by Chad Senuta
The Council of Trustees of the Diocese of Kansas elected new officers at the Council’s November meeting and retreat. Dr. Beth Fitz Gibbon of St. Paul’s, Leavenworth was elected President. The Rev. Helen Hoch of Calvary, Yates Center was elected Clerk, and Teresa Ryther of St. Stephen’s, Wichita was elected Assistant Clerk.
Beth Fitz Gibbon succeeds Dean Casey Rohleder of St. Luke’s, Wamego, who has served for the past three years as Council President. Dean Rohleder will remain a member of the Council, her at-large term ending in 2024.
When asked how she feels about taking the new role on the Council, Beth said, “I am honored and humbled by this responsibility and delighted to be working with the Bishop, Trustees and Staff on behalf of all the parishes of the Diocese. I’m also very grateful to have this opportunity to give back to The Episcopal Church, the place I have chosen as the ‘home’ for my faith in God.” Beth also shared that she “looks forward to supporting the Council’s work, including continuing the strategic planning process and working toward congregational vitality for the Diocese”and that she is “grateful Dean Rohleder remains a member of the Council to share her experience and leadership.”
Professionally, Beth is a management consultant specializing in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for manufacturing organizations and economic development agencies. She also teaches Strategic Management & Ethics at the University of St. Mary. She earned her doctorate in Business Management & Administration at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio where she is currently a Research Fellow.
Personally, Beth loves riding her horse, Arion, playing with her dog, Calla, and digging in her garden. She has a daughter and two granddaughters in Portland, Oregon and a son in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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