Jacinta Tegman officially stepped into her new role this week as CRISTA Ministries’ president & CEO, becoming the first woman and just the sixth individual to serve in that role in the 69-year history of CRISTA.
“I am humbled at the opportunity to serve the staff, donors, customers, constituents and beneficiaries of CRISTA as President & CEO,” Tegman stated in a press release.
“Nearly 70 years ago CRISTA Ministries began as a dream to serve those in need and demonstrate the love of Christ,” she continued. “I am greatly inspired by the challenges and opportunities to make a difference in the world we live in today. Together our family of ministries will work endlessly to grow the number of individuals and communities we serve.”
CRISTA, one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the Pacific Northwest, is comprised of seven unique ministries: Christian Veterinary Mission, CRISTA Camps, CRISTA Media, CRISTA Senior Living, King’s Schools, Seattle Urban Academy, and World Concern.
According to the organization, it was World Concern that initially drew Tegman to CRISTA 10 years ago. Tegman joined World Concern as donor relations director, and later served as senior director of international operations before being named president of the ministry in 2013. Earlier this year, Tegman was appointed as CRISTA’s chief international ministries officer before stepping into her role as interim chief operating officer for the entire CRISTA family of ministries.
Tegman succeeds Bob Lonac, who has served as president & CEO of CRISTA since his appointment in 2006. Following his last day in that capacity on January 13, Lonac moved into a consultant role to serve as a resource to Tegman during her transition.
“As I prepare to depart the CRISTA family, I could not be more thrilled to see Jacinta Tegman as the Board’s selection to succeed me,” Lonac said in the press release last month. “She is an outstanding leader revered by the teams she has led and individuals she has engaged with. Over the 10 years that I have had a chance to work with Jacinta I have seen a remarkable individual dedicated to serving the Lord and growing as a leader every day. She will achieve great things in her new role.”
Officially founded in 1949, CRISTA – which means “Christianity in Action” – is a family of seven unique ministries united by a shared mission: to love God by serving people, here and around the world.
CRISTA’s world headquarters are located on a 55-acre campus in Shoreline, Washington, just north of Seattle.
