephens, founder and president of Mercy Ships, has been nominated for the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by Congress, according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph. Mercy Ships brings free life-saving surgeries and medical services via hospital ships to areas where medical care is inaccessible. Since its founding in 1978, the organization has provided care valuing more than $1.3 billion in 55 developing nations, treating more than 2.5 million people.
Answers in Genesis Reports Strong Attendance in First Two Months of Operation for Williamstown’s Ark Encounter
The Ark Encounter experience in Williamstown, Ky. has been experiencing an impressive number of visitors in just over two months of operation, bringing in more than 300,000 guests from all over the country. The Northern Kentucky Tribune reports that the Answers in Genesis-owned attraction, which allows patrons to experience a life-size version of Noah’s Ark, has seen more than 7,000 visitors/day on several occasions this summer. The massive structure is built to biblical specifications, standing seven stories high and boasting 510 feet in length — making it the largest freestanding timber-frame structure in the world. The Ark Encounter’s sister attraction, the Creation Museum, has also seen attendance up 75 percent during this time.
GuideStar Issues New Nonprofit Compensation Report
GuideStar has issued the 16th edition of its Nonprofit Compensation Report, which aggregated compensation information for 96,000 nonprofit organizations by national, state, metropolitan statistical data, gender, and NTEE (National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities) classification, based on Form 990. Among the findings is the conclusion that median compensation for females continues to “lag behind that of males when considering comparable positions at similar organizations,” with the gap ranging from 8 to 23 percent, according to Nonprofit Quarterly.
