For Immediate Release                                                   For Further Information:
                                                                                            David M. Erickson (703) 973-6659
                                                                                                                           Leeann Little (703) 475-3310
                                                                                                                           www.worldhope.org

World Hope International Celebrates Election of Dr. Jo Anne Lyon

Engagement with World Hope International Will Continue

World Hope International (WHI) celebrates the election of Dr.  Lyon, founder and CEO of WHI, to the position of General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church. Dr. Lyon will remain the CEO of WHI until an Interim CEO is announced on September 1, 2008. Thereafter she will continue to be integrally involved as the Chair of the Board of Directors for WHI.

WHI has long enjoyed a very special relationship with the Wesleyan Church, having partnered since its inception with the church around the world. Dr. Lyon’s election to General Superintendent will allow her to integrate her dedication and heart for the Wesleyan Church, in which she enjoys a long history, while continuing to extend hope and healing to people around the world through the initiatives of WHI.

“It is a great honor and tremendous responsibility to be elected a General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church. I am grateful that I will be able to continue providing leadership to World Hope International as the Board Chair. I also look forward to nurturing its engagement with the church in all of the places where it works to serve the poorest of the poor,” commented Dr. Lyon. “World Hope International is thriving and growing with God’s blessing,” she observed. “We have a very strong leadership team and very gifted program directors. I have worked with David Erickson, Megan Nykyforchyn, Kirk Mitchell and Leeann Little for years and have tremendous confidence in their proven leadership capacity.”

WHI has been preparing for the possibility of Dr. Lyon’s election. The leadership team has been prayerfully and strategically pursuing intentional hiring, organizational capacity building, and deliberate program development. Beginning in the fall, WHI will be guided by an interim CEO who will serve until June 2009 when the board will appoint the organization’s second CEO.

Jo Anne Lyon founded WHI in January 1996. Through God’s blessing over the last twelve years, WHI has experienced tremendous growth and opportunity. The organization focuses on holistic village-based HIV/AIDS initiatives, prevention of human trafficking and care of survivors, and the development of effective microfinance institutions. These initiatives are importantly complemented by WHI’s Hope for Children child sponsorships and Hope Corps volunteer engagement programs along with other rural development, well drilling, animal multiplication and educational activities.

WHI is currently active in 25 countries around the world. It has a staff of 31 working at its headquarters in Alexandria, VA, and employs over 350 staff around the world. WHI implements its world-wide efforts primarily through national leadership and staff in each of the places where it works.