The board of directors of Mennonite Health Services (MHS) announced today that MHS president/CEO Rick M. Stiffney plans to retire in the spring of 2018.
A longtime Goshen, Indiana, resident, Stiffney will conclude 20 years of leadership with MHS and a total of 40 years in Mennonite health and human service ministry. His future plans may include some strategic work with nonprofit organizations.
“I’m deeply grateful to have had this opportunity to serve,” said Stiffney. “It’s been an honor to work with capable boards and talented staff at MHS, and with executives and boards across the country who aspire to have Anabaptist faith make a difference in the mission and impact of their organizations.”
Stiffney joined MHS as executive vice president in January 1998 and was appointed president/CEO in 1999.
MHS is a network of 76 Anabaptist-affiliated health and human service ministries and extends its reach through consulting services to faith-based organizations across the country and around the world.
MHS is the national sponsor of 15 member ministries. Stiffney has provided strategic leadership for the organization as well as serving as a consultant and coach to numerous organizations within and beyond the MHS membership. In 2004, he led a restructuring of MHS to create a governance structure with board seats for the membership and for relating denominations.
Board chair Laurie Nafziger, president/CEO of Oaklawn, said “under Rick’s leadership, MHS has grown in membership and expanded its reach. We are grateful for his deep commitment to health and human service ministries grounded in Christian service.”
Nafziger said a search committee has been appointed to conduct a national search for the next CEO of MHS, with support from consultants with Design Group International. Board secretary/treasurer Valerie Rempel, Academic Dean at Fresno (California) Pacific University Biblical Seminary, will lead a search committee that includes MHS board members, a representative of Mennonite Church USA executive leadership and a member at large.
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