Disciples Divinity House

Several shifts in staffing at the Disciples Divinity House will occur at the end of the current fiscal year, June 30. These plans, developed over the past year, address changing needs and situate the Disciples House to respond to new opportunities.

Effective July 1, Parag Shah, who has served as a contract accountant since 1996, will join the staff on a part-time basis to oversee finances. For nineteen years, he was the Associate Dean of Students in the Office of Graduate and Postgraduate Affairs of the University’s Biological Sciences Division. He is a CPA and is now building his accounting consulting business. Also on July 1, Administrator Marsha Peeler will move to 85% time. This will allow her to rebalance life, health, and work, and yet to remain fully engaged in the work of administering the House.

After nearly six years of service as Associate Dean, Brittany Barber will conclude her work on June 30, 2011. She has begun a paid study leave in order to devote her full energies to making the transition from responsibilities that focused on fundraising and interpretation to new opportunities for congregational ministry and direct service. Two current House Scholars Katherine Raley and Laura Jennison Reed, will each serve approximately half-time next academic year as Assistants to the Dean; both will be in their final year of MDiv studies. This summer, Ms. Reed will give full-time leadership to interpretation and development work, including coordinating DDH efforts at the Disciples General Assembly in July.

Dean Kris Culp commented, "The Board of Trustees and I are grateful for these individuals and for the opportunity to work with them over many years and in the future. We celebrate especially Brittany Barber's care for the House, its mission, its alumni/ae and friends, and its students, and we wish her the best in her new endeavors."