The Parliament Welcomes Daniel Hostetler as New Executive Director
From the Desk of the Board Chair
Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid
Dear Friends of the Parliament,
The news from the interfaith movement across the globe is increasingly positive and ever more promising. And I am extremely pleased and proud that the Parliament of the World’s Religions is at the very center of this historic movement that is building momentum day by day.
Thank you for your support, confidence, and prayers.
We have some exciting news of our own about the Parliament that I want to share with you. After a period of developing organizational focus and strength, and proceeding with a careful and lengthy selection process, we are thrilled to announce and welcome our new Executive Director, Daniel Hostetler.
Daniel, we are confident, brings the kind of experience, abilities, and commitment that we believe is required to lead both the Parliament and the wider interfaith movement to new levels of visibility and relevance.
Let me explain. The interfaith movement has tripled in size over the last decade. With that growth comes responsibility to be organizationally stronger and well-positioned for the role we are to play in human affairs. That involves developing measurable goals and demonstrating achievements both in mutual understanding and cooperation among faith communities as well as creating a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world. Our fiscal foundation for this kind of work must also be stronger if the Parliament and the interfaith movement it is leading is to realize its promise.
Daniel Hostetler is exactly what we need at this juncture.
He brings a commitment to peace as a Mennonite
He brings a deep serving culture as Director of Operations & Finance at World Relief Aurora-Dupage
And he brings a long business executive experience.
Dan co-founded and functioned as CEO of Legacy Analytics which was recognized by Inc.’s Top 500 Fastest Growing Companies. Dan’s experience includes being the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the George S. May International Company Southern European Division (SED) and for ten years lead 300+ employees. He was also Co-Founder of Strategic Business Partners which reached national prominence winning one of the highest awards in the consulting industry.
And Dan is just as pleased to join the Parliament as we are to have him:
“I am extremely excited to have been selected as Executive Director and for the opportunity that lies before us! When I moved out of my for-profit business background and into the not-for-profit world, I wanted to serve a vision which touched my heart with a worthy mission that I could adopt as my own while working for a just, peaceful and sustainable world. I believe I have found this amazing dream job to which I am ready and willing to dedicate myself to completely. So thank you Parliament for this opportunity to serve.”
Dan will start April 20, 2015.
You can read more about him here.
Dr. Mary Nelson, who has served as Executive Director for the past 2.5 years and chaired the selection committee for the new Executive Director, welcomed her successor with these words:
It is a great delight to welcome Daniel Hostetler as the Parliament’s new Executive Director. He brings skills of management and a heart for the interfaith movement that bode well for the future. As I transition into a consultant role, it is a great joy to have someone so capable of stepping into the leadership role. He will build on a strong foundation of a hardworking and committed staff – which is succeeding in bringing enthusiastic registrants and exciting program proposals for the Salt Lake City Parliament – and a wise and involved board of directors.
I want to express my profound thanks to Mary Nelson for her outstanding service as Executive Director at a crucial time in the life of the Parliament and for chairing our selection committee, constituted by the Rev. Bob Thompson, Chair Emeritus of the Parliament, our two current Vice Chairs, Phyllis Curott and Dr. Larry Greenfield and myself.
Mary herself served as the Vice Chair of the Parliament’s Board of Trustees with me before we requested her to serve as Executive Director while we sought a permanent leader. Mary will be working with Dan as a consultant during the transition phase.
We – the board, the staff, and the volunteers – are so thankful for her leadership and her service to the cause of the interfaith movement. We know you share our gratitude.
Please extend your welcome and support to Daniel Hostetler as he begins his work as our new Executive Director.
Sincerely,
Abdul Malik Mujahid
Chair
Board of Trustees
P.S. There are six major exciting announcements that are coming about at the Parliament which we will share with you soon, God willing, one at a time.
