Program Leaders: Diakonal Minister Credential

Nesa Joseph
Deaconess Foundation
St. Louis, Missouri
Nesa Joseph is Vice President of the Deaconess Foundation, a grantmaking foundation affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Nesa has 28 years experience as a top manager in both Indian and U.S. hospitals. A native of India, Nesa Joseph grew up on the campus of the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India. He holds an undergraduate degree in biology from the Madras University and a graduate degree in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations from Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur, India. He also holds a Master of Health Administration degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a Doctorate of Education, with a focus on Medical Administration, from the International Graduate School in St. Louis.

The Rev. David B. McCurdy
Park Ridge Center for Health, Faith, and Ethics
Park Ridge, Illinois
The Rev. David B. McCurdy, D.Min., is senior ethics consultant and director of organizational ethics at the Park Ridge Center for Health, Faith, and Ethics in Park Ridge, Illinois. He is also an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and adjunct faculty member at Elmhurst College, where he teaches classes in theology and healthcare ethics. David has also been staff chaplain, chaplain supervisor, and director and vice president of Religion and Health at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Downers Grove, Illinois and bioethics consultant in EHS Health Care. He received a B.A. with highest honors from Elmhurst College, an M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary (New York), and a D.Min. from Bethany Theological Seminary. He is the author of many publications, including Organizational Ethics in Health Care: Principles, Cases, and Practical Solutions (Jossey-Bass and American Hospital Publishing 2001), which won the 2002 James A. Hamilton Award as book of the year from the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Daniel Pryfogle
Signal Hill
Cary, North Carolina
Daniel Pryfogle is Director of Consulting Services, a consulting position, for the Council for Health and Human Service Ministries of the United Church of Christ. For more than 15 years, Daniel Pryfogle has provided innovative leadership to nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups and social enterprises. As principal of Signal Hill, Daniel assists clients with corporate discernment, vision development, program planning and marketing. His passion is helping individuals and groups explore, expand and proclaim their missions. Daniel is a gifted preacher, teacher and writer. He has led workshops for many associations and has written for The Christian Century, Religion News Service, FaithWorks and Associated Baptist Press. Daniel earned his Master of Divinity degree from the American Baptist Seminary of the West.

Lee Schmucker
Schmucker Training & Consulting
Wichita, Kansas
Lee Schmucker consults with health and human service organizations in areas of governance, leadership, and workplace culture. Her experience includes serving as chair and vice-chair on related boards as well as serving in senior executive positions. Lee holds Bachelor and Master's degrees in business administration and is certified in the use of many self-assessment learning tools. She developed many programs for Vocation of the Trustee, a program for board members that complements the Diakonal Minister credential program. Her consulting firm, Schmucker Training & Consulting, recently celebrated its tenth anniversary of helping people and organizations develop their performance potential.

The Rev. Bryan W. Sickbert
Council for Health and Human Service Ministries
Cleveland, Ohio
The Rev. Bryan Sickbert serves as President/CEO of the Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM) of the United Church of Christ (UCC). Prior to leading CHHSM, Bryan was administrative resident and director of medical affairs with Advocate Heath Care, Chicago at Good Samaritan and Bethany Hospitals. He has also served as minister of mission at First United Church of Oak Park, IL and director of housing rehabilitation for the Village of Oak Park. Bryan holds a Master of Divinity from the Chicago Theological Seminary and an MBA in finance and non-profit and health systems management from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University.

Rick M. Stiffney
Mennonite Health Services
Goshen, Indiana
Rick Stiffney is President/CEO with Mennonite Health Services (MHS). He has worked for over 25 years in various health and human service leadership roles and consults with a wide range of not-for-profit health care organizations. Rick currently serves as the chair of the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission and is a trustee on CARF International--the Commission for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. Rick holds a Bachelor of Science in education from Goshen College, a Master of Science in administration from Notre Dame University, and has done extensive Biblical and theological studies at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.

The Rev. Adele Stiles Resmer, Ph.D.
Grand Canyon Synod, ELCA
Phoenix, Arizona
The Rev. Adele Stiles Resmer, Ph.D. is an Assistant to the Bishop in the Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA. She lectures and leads workshops on ethics and leadership, and teaches courses in preaching as a guest professor at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. Adele has also been a parish pastor, a professor of preaching and ethics and an ethics consultant on ethics committees in long-term care facilities and hospitals affiliated with the ELCA. She received her B.S. cum laude from Upsala College, an M.Div from the Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia, and a Ph.D. in ethics and society from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. She has contributed articles on preaching and ethics for The Living Pulpit, and most recently was one of the authors of New Proclamation, published by Fortress Press.