Shake up at Mennonite Mutual Aid

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GOSHEN, Ind.—Eighteen months after becoming president of Mennonite Mutual Aid (MMA), Larry Miller unveiled a new leadership structure for the stewardship agency of Mennonite Church USA. In an address to employees on June 3, Miller said the changes were not related to other discussions about reorganizing MC USA’s national structure.



Larry Miller

The new team will lead streamlined operations via four departments instead of the six current departments—each with its own senior vice president. The four new departments are: corporate services, finances, sales and distribution, products and services.The new team will take the remainder of 2008 to develop each department.


One current senior vice president was named to a new role. Rod D. Diller, senior vice president for trust and foundation services, will lead the sales and distribution department. This will include MMA field personnel such as counselors, church relations managers, foundation and trust representatives, and credit union service staff.


Mel Classen, who currently serves as MMA’s chief financial officer in a vice-president role will continue in that role as a senior vice president and oversee accounting and actuarial services, back-office financial operations, and corporate assets and investments.

James Alvarez was named senior vice-president of corporate services. This department will include human resources, information technology, marketing and communications, stewardship education, fraternal services, strategic planning, research and product development areas.





David Gautsche will become senior vice president of products and services. This includes all MMA products and services as well as those offered to members through MMA’s partners.

Four current senior vice presidents will not be included in the new team: John L. Liechty, Steve Garboden, Steven R. Martin and Vyron Schmidt. They currently lead, respectively, financial services, health services, marketing and fraternal ministries.

“John Liechty … will retire when the new MMA structure is in place and a new president of MMA Praxis Mutual Funds is named,” said Judith Martin Godshalk, MMA’s communication director. Godshalk said the remaining senior vice presidents are “in conversation [with the new team] about possible roles and responsibilities that would fit going forward.”—Everett J. Thomas

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