Transition Team names members to do technical (operational) work

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Nebraska-Kansas Episcopal Area Transition Team members established two technical teams at their February meeting in Lincoln, Neb.

Based on provisions in the Book of Discipline and information collected from other conferences going through similar transitions, the team approved the creation of a Joint Distributing Committee and an Asset Allocation Team. The teams were given an initial research assignment from the transition team to begin their work.

“As we come together as a new episcopal area, it will be important for us to know the assets we have and our pension and health benefit systems,” said Tom Watson, Nebraska Conference lay leader and transition team chairperson.

Many of the most common technical questions about the new episcopal area focus on benefits, office locations and the future of conference relationships with specific institutions and agencies.

“I think there is some concern that we haven’t considered all the technical concerns. By starting with these two technical teams, we feel that we can begin to answer some of people’s driving questions about the new episcopal area,” Watson said.

The Rev. Gary Beach, Kansas East director of connectional ministry and treasurer, led the Technical Team subcommittee for the transition team. Through his research, he discovered the Book of Discipline provides a process for dealing with issues related to pension and health benefits through a Joint Distributing Committee and that the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits will assign a staff person to work with that group as it collects data and formulates plans for the future.

The Joint Distributing Committee will begin its work by studying the compensation, health insurance and pension practices of each conference, Beach said. In addition to the conference benefits officers for Nebraska, Kansas East and Kansas West, three people from each conference will serve on this committee.

Members of the transition team also established an Asset Allocation Team to address issues related to conference properties.

The Asset Allocation Team is charged with compiling a comprehensive inventory of properties, holdings, and institutional relationships as well as the apportionments formulas and budgets of the three annual conferences.

Members of the Join Distributing Committee are: the Rev. James S. Brewer (Nebraska); Carol Fusaro (Kansas East), conference benefits officer; the Rev. Michael Gardner (Kansas West), conference board of pensions member; the Rev. Jim Graves (Kansas West), conference board of pensions member; Carol Jackson (Kansas West), conference benefits officer; the Rev. Karen Jeffcoat (Kansas East); the Rev. Nancy Lambert (Nebraska), chair of the Board of Pensions and Health Benefits; Carole Otto (Nebraska), conference benefits officer; Pete Peterson (Nebraska); the Rev. Jan Rhind (Kansas East); Tammy Shepherd (Kansas East), conference board of pensions president; Mike Shockley (Kansas West), conference board of pensions member.

Members of the Asset Allocation Team are: the Rev. Gary Beach (Kansas East), conference treasurer; the Rev. John Collins (Kansas East), Council on Finance and Administration; Mike Dillmon (Kansas West), conference Board of Trustees; John Ferguson (Nebraska), Council on Finance and Administration; the Rev. Steve Flader (Nebraska), conference Board of Trustees; Sheila Frahm (Kansas West), Council on Finance and Administration; Robin Kilgore (Nebraska), conference treasurer; Debbie Maltbie (Kansas West), former conference treasurer; Brent Messick (Kansas East), Council on Finance and Administration; Rev. Dustin Petz (Kansas West), Council on Finance and Administration; Lavina Schwaninger (Nebraska); and Linda Lipp Stokes (Kansas East), conference Board of Trustees.