CPTnet
7 May 2014
CPT INTERNATIONAL:
Muriel Schmid appointed Program Director and Jennifer Yoder Communications
& Engagement Director
Christian Peacemaker Teams is pleased to announce the
appointments of Muriel Schmid as Program Director and Jennifer Yoder as
Communications & Engagement Director.
Schmid and Yoder’s appointments compliment the new
executive directorship of Sarah Thompson. Together these three new positions replace former roles of
co-directors and Outreach Coordinator.
As Communications & Engagement Director Yoder will
amplify the communications work of project teams, liaise with CPT groups, and
build connections with CPT supporters and potential recruits. Schmid’s focus as
Program Director will be on CPT’s work in Colombia, Iraqi Kurdistan, Palestine,
with First Nations in North America and the training and support of the
peacemakers who do that work.
Muriel Schmid, MDiv, PhD, met CPT in Hebron/Al-Khalil
while working with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and
Israel. She went on a delegation
with CPT’s Aboriginal Justice Team, joined the CPT Peacemaker Corps in 2013,
and served in Iraqi Kurdistan. A
Swiss citizen, she comes to the Program Director post from the University of
Utah, where she has been faculty in Religious and in Cultural Studies and
director of the Religious Studies program. Ordained in the Swiss Reformed Church she now identifies
strongly with Quakerism.
Impressed with Schmid’s passion for promoting human
flourishing within difficult situations, Thompson says, “Muriel has tools that
have led her to have significant skills in creating better teamwork, sharper
analysis, adept management, healthier conflict, and deeper compassion. This
position in CPT will enable her to leverage these in the best way possible.”
Jennifer Yoder, a U.S. citizen, is new to CPT and brings
a wealth of experience from her work as a grassroots justice activist in diverse
U.S. ecclesial and political contexts.
As the Victim Services Coordinator at the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual
Violence, she re-ignited statewide campaigns, and successfully rebuilt trust
through clear communications and producing media for the Alliance. In 2009 Yoder was co-creator of the Pink
Menno movement for embrace of the LGBTQ community within the Mennonite Church. Yoder’s ability to notice the interplay
of privilege and oppression on personal, communal, and political levels has
made her a valuable member of diverse leadership teams and an effective
organizer.
“Jen has the skill set we
need right now to evaluate and revolutionize our communications strategy.” said
CPTer Jonathan Brenneman. “She has a high level of fluency with the
concept of engagement as it relates to the spirit and values of CPT and our
growing number of constituents. Her
creativity, perceptiveness, and persistence are valuable assets to this new
position.”
In August after orienting Yoder and Schmid to their new
roles, Tim Nafziger and Carol Rose will become CPT reservists. CPT is extremely grateful for their
years of service that have
prepared us for this moment in the life of the organization.
We count on your support! Please share this announcement
widely, and click here to make a gift in support of Muriel
and Jen as they and CPT begin this new step forward.