After a diligent and prayerful discernment process, Debra Mitchell has been named the Interim Executive Director of Operations for the Evangelical Covenant Church, effective July 1, 2022. Mitchell was appointed by the Covenant Executive Board and will serve in an interim capacity until June 30, 2023.
In her role, Mitchell will oversee the Operations area, which includes Covenant Governance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities, and Emergency Response. She will also serve on the Council of Administrators and the Covenant Office Leadership Team (COLT).
“I’m delighted to welcome Debra Mitchell,” said John Wenrich, president of the Evangelical Covenant Church. “Debra comes to us with outstanding credentials and references and has deep operational experience which will be a true asset to the Covenant. As a longstanding Covenanter, Debra is committed to our shared mission, and we are thankful to have someone with her level of expertise and competency for this interim season.”
“I am grateful and humbled to be called to serve as the interim executive director of Operations,” said Mitchell. “I believe God orders my steps and even if I’m not sure where those steps are leading, God has a plan. I look forward to collaborating with and walking alongside our denominational team to further the mission and priorities of the Covenant.”
Since 2006, Mitchell has served as president of DLM Group LLC, a full-service human resource and business consulting company working with not-for-profit and for-profit organizations in energy, healthcare, financial services, architecture, and education. She specializes in organizational design and change management, leadership development and training, succession planning, and career transition.
Mitchell has recently served as the interim co-director of the Center for Leadership Studies and Master of Arts in Leadership Program at Augsburg University. As an adjunct professor, she teaches Integrating the Theory and Practice of Responsible Leadership, and Creativity and the Problem-Solving Process. One of her significant joys is mentoring youth and coaching adults through career and life planning.
Mitchell attends Community Covenant Church in Minneapolis, where she has served as a council member, youth director, and Sunday school teacher.
