Emerson Lesher to lead MCC U.S. board
The board of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. announces the appointment of Emerson Lesher, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, as its chair for a three-year term, which started in August.
Lesher brings his commitment to the mission of MCC, his organizational knowledge, his experience in working with multiple constituent groups, as well as broad experience in board leadership in faith settings.
“With board members coming from the four regional MCC boards and from each of the seven constituent church bodies, Emerson’s facilitation skills will allow each voice to be heard,” says Jeanne Zimmerly Jantzi, a member of the MCC U.S. board development committee and recent interim chair. “I am looking forward to his leadership in deepening the governance capacity of the board.”
Lesher has been a member and a leader on boards for various organizations, including Everence, a faith-based financial services company, and Messiah College (now Messiah University). He also served on the Brethren in Christ General Conference Board and Harrisburg Brethren in Christ church board.
“I enjoy the work of organizational governance and see it as a ministry and a calling,” says Lesher. “I look forward to using my experience and knowledge of challenges facing Anabaptist churches and organizations as the board and I work together to guide MCC into the future. My hope is we can continue to be a point of common inter-Anabaptist ministry of relief, development and peace.”
His work experience includes serving as an executive at Mennonite Health Services, a consulting organization for health and human service nonprofits, and Messiah Lifeways, a network of services for people over 55. He also was a psychologist at Philhaven (now Wellspan Philhaven), a mental health organization.
Lesher holds a doctorate in psychology from Saybrook University, a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Fuller Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Messiah College.
He attends Harrisburg Brethren in Christ Church in Pennsylvania, with his wife Ruth D. Lesher, who served 20 years on the MCC East Coast and U.S. boards, holding leadership roles on both.
Emerson Lesher succeeds Gilberto Pérez Jr., who served as board chair from March 2022 to March 2025, and Jeanne Zimmerly Jantzi, who served as interim chair from March to July 2025. Previous board chairs include Gwen White from 2019 to 2022 and Ann Graber Hershberger, who was board chair from 2012 to 2019 and is now executive director of MCC U.S.
“Gilberto guided the board toward critical governance work,” Hershberger says. “He also led the U.S. board during the process of strategic planning that resulted in a clear direction for MCC U.S. and Canada for the next five years. I am grateful for his service.
“Likewise, Jeanne effectively served as interim chair in the intervening three months before Emerson’s appointment, bringing her deep knowledge of MCC and governance expertise to the role,” Graber Hershberger says.