Marisa Smucker has been appointed executive director of Mennonite Mission Network, effective Jan. 23. After serving as interim executive director since March 2023, she was named to the permanent role by the MMN Board of Directors, which announced the appointment on Jan. 25.

Smucker is MMN’s third executive director, succeeding Mike Sherrill and Stanley W. Green.

“Marisa has clearly demonstrated, throughout the interim period, her leadership skills and understanding of Mission Network’s priorities and future direction,” said MMN board chair Randall Justice.

Smucker said, “I am deeply humbled by the invitation to serve in this leadership role. With great love and respect for Mission Network staff, workers and partners, I am grateful for this opportunity to continue in our shared work.”

She is a member of Belmont Mennonite Church in Elkhart, Ind., and a former member of the Intercultural Working Group for Indiana Michigan Mennonite Conference.

A 2022 graduate of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary with a master’s degree in Christian formation, Smucker has experience in both international and domestic ministries.

Following her 1994 graduation from Goshen College in social work, she participated in PULSE (Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience) and AmeriCorps in Pittsburgh. While there, she attended Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

In 2007, Smucker returned to her birth country, Costa Rica, where she assisted with short-term mission groups and taught English. She returned to the United States in 2015 to accept a position as an MMN church relations representative. She was named director of Mennonite Voluntary Service in 2019. In 2021, Smucker was named senior executive for MMN’s Ventures division.