REORGANIZING TO SERVE YOU BETTER

From the Executive Director, Dr. Sam Mikaelian

The past several months have been a productive period here at the Diocesan Center. We have held a variety of innovative programs at our New York headquarters, brought programs and ideas to local parishes, and coordinated regional meetings for everyone from parish youth workers to choir members.

Among the many specific tasks assigned to me one year ago, when I began my tenure as Executive Director, was a re-evaluation and re-organization of the existing Diocesan administrative and staff structure. After considerable discussion, review, and study of other religious organizations, a new organizational structure, keeping with the Diocese's intent and focus areas and our administrative needs, was submitted to the Diocesan Council, and approved. The new structure went into effect on September 1, 2003.

TEAMWORK TO MEET YOUR NEEDS

Our new plan looks to the future. It looks at how our staff can be organized to work closer in teams, accomplishing over-arching goals. Our programs in Armenian and Christian education are now tied more closely to our youth outreach work, so we can better educate all of our children.

We also want to make our staff organization easier for you to understand. To clarify duties, we have made staff titles more uniform and descriptive of duties. The title of "director" is being reserved for the heads of the major departments. Staff members heading up specific areas of production--such as Armenian studies, religious education, youth outreach--are now "coordinators"--all in the newly established department of Youth and Education.

Currently, we are in the process of adjusting existing job descriptions, and developing ways to measure individual performance. This step will provide directors at the Diocese with a better way to track the success of our programs and efforts, to make our future efforts even more effective.

The new organizational plan also includes positions we would eventually like to fill, but which remain vacant now--such as a Coordinator of Membership and Volunteerism, and a Director of Leadership.

REACHING OUT TO COLLEGE STUDENTS

I am also pleased to announce that, thanks to generous grants, we are moving forward to fill one key position in our new organization: a facilitator of our new college outreach program. Joining us in that position is Jason Demerjian, who earned a master's degree in theological studies from Harvard Divinity School and served in Armenia as a Peace Corps volunteer from 1996 to 1998. Demerjian went on to establish the Armenian Volunteer Corps, which brings Armenians from around the world to the Republic of Armenia to engage in long-term development work.

Through this new position, we will focus on a critical age in our young people. By staying connected with our students when they leave home and head to college, we will keep them active and vital members of the Armenian Church and help them in their adulthood find the warmth of our communities, mission, and ministries.

No matter how we organize our resources, though, the success of our mission, as always, depends on each one of us. Though our dedicated staff and programs help provide the backbone of a Christian life, it is up to each of us to maintain that spirit of faith in our homes. We at the Diocesan Center will continue to be here to serve you and your parish, as we together strive to bring our ancient faith to life for all Armenian families.