The New Executive Director of the DDG
Posted May 31, 2013
From left: Bill Kunkle, incoming executive director of the DDG; Virginia Norman, treasurer of the DDG and a longtime lay leader in the Dominican church; Robert Stevens, outgoing executive director of the DDG. They are holding an award presented to the DDG at the recent Encounter in Mission in Santo Domingo.
The Dominican Development Group was organized in 1998 to assist in the development and self-sufficiency of the Dominican Episcopal Church. Over the years it has raised funds and sent teams to work with the Diocese to build churches and schools. It has also channeled scholarship contributions to the DR, helped with disaster relief, and raised funds for the Dominican Endowment. The DDG is a one-of-a-kind organization in the Episcopal Church and works through the Companion Diocese movement.
May 31, 2013 marks the retirement of Dr. Robert Stevens, the DDG’s founding Executive Director. Bob says it was by the grace of God that he was allowed the privilege to work with the Dominican Episcopal Church over these years, and to personally know Bishop Holguín and many of the priests of the Dominican Episcopal Church.
Robert Stevens, the former Executive Director of the DDG, speaking about the operations of the DDG at the Encounter in Mission event in Santo Domingo in April 2013.
In October, 2012, the DDG Board of Directors unanimously chose Bill Kunkle to follow Dr. Bob Stevens as the new Executive Director of the Dominican Development Group. For fourteen years Bill has traveled to the Dominican Republic with the Tampa Deanery mission teams, helping build churches and schools in Mozoví, Montellano, Santana, San Pedro de Macorís, Barrio Las Flores, and Ingenio Santa Fe, and with the San Simón project supported by the Dioceses of Michigan. Besides these mission trips he has made many other trips to the DR and has served on the DDG Board for the last several years. Friendly, organized and competent with good experience, and with a call to mission from the Lord, the DDG board members have great expectations for the continued work of the DDG under Bill’s leadership.
Bill Kunkle, the new Executive Director of the DDG, speaking about the operations of the DDG at the Encounter in Mission event in Santo Domingo in April 2013.
The DDG office has been moved from the DaySpring Episcopal Conference Center in the Diocese of Southwest Florida to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Tampa which is Bill’s home church, and the new contact information for the DDG office and for the Executive Director is given below:
Mailing address:
The Dominican Development Group
PO Box 272261
Tampa FL 33688-2261 USA
Office location:
The Dominican Development Group
C/O St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
13312 Cain Road
Tampa FL 33625-4004 USA
Voice: (813) 400-2722
Fax: (813) 963-5082
Email: director@dominicandevelopmentgroup.org
Bill Kunkle’s DDG Email Address: bkunkle@dominicandevelopmentgroup.org