Olson elected to lead church's Women's Division

By Yvette Moore*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Harriett Jane Olson, an executive with the United Methodist Publishing House, has been elected chief executive of the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

Olson will oversee the administrative arm and policy-making body of United Methodist Women, a denominational organization of approximately 800,000 members in the United States. Its purpose is to foster spiritual growth, develop leaders and advocate for justice, and its members give more than $20 million a year for ministries related to women, children and youth around the world.

She will begin the job Sept. 4 at the board's headquarters in New York. She succeeds Jan Love, who left at the end of 2006 to become dean of the Candler School of Theology in Atlanta.

Olson was unanimously elected Aug. 17 at Scarritt-Bennett Center during a called meeting of the Women's Division board of directors.

"Today is indeed a significant day in the history of United Methodist Women organized for mission," said Women's Division President Kyung Za Yim. "We have all been praying for divine guidance and accompaniment during our period of discernment and as the time for decision-making approached."

In her new job, Olson will serve in other leadership and management roles in the Board of Global Ministries. The board's personnel committee and directors are expected to approve her nomination at their September and October meetings.

Olson expressed excitement about working with the Women's Division, including its role as an advocate for the oppressed and dispossessed, with special attention to the needs of women and children.

"United Methodist Women are called to do something not being done by the rest of the church," she said. "It's a privilege to stand with women, children and youth. It's a role particularly well-connected to our theological DNA as United Methodists - spiritual nurture and action."

Since 1996, Olson has served as senior vice president for publishing, editor for church school publications and United Methodist Church book editor at the Publishing House. She supervised a staff of 125 to 150 people responsible for the development, production and trade distribution of resources from Abingdon Press, Cokesbury and Kingswood Books.

Olson is a 1983 graduate of Harvard Law School and former partner at Pitney, Hardin, Kipp and Szuch, where she worked 1983-96, specializing in environmental law in the firm's real estate department.

She was a director of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship 1988-96 and has been a delegate to four General Conferences of the denomination. She is a member of Morristown (N.J.) United Methodist Church and an affiliate member of McKendree United Methodist Church in Nashville.

*Moore is on the communications staff for the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.