Episcopal Press and News

Office of Communication Reorganized; New director, Deputy Named

Episcopal News Service. January 21, 2005 [012105-1]

In new steps to strengthen the Episcopal Church's Office of Communication and its service to dioceses and congregations, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold has approved a departmental reorganization that includes the consolidation of positions and the appointment of a new director and deputy.

Named to oversee the reorganized office are Robert Williams as director of communication and the Rev. Jan Nunley as deputy for communication.

Williams has served as acting director of communication since August 2004, and as director of the Episcopal News Service since July 2004. He was previously communications director of the Diocese of Los Angeles for 11 years and a member of its staff beginning in 1986. Nunley has been deputy director of the Episcopal News Service since 2000. She was previously communications officer for the Diocese of Rhode Island and was a broadcast journalist for 25 years. Under the reorganization, both Williams and Nunley will continue to supervise media relations and the News Service as primary tasks while also managing the wider communication program.

Commenting on the staff appointments, the Presiding Bishop said: "A very short time after Bob Williams came to us as the result of a national search for the Director of the Episcopal News Service he was asked to assume the additional responsibility of acting director of communication. Since then he has expanded our network of communication within and beyond the church. Both Bob Williams and Jan Nunley have demonstrated the professional skills and creativity necessary to tell our story in the service of mission."

Patricia C. Mordecai, chief operating officer at the Episcopal Church Center, added: "This is a critical moment in the carrying out of our communication initiatives, specifically the national advertising collaborative and our web site improvements. Therefore the continuity of leadership is particularly important at this time."

The reorganization achieves fiscal savings and program synchronization by the consolidation of varied tasks. The initiative re-orders existing programs into four work groups: News and Information, Books and Resources, Broadcast and Multimedia, and Internet and Technology.

Goals for the News and Information Group, which includes the operations of the Episcopal Life newspaper, will involve research and implementation of an effective balance of print and electronic communication. The Books and Resources Group will increase coordination between production and sales activities, while the Broadcast and Multimedia Group will facilitate upcoming national television advertising efforts. The Internet and Technology Group is charged with achieving the Office of Communication's current top priority, which is refinement of web site content and navigation.

Priorities also include widened communication in Spanish and French and filling the new position of translation services coordinator, as well as overall program evaluation and planning for General Convention 2006 and the next triennial budget.

"I look forward to working strategically with diocesan and parish communicators to support local initiatives as well as national program," Williams said. "I greatly appreciate the support and guidance provided by the Standing Commission on Episcopal Church Communication, and the Episcopal Communicators organization, and will work to continue and expand these relationships."

Said Nunley: "I continue to be grateful for the opportunity to serve Jesus Christ and the Episcopal Church in this important ministry of communication."