Transitions for the Roberts Center for Leadership & Administration Announced

Jeff Roper joined the Central Texas Conference (CTC) Service Center Team in January of 2016 after a long and successful finance career in large corporations such as KPMG and Alcon. His unique blend of financial acumen and leadership development experience in Corporate America as well as a deep-rooted faithfulness to Christ and The United Methodist Church helped propel the conference forward in its disciple making mission.

 

“It has been a great honor to serve on the Central Texas Conference Cabinet these last 6-plus years,” said Jeff. “I fully understand that this experience is not one that a lay person normally gets to have, and I thank both Bishop Saenz and Bishop Lowry for allowing me to serve in this way.

 

According to Bishop Saenz, Jeff’s leadership, counsel and gifts for compiling and sharing information to a wide variety of audiences has been and will continue to be an important and positive influence on the direction of the conference.

 

“Jeff has prepared conference budgets, policies, and interpreted information that assisted decision-making during his tenure,” Bishop Saenz acknowledged. “He recommended ways and means to fiscally meet emerging needs and unforeseen circumstances faced by the conference and created effective administrative systems and processes that will continue to support the mission of the conference moving forward after his retirement.”

 

The decision to step away and give retirement another try was not one made lightly, hastily or to pursue other interests other than chasing grandkids and travelling with his wife Claudia.

 

“Claudia and I began talking about my retirement last fall, but I wanted to support the transition from Bishop Lowry to Bishop Saenz,” Jeff continued. “I believe that transition is in a good place and that Bishop Saenz has plans in place to continue to allow the conference to move forward. Now, it’s time to travel and spend more time with the grandkids!”

 

“Jeff’s ministry with and through his direction of the Roberts Center for Leadership and Administration has enabled the Central Texas Conference to move forward with fiscal clarity and confidence in challenging times,” declared Bishop Saenz. “Yet, what I’ve most come to appreciate about Jeff is his gracious spirit, his loyalty to Jesus Christ, The United Methodist Church, and his support of his local church with his presence, prayers, gifts, service, and witness. Jeff will be missed by all the people he so closely worked with in service to Christ.”

To help cover the finance and administration oversight roles created by Jeff’s retirement, Bishop Saenz turned to someone he and many in The UMC Connection have known and collaborated for many years, Mr. Scott Brewer. Scott currently serves (and will continue to serve) as the Treasurer and Director of Administrative Services for the Great Plains Conference.

 

“Scott Brewer began serving as the Director of Administrative and Financial Services for Great Plains Conference in 2016, at the same time I was appointed there as resident bishop. But I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Scott Brewer for twenty years, ever since he worked for the General Conference on Finance and Administration (GCFA) of the United Methodist Church,” Bishop Saenz reminisced. “He has a winsome personality, a profound understanding of United Methodist polity and expertise in administrative analysis, information interpretation and effective process development.”

 

Scott’s role in the Central Texas Conference will be to provide strategic oversight and guidance to the existing CTC Finance and Administration team. Along with maintaining his current duties in the Great Plains Conference, he will be the CTC’s liaison with the Conference board on Finance and Administration, Trustees, Board of Pensions, and Equitable Compensation committees, as well as interact with the Cabinet as needed. 

 

“I’m honored to have this opportunity to work with the people and churches of the Central Texas Conference,” Scott proclaimed. “Back when I was at GCFA, I always admired the innovation I saw coming out of Central Texas and I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to learn up close.” You can read more about Scott here.

 

“The Conference is blessed with a strong financial and benefits administration team in Greg [Carey], Theresa [Wright] and Shawn-Marie [Riley],” reminded Jeff Roper. “Scott is a highly experienced leader who clearly understands the UMC system and processes. In my time with him, I have been impressed with this knowledge, calm presence, and ability to analyze situations with an eye to the future and am confident that he will mesh well with the team.”

 

Bishop Saenz echoed Jeff’s confidence in Scott’s ability to effectively work with key stakeholders throughout the conference and support strategic objectives that further the mission of Christ. “The resourcing and support ministry of the Central Texas Conference’s Robert’s Center for Administration is in very capable hands and will be stewarded with excellence by Scott.”

 

Please join Bishop Saenz and the CTCSC team in praying for Jeff, Scott, and the Roberts Center for Administration during this time of transition, and watch ctcumc.org for more from Bishop Saenz on his vision for the Roberts Center.