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Conference Leadership Team (CLT)

Pursuant to 2008 Book of Discipline ¶ 610 and the Plan of Union, a Conference Leadership Team serves as the executive body of the Annual Conference between Conference sessions, to ensure the decisions of the Annual Conference are implemented in accordance with the Conference mission, vision and core values.

Purpose. This body will ensure that the decisions of the Annual Conference are implemented in accordance with the mission of The United Methodist Church, and the vision, primary task(s), and core values of the UNY Conference.

To accomplish this, the CLT will:

• Work in cooperation with the Bishop, Cabinet, and other appropriate teams to guide and maintain a culture of alignment throughout the Conference.
• Partner with and equip District Leadership Teams (DLT) for visioning within their local contexts.  
• Engage in strategic planning to discern outputs for UNY that best accomplish the primary task of the Conference and Evaluate Conference ministries’ contributions to those outputs.

Membership. The Conference Leadership Team consists of (reflecting changes made by annual conference action at the 2022 Upper New York Annual Conference):

i. Bill Gottschalk-Fielding (Director of Connectional Ministries with voice, but no vote); 
ii. At-large members nominated by the Bishop (with voice and vote); and

Valerie Clark 
Rev. Drew Sperry
Ellen John 
Lindsay Martin
Carmen Vianese                              
Rev. Carlos Rosa Laguer
Rev. Michele K. Clarke
Liz Aristy
Bob Flask (Treasurer, Ex Officio Member)
Shelby Winchell (Director of Communications, Ex Officio Member)
Jessica White (Conference Lay Leader, Ex Officio Member)
Mike Weeden (Cabinet Member, Ex Officio Member)
Nola Anderson (Cabinet Member, Ex Officio Member)
Scott Johnson (CORR Representative, Ex Officio Member)
Aaron Bouwens (Staff Representative)