[Forward Movement] As Forward Movement continues to create fresh, engaging content and build new partnerships across the church, the Rev. Scott Gunn, executive director, is pleased to announce two new members of the leadership team.
Richelle Thompson has accepted the call to serve as managing editor, and Miriam McKenney has been named the new community engagement manager.

“As we reinvent our work and our offerings for today’s church, I am thrilled to be able to work with such a gifted leadership team,” said Gunn.

An experienced and well-respected communicator in The Episcopal Church, Thompson has served for more than a decade as the director of communications for the Diocese of Southern Ohio. She has been a leader in developing innovative ways to tell the stories of faith and discipleship. These include crafting accessible marketing tools for congregations of all sizes and spearheading an initiative of offering virtual church tours – the first in the country on the Google platform. A former reporter for The Cincinnati Enquirer, Thompson has won several awards for her writing and editing in the secular and faith arenas. She has led workshops on writing, marketing and new media on the local, regional and national level. She serves on the board of Episcopal Communicators, was a member of the first Standing Commission on Communications and is part of the 2012-13 class of WE Lead, a program by the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce for women who excel in leadership.

In her new role, Thompson will oversee editorial content and production for Forward Movement, including Forward Day by Day and new projects. She takes over from Nicole Seiferth, who helped lead Forward Movement during a time of significant transition and launched numerous new products.

“I am profoundly grateful for Nicole’s excellent work and strong leadership, and I look forward to working with her on several ongoing projects,” said Gunn. “We will miss her presence in the office, but I’m pleased that we’ll be able to continue benefitting from her many gifts.”

“I love the challenge of dreaming new ways to talk about faith and our spiritual journeys,” said Thompson. “More than 75 years ago, Forward Movement was established to help reinvigorate the church, and I’m honored to be a part of that important and continuing ministry. I’m also thrilled to build upon the excellent work by Scott, Nicole and the editorial staff over the past year to refresh – and create – fantastic content.”

McKenney brings a wealth of experience to her role as community engagement manager. In 20-plus years as a librarian, she developed innovative programs such as Homework Central and Library Babies.

“I love connecting people with ideas and information, and I’m a cradle Episcopalian,” said McKenney. She is the daughter of a priest, the Rev. Canon Wilson H. Willard Jr. “I’m so glad God called me to work at Forward Movement. It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to share our good news with the world.”

As community engagement manager, McKenney will lead both marketing and development work for Forward Movement. Marketing efforts are primarily focused toward Episcopalians and Anglicans but also other Christians and seekers. “As we continue to publish Forward Day by Day for our loyal audience of more than 300,000 readers, we’re excited to be able to share some great new offerings and to connect to new audiences,” McKenney said.

Along with Thompson, McKenney and Gunn, the leadership team at Forward Movement is rounded out by D. Jane Lyman Paraskevopoulos, who serves as director of business operations. Paraskevopoulos has more than two decades of service at Forward Movement.

Forward Movement is known widely as the publisher of Forward Day by Day, a quarterly devotional magazine with a circulation of 300,000 and with readers in every province of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Forward Movement also publishes books, booklets, and pamphlets to inform and inspire Christians and seekers.

In the past year, Forward Movement has expanded its offerings, from a mobile application and ebooks to the fan-favorite Lent Madness, a quirky twist on basketball brackets that helps people learn about the saints.

Forward Movement was founded in 1935 as a ministry of The Episcopal Church. Offices are located in Cincinnati, Ohio. To learn more, visit Forward Movement’s website.