UMA Announces New CEO and National Headquarters

Tupelo, MS, Aug. 15, 2016 — The United Methodist Association (UMA) announced today that its Board of Directors unanimously appointed Mary Kemper as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 12, 2016. The UMA, a national network of health and welfare ministries dedicated to improving the quality of life for the people they serve, also announced plans to relocate its headquarters to the D.C. metro area. These two major decisions are part of UMA’s new strategic plan to energize and reposition the UMA for the future.

“We are delighted to welcome Mary Kemper as President and CEO of the UMA,” said Mr. Kim Williams, Chair of the Board of UMA. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and valuable experience to our new strategic direction.”

Mary Kemper, currently Director of Education at LeadingAge, has served diverse leadership roles in LeadingAge over the past 25 years. She brings to UMA expertise in association management, member and sponsor relations, leadership development, accreditation and communications.  She has more than a decade of successful experience in developing state and national shared learning experiences in collaboration with noted experts, business leaders and member executives.

“I am honored to lead such a prestigious faith-based, mission-driven organization that aims to achieve excellence in children, youth, family and senior services,” said Kemper. “I’m excited about UMA’s future and believe that together, with its members and supporters, UMA can make a tremendous impact.”

The UMA Strategic Plan calls for the Association to build on the strength of its 75-year history of spiritual care and service as a network of organizations affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It will re-enforce its commitment to the highest quality standards by expanding pathways to EAGLE accreditation. EAGLE, the Education Assessment Guidelines Leading Toward Excellence, is a unique faith-based accrediting body that aims to recognize organizations that voluntarily go beyond minimum requirements to achieve excellence. With opportunities for shared learning experiences for UMA members and increased sponsorships, this plan reflects the mission of UMA to improve the quality of life of those served by its members, expand the footprint of services to those in need, and to lead the setting of quality standards through EAGLE.

“The need for the UMA has never been more important for our identities and for the United Methodist Church,” stated Mr. Williams. “We believe the new UMA plan positions us well to provide essential faith-based leadership at this critical time in our history and beyond.”

The new UMA national headquarters will be co-located with Asbury Communities, Inc. at 20030 Century Boulevard, Suite 300, Germantown, MD 20874. Asbury Communities, Inc., an EAGLE-accredited organization, is one of UMA’s most outstanding senior service providers located just outside the D.C. beltway.