General Board of Pension and Health Benefits Confers Leadership Awards
For Immediate Release
November 19, 2009
Contact: M. Colette Nies, Managing Director—Communications
(847) 866-4296 or cnies@gbophb.org
Lakewood, CO—The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (General Board) conferred two distinguished leadership awards during its board of directors meeting last week in Colorado. Ms. Patricia Hutchinson was named the 2009 recipient of the Charles L. Calkins Award and Mr. Carl Nord was named the 2009 recipient of the Clay F. Lee Award. These special General Board awards recognize exemplary service in caring for the pension and benefits needs of those who serve The United Methodist Church. They were presented by Board Chairperson, Bishop B. Michael Watson and General Secretary, Barbara A. Boigegrain. (Photos below)
The Charles L. Calkins Award—Patricia Hutchinson
The Charles L. Calkins Award, established in 1988, recognizes an annual conference pension and benefits administrator who, in partnership with the General Board, has provided exceptional service in the administration of pension and/or health benefits within The United Methodist Church.
Patricia (Trish) Hutchinson has served as pension and benefit administrator for the Virginia Conference since 1976. As the liaison for daily interactions between Virginia United Methodist Pension, Inc. (VUMPI) participants and the GBOPHB, Ms. Hutchinson is the conference’s primary contact and resource for all matters pertaining to retirement and pension, disability and incapacity leave, and death benefits. She also serves as VUMPI’s business manager. “Since she is such the prominent face of VUMPI, we believe that she is largely responsible for the effectiveness of this ministry,” wrote Bishop Charlene Kammerer in her nominating petition. Three VUMPI representatives, Betty J. Forbes, president; Thomas Joyce, vice president and chair, personnel and nominations committee; and Donald F. Rogers, executive director, reinforced that “Trish has also given much time and assistance to the General Board over the years by participating in numerous GBOPHB pilot programs to test new customer service and reporting initiatives.”
Her nominating petition stated, “Trish has consistently performed at the highest caliber while serving the needs and demands of one of the largest populations of United Methodist clergy and local churches within our denomination. … She wants to ensure that each and every participant receives the very best and complete advice that is available. … This personal commitment to the participant and his/her family is why they seek her counsel.
“The sheer number of her transactions, her accuracy, timeliness of her work, and her attention to customer service, combined with her genuine and sincere concern for our participants, make Trish an invaluable ambassador for both the General Board and VUMPI.”
The Clay F. Lee Award—Carl Nord
The Clay F. Lee Award, established in 1999, recognizes former directors of the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits who have given exemplary service in caring for the pension and health benefit needs of those who serve The United Methodist Church.
Carl Nord served the General Board from 1992 through 2004 and, as Mr. Lum Lee, former board member, cited in his nominating petition, “was on the ground floor in transforming this Board … to the dynamic organization it is today. Carl brought his experience and expertise as a certified public accountant … to strengthen both external and internal audit procedures … to be in full compliance with regulatory requirements.” He chaired the Audit Committee, spending many days and hours away from his private practice in order to carry out his commitment and responsibilities to the General Board.
Mr. Lee’s nomination continued: “Carl never lost sight of the mission of this Board and sought ways to make its operations better and more cost efficient for the benefit of both the conference administrators out in the field and the pension and health plan members that the Board serves.
“Carl is a model Director for all members of this Board to follow; he was totally committed, dedicated and believed in the mission of GBOPHB and played an important part in helping to shape the organization. He set high standards for audit procedures, internal controls and financial reporting systems to assure avoidance of fraud and that the GBOPHB was (and is) in complete compliance with regulatory agencies. Carl was friendly, personable and helpful to everyone and, in turn, was liked by all. His contributions were outstanding and long lasting.”
The names of Patricia Hutchinson and Carl Nord will be inscribed on the Calkins Award and Lee Award plaques at the General Board headquarters.
General Secretary Barbara Boigegrain, Carl Nord and his wife, Sue,
with Bishop Mike Watson
Bishop Mike Watson, Trish Hutchinson and her husband, Jackie,
with General Secretary Barbara Boigegrain
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About the General Board
The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits is a not-for-profit administrative agency of The United Methodist Church, responsible for the general supervision and administration of the retirement, health and welfare benefit plans, programs and funds for more than 74,000 clergy and lay employees of the Church.
The General Board is the largest faith-based pension fund in the United States and ranks among the top 100 pension funds in the country. As a socially responsible investor, the General Board is actively involved in shareholder advocacy, proxy voting, portfolio screening and community investing.
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