West Chester, PA, June 6, 2013 – The Swedenborg Foundation is pleased to announce several staff appointments at its offices in West Chester, Pennsylvania. These appointments and changes reflect a reorganization of staff responsibilities in order to further the unanimously affirmed strategic goals adopted last year by the board of directors. The goals include increased digital presence and products, free or at-cost distribution of products, expanded membership offerings, and supporting an international engagement with Swedenborg’s writings.
A new position has been created to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Foundation. After an extensive search for a qualified candidate by a board committee conducted during the first part of this year, Morgan Beard was selected to fulfill the new role of operations manager.
Beard joined the Foundation staff in 2007 when she was hired as the editor. During her years as editor, she worked on an extensive list of popular and award-winning titles. Prior to her tenure at the Foundation, Beard worked as editor-in-chief of a jewelry trade magazine; she also volunteers as the chief of administration for Urasenke Philadelphia, an educational nonprofit organization dedicated to Japanese tea ceremony.
In addition to her new duties as operations manager, Beard will continue to fulfill the Foundation’s editorial functions until a job search is conducted to hire a new editor.
To reflect changes that have been happening at a board level and to implement more of the Foundation’s strategic goals, there has been some shifting of staff responsibilities and the creation of two other new positions. These new positions are (1) online media coordinator and (2) membership and development coordinator.
The online media coordinator will manage and grow the Foundation’s in-house website, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and will work to implement new technologies and expand our online presence. Alexia Cole, who most recently served as administrative coordinator, will fill that role. Prior to joining the Foundation staff in 2011, Cole earned a BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, and volunteered in the library and curatorial department at the Chester County Historical Society, where she helped to digitize hard-copy collections records.
The membership and development coordinator will be responsible for working with members and developing new programs to support and increase membership as well as help to work on fundraising initiatives. This role will be filled by Brian Mann, who will also perform customer service duties and who will coordinate the Foundation’s attendance at conferences and trade shows. Before his hire to the Foundation staff over a year ago, Mann worked as an operations manager for an ashram and as an office manager for the Pepperdine Mental Health Clinic for the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles, CA.
After the successful launch of the Foundation’s popular and ever-growing Heaven and Hell Facebook page in October 2011, Curtis Childs was hired full-time at the start of this year as multimedia writer/producer. Matthew Childs was also hired as animator/videographer. Together, they have created and continue to produce videos that introduce Swedenborgian concepts to a new and expanding audience.
Other Foundation staff members include Karen Connor, art director; Valerie McLaughlin, business manager; and Carol Urbanc, marketing assistant.
Swedenborg Foundation Staff Directory:
Morgan Beard, Operations Manager, 610.430.3222, ext. 102, mbeard@swedenborg.com
Curtis Childs, Multimedia Writer/Producer, 267.225.6853, offthelefteye@gmail.com
Matthew Childs, Animator/Videographer, 267.225.6853, offthelefteye@gmail.com
Alexia Cole, Online Media Coordinator, 610.430.3222, ext. 105, acole@swedenborg.com
Karen Connor, Art Director, 610.430.3222, ext. 110, kconnor@swedenborg.com
Brian Mann, Membership and Development Coordinator, 610.430.3222, ext. 109, bmann@swedenborg.com
Valerie McLaughlin, Business Manager, 610.430.3222, ext. 108, vmclaughlin@swedenborg.com
Carol Urbanc, Marketing Assistant, 610.430.3222, ext. 103, curbanc@swedenborg.com