March 31, 2003, NEW YORK CITY -- Leslie C. Tune of Bethesda, MD, will become
the communication officer in the National Council of Churches/Church World Service office
in Washington, DC, effective April 2.
Tune has more than 10 years' experience in communications, as a public affairs manager
with the American Counseling Association, media relations specialist with the University
of Maryland, assistant account executive with Ruder Finn PR, and public relations manager
with Cox, Matthews & Associates. She has also worked on a variety of communication
projects for Bell Atlantic, N. C. Mutual Life Insurance, the Baltimore Metropolitan
Council, and the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, an NCC-related
interfaith advocacy program.
She earned a jounalism degree from the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse
University, an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland with a concentration in marketing,
and a Master of Theological Studies from Duke University.
Tune, who serves as associate minister at Norbeck Community Church in Silver Spring,
MD, was ordained to the ministry by Metropolitan Baptist Church of Washington, which is
affiliated with two NCC member denominations, the Progressive National Baptist Convention
and the American Baptist Churches USA. She and her husband are the parents of two
children.
"We are delighted to have a person of Leslie's experience and spiritual commitment
join us in this important crossroads of national life at a time when the voice of the
faith community is needed more than ever before," said Wesley (Pat) Pattillo,
associate general secretary for communication for the National Council of Churches, which
is based in New York City. He added, "This new position will help extend the
capabilities of the ecumenical family of churches in the nations most active news
center."
The 36 member denominations of the National Council of Churches include 50 million persons
in 140,000 local congregations across America. They work together in such fields as
Christian education, humanitarian relief, interfaith relations, Bible translation, and
efforts to reduce poverty in America. The Washington office, opposite the Supreme Court
Building on Capitol Hill, is the focus of the NCC's work in public policy research and
advocacy, faith and order dialogue, and environmental justice, as well as several programs
of the Council's partner ministry, Church World Service.
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