A Message from Paul M. Hewitt, Ed.D. Board President.

Six years ago, I was invited to join the Board of Directors of the Desert Southwest United Methodist Foundation. I was immediately impressed by the conscientious stewardship demonstrated by the Board and the professional leadership of Anne Green, the Executive Director for the Foundation. The overall return on our investments has been so impressive I wish I could invest my own funds with the Foundation. Sadly, I’m not eligible.

With the resignation of the Reverend Steve Ziegler, long time Board President, I was asked to serve as the Board President. Filling the leadership void left by Reverend Ziegler is an imposing task as he did a great job in guiding the Foundation into the top-quality organization it is today.

Having been on the Board for over six years I felt the Foundation was doing a great job, but my feelings are just an opinion and do not constitute quantitative data. I approached Director Green and proposed doing a survey of our stakeholders. Having retired as a graduate level professor at the University of Arkansas I am familiar with research methodology and set out to get feedback from all our stakeholders.

A seven-question survey was sent out to all the relationship managers for our church customers with investment accounts. Questions were posed and the respondents were asked to rate the question on a five-point Likert Scale with a 5 being “Strongly Agree” and a 1 being “Strongly Disagree.” All responses were completely confidential. The purpose was to find out how our stakeholders feel about their investments and about the performance of Director Green and the Foundation Staff. It is my pleasure to share the results with you.

Question #1: I trust the DSUMF to ensure the safety and security of our account.

Every respondent scored this statement with a “Strongly Agree” score of 5. An overall score of 5.0 is almost unheard of in this type of survey. It reflects the incredible confidence and trust our stakeholders have in the Foundation. This amazing score reflects the effort that Anne Green and the Board have put in to earning our stakeholder’s trust.

Question #2: I feel the DSUMF has been able to provide a competitive return on our investment.

The responses to this question were also quite high with a total overall score of 4.77. The vast majority of respondents scored this question as a 5, “Strongly Agree,” and only five respondents scored it as a 4, “Agree.” There were no scores of 3 or lower from the respondents. A score of 4.77 shows strong overall satisfaction with the Foundation’s ability to provide a solid return on investments.

Question #3: Currently, DSUMF invests exclusively with Wespath (A subsidiary of UM General Agency). I would like to have additional investment options with large investments companies (i.e. J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Charles Schwab, etc.).

Unlike the scores in the first two questions the responses on this question were varied. The overall score was 2.87 which reflects disagreement among the respondents. Ten responses were in the 1 and 2 range reflecting disagreement while eight respondents were in the 4 and 5 range reflecting agreement. There were five responses that were 3 which reflects neutrality. The responses to this question reflect a real diversity in views about investment options. While Wespath has provided strong investment returns and has support among ten respondents there were eight respondents who were open to exploring other investment opportunities. This reflects varied views held by Foundation Stakeholders.

Question #4: Having DSUMF be an independent entity which is separate from and not under the control of Annual Conference is important to me.

The overall score on this item was 4.63 which reflects solid agreement that the independence of the Foundation is very important to stakeholders. Sixteen respondents score this item as a 5 “Strongly Agree” while four respondents scored this item as 4 “Agree.” Three respondents scored this item a 3 “Neutral. No respondents scored this item as a 1 “Strongly Disagree” or a 2 “Disagree.” The Book of Discipline provides that: “Due care will be exercised to maintain prudent organizational separation from beneficiary organizations while striving to maintain missional purpose and connection (2513.4).”

Question #5: I feel the Executive Director of the Foundation provides me with up-to-date and accurate information about my investment.

The overall score of this item was 4.87 which reflects very solid agreement among stakeholders that they are well informed. Twenty of the twenty-three respondents felt they “Strongly Agree” that they are given accurate information on their investments. Only three respondents rated this item as a 4, “Agree.” The strong positive responses reflect the regular reporting provided to all stakeholders on the financial position of their investments. Communication with all stakeholders is a top priority of the Foundation and a score of 4.87 reflects effectiveness in that area.

Question #6: I feel the Board of Directors of the Foundation effectively oversees the operation of the Foundation.

The responses to this question were high with a total overall score of 4.61. Sixteen respondents gave this item a 5, “Strongly Agree.” Five respondents rated the item a 4, “Agree” with two respondents giving a “neutral” score of 3. Given that few people are familiar with the role and operation of the Board of Directors this score is much higher than anticipated. It is likely this high score is a reflection of the overall positive feelings the respondents have about the Foundation as a whole.

Question #7: I trust and have confidence in the Executive Director, Staff and the overall operation of the Foundation.

Before I report the results of this item I want to acknowledge the openness of Anne Green our Executive Director. It takes a confident leader to be open to a direct assessment of their job performance. I have found that very few people in leadership positions have the courage to open themselves to a confidential assessment by their constituents. This is a quality of a great leader. The results reflect the exceptional job that Anne Green has done and the confidence people have in her ability. The overall score on this item was a 4.86 with only three respondents rating her as a 4, “Agree.” The remaining nineteen respondents rated this item as 5, “Strongly Agree.” This exceptional score came as no surprise to the Board of Directors as we have watched Anne visit churches throughout the Conference and develop relationships with people far beyond the scope of her job. As part of the survey, there was an option to leave confidential comments. Most of the comments were about Anne Green and included: “Anne has been fantastic to work with. Her responses are timely and helpful, and she goes out of her way to meet our needs, not just in investments but also education with our community. I am so grateful for the DSUMF and of the ministry they do, and for Anne’s leadership of the Foundation.” Another respondent stated: “Anne Green goes above and beyond her role, both in leadership, advertisement and genuine caring for the people(s) whose money and investment security is governed by her. If I were a competitor in your market, I would try to hire her to direct my company.” There were other equally as positive comments about Anne Green, but the prior comments are representative and clearly make the point about Anne’s leadership.

Concluding Comments. As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to make sure the Foundation was providing the service needed by our stakeholders. The survey provided strong data that the Foundation is doing a good job and is well respected by the people we serve. As an organization, the Foundation is dedicated to supporting the ministry of all the churches in the Desert Southwest Annual Conference and we hope to grow in the future and be able to provide even greater support. We thank our stakeholders for their trust, confidence, and support. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I pledge that we will continue to strive to provide the best possible service to you as we all seek to serve Christ in all that we do.

Blessings and peace be to all of you.

Paul M. Hewitt, Ed.D. Board President.