Opening and Introductions
Chair: Mo Siegel · Closing: André Radatus (handoff)
Foundation Leadership Roundtable — Opening and Introductions
Date: 2026-04-25 Duration: approximately 32 minutes Host: Mo Siegel Co-host (introductions): Gard Jameson
Overview
The opening session of the 2026 Foundation Leadership Roundtable. Mo Siegel introduced the agenda and the five forum leaders, then participants went around the room (in person and virtual) introducing themselves with their organisational affiliations and how long they have been reading the Urantia Book. The session closed with Mo handing the floor to André Radatus to begin the Internationalisation forum.
Mo Siegel's Opening Remarks
Siegel previewed the agenda for the gathering, identifying the five forum leaders and the topics each would lead:
- André Radatus — Internationalisation of the revelation
- Joyce Anderson — Study groups
- Elisabeth Callahan (with the educators) — Education
- David Kantor — Multimedia outreach
- Chris Wood — How can we help one another
He noted that Gabriel Rymberg had requested a half-hour slot because the Center for Unity's work did not fit cleanly into the other categories, and Siegel had agreed.
He framed the meeting as "the beginning" of a more international gathering, and stated: "next year, I hope that screen is filled with multi-racial people, leaders from across the globe. This was a US and French organisation. It's expanded now. The fastest growing readership is Latin America."
Participants
Participants were asked to give name, organisational affiliation, and length of time reading the Urantia Book. The following list compiles those self-introductions:
| Name | Affiliation(s) | Reading since |
|---|---|---|
| Mo Siegel | Urantia Foundation (host) | (not stated in this segment; previously stated as 1969) |
| Victor Garcia-Bory | Trustee, Urantia Foundation | 24 years |
| David Kantor | (Foundation; introduced in this segment by Mo) | 49 years |
| Sue Seccombe | President, Urantia Book Fellowship | (not stated) |
| Joyce Anderson | Associate trustee | (not stated) |
| Marcel Peereboom | Associate trustee, Netherlands; co-organiser of 2018 Netherlands conference | (not stated; 2018 conference reference only) |
| Richard Jernigan | Chief editor, UAI Journal | (not stated) |
| Chris Wood | Trustee, Urantia Foundation | 28 years |
| Rick Lyon | Center for Unity (with wife Susan); Cosmic Creations | 1978 |
| André Radatus | Urantia Book Fellowship; IFC chair; on UUI board (former curriculum chair); CO-leader of a study group with Paula Thompson, Mo Siegel, Mike Butler, Carol Enright | 50 years (celebrated previous month) |
| Gard Jameson | Trustee; member of UAI, Fellowship, UUI, Urantia Foundation | 55 years |
| Alice Wood | Executive Manager, UAI; President, UAI United States | 22 years |
| Marilynn Kulieke | Trustee; chair of Translation Committee; co-founder of UUI teacher education programme | 50 years |
| Tamara Strumfeld | Urantia Foundation staff | 25 years (since 2001) |
| Lisa Crawford | Urantia Foundation (joined January 2026) | 4.5 years |
| Tom Allen | Judicial Chair, UB Fellowship; Oklahoma City | 53 years |
| Ari Horn | Director of Administration, Urantia University; daughter of Merritt Horn | "since I was a very small child" |
| Marvin Gawryn | UUI faculty; multiple grants organisations | 1968 (~58 years) |
| Collins Lomo | Ghana; former African coordinator of UAI; recently associate trustee of Urantia Foundation | 14 years (since 2018) [see verify list — date inconsistency] |
| Alejandra Rodriguez | Urantia Book Fellowship; digital platforms for Spanish-speaking countries; lived in India, Colombia, China, US, currently Dubai | new reader |
| Geoff Theiss | Executive Director, Urantia Book Fellowship; second-generation reader | ~14 years (serious self-study) |
| Roy Healey | British Columbia, Canada; Unity seminary minister; UUI TEP educator; curriculum committee | 1975 |
| Pablo Morales | (Spanish translation work, mentioned by Tamara Strumfeld earlier) | finished first reading 1996 |
| Gaétan Charland | Quebec; president, local Urantia association of Quebec | 47 years |
| Bennett Rutenberg | Terre Haute, Indiana; UAI Judicial Commissioner; long association with Urantia University | 55 years |
| Sally Anabella | Central Washington; Secretary, IFC (International Fellowship Committee); granddaughter of Clyde Bedell | 1982 (44 years; with reference to family lineage) |
| Trudy Cooper | Secretary General, UB Fellowship; chair, upcoming international conference (Monterey, July) | ~50 years |
| Barb Maier | Anchorage, Alaska; IFC; international travel (India, China, Nigeria) | 1974 |
| Elisabeth Callahan | UUI | (not stated) |
| Brad Gardner | Urantia Foundation staff (digital, IT, web); second-generation reader | early 1990s |
| Richard Zhu | Chinese translator; associate trustee, Urantia Foundation | (not stated) |
| Gabriel Rymberg | Hebrew translator (~10 years); member of Fellowship, UAI, Foundation; works with Rick Lyon and others | (Hebrew translation since ~2011) |
| Susan Myers | West Lafayette, Indiana; UUI advisor; membership chair of GLAMR | 1976 (50 years) |
| Mark Wood | Malta; editor, Urantia Book Fellowship publications (Urantian Messenger, the Herald); UBIS contributor | ~35 years (introduced by Henk Mylanus in Malta) |
| Douglas Burns | Petaluma, California; Bay Area study group host; on Fellowship General Council; UAI member | ~1978 |
| Geoff Taylor | UUI board of directors; UBIS facilitator; Fellowship General Council; partner of Susan Myers | 1985 |
| Joanne Strobel | Atlanta area; representing UBIS | (not stated) |
| Myra Hight | Communications chair, UAI; English branch manager, UBIS | 49 years |
| Merritt Horn | Boulder; UUI trustee; SRT committee | 1968 |
| Judy Van Cleave | Boise, Idaho; trustee | 1973 (53 years) |
| Emeka Anazodo | Nigeria; outreach to truth-seekers | 2001 |
| Byron Belitsos | Publisher of secondary works on the Urantia Book; founder, Rodan Institute; Substack "Union of Souls" | 1974 |
Two named individuals were noted as not present at the introductions: Jeannie Vasquez (UAI social media chair) and others on the screen who were not visible at the moment.
Notable Quotes (verbatim)
- Mo Siegel on the trajectory of the gathering: "This was a US and French organisation. It's expanded now. The fastest growing readership is Latin America. We'll have to deal with translations, but this is the beginning."
- Bennett Rutenberg on the moment for the organisations: "Since 2010 all of these organizations have been involved in growing together… the encouragement is to abandon the idea of a divided house in favor of a house that is continuing to grow together."
- Mo Siegel on the unanimous response to a call for unified efforts: "All in favour of unified efforts… unanimous. All right, that's a good message."
- Gard Jameson on Sally Anabella's lineage: "Behind every great man is a greater woman."