MCC executive committee calls for unity after director’s resignation

The recent resignation of executive director Robb Davis has prompted Mennonite Central Committee’s executive committee to add time to their already planned January 2007 meeting in Akron, Pa., in order to gather an “organizational consensus” for keeping the 86-year-old international relief, development, and peace agency moving forward.

The resignation has not stopped MCC’s day-to-day work, said chair Ron Dueck, but “it does call us to a serious discussion about internal organizational structure and culture.”

The committee’s review of Davis’ resignation identified internal governance and structural issues that made it difficult for Davis to work within the MCC culture.

These include lack of clarity around the function of governing bodies, the role of the MCC executive director in the decision-making process, benchmarks of organizational success, and unclear lines of accountability within and between MCC entities.

“Our goal is to move toward a comprehensive organizational consensus on the direction we wish MCC to take in the future,” Dueck said.

In addition to MCC, which is based in Akron, there are 11 other MCC offices, all with separate executive directors and boards. These include the MCC Canada and MCC U.S. national offices as well as five provincial offices in Canada and four regional offices in the U.S.

The executive committee is working to hire an interim executive director for one year and invites interested candidates to apply. Lowell Detweiler is currently serving as short-term acting executive director.

—from MCC release