Episcopal Relief & Development Welcomes New Board Member

January 9, 2013

Episcopal Relief & Development is pleased to welcome the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, to its Board of Directors. Prior to his installment in 2000, Bishop Curry served parishes in North Carolina, Ohio and Maryland, implementing social development programs that improved the lives of children and youth in inner-city neighborhoods. In his current role, he has been a champion of Episcopal Relief & Development’s work, and spearheaded diocesan efforts in support of the NetsforLife® Inspiration Fund, the organization’s church-wide campaign to raise awareness and funds for malaria prevention. Bishop Curry also served as co-Chair of the national NetsforLife® Inspiration Fund Campaign Advisory Committee.

“It is an honor to welcome my brother bishop, Michael Curry, to the Board of Episcopal Relief & Development,” said the Rt. Rev. Robert J. O’Neill, Bishop of the Diocese of Colorado and Chair of Episcopal Relief & Development’s Board of Directors. “He is a prophetic voice within our Church for social justice and community engagement, and his visionary leadership will be a blessing to this organization.”

As Bishop Curry joins the board, Dr. Catherine “Katy” George steps down, having completed her final term. Dr. George is a Director in McKinsey & Company’s New Jersey office and a member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in New Providence, NJ.

“I am immensely grateful to Katy George for her dedicated service on the Board of Episcopal Relief & Development,” said Rob Radtke, the organization’s President. “Her contributions as Chair of the External Affairs Committee and as a member of the advisory committee for the NetsforLife® Inspiration Fund have helped the organization achieve greater success and increase visibility within the Episcopal Church and beyond.”

Bishop Curry joins Episcopal Relief & Development’s 21-member Board effective January 1, 2013. Board members are invited to serve three-year terms, which may be renewed once.

“On behalf of everyone at Episcopal Relief & Development, I want to thank Bishop Curry for agreeing to serve on our Board of Directors,” Radtke commented. “His guidance and expertise will be invaluable as we seek to raise the organization to the next level and engage more deeply with partner communities, Episcopal churches and peer organizations.”

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating under the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, Episcopal Relief & Development is presently governed by a 21-member Board of Directors that includes clergy and lay leaders from around the country. The Honorary Chair of the Board is the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, and the Chair of the Board is the Rt. Rev. Robert J. O’Neill, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado. Members of the Board are nominated by the Presiding Bishop and the Chair of the Board of Episcopal Relief & Development, with assistance from the Board’s Governance Committee. New members are then elected by the Board, and this decision is ratified by the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church.

For more information about the Board of Directors, please visit our Board and Staff page.

Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church and an independent 501(c)(3) organization. The agency takes its mandate from Jesus’ words found in Matthew 25. Its programs work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Episcopal Relief & Development works closely with the worldwide Church and ecumenical partners to help rebuild after disasters and to empower local communities to find lasting solutions that fight poverty, hunger and disease, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.