Don Livesay has accepted the invitation to become the Lake Union Conference president. The Lake Union executive committee voted to extend the invitation at its regular meeting on Dec. 2, 2008, filling the position left vacant by the retirement of Walter L. Wright. With his appointment, Livesay also becomes vice chair of the Andrews University Board of Trustees.
 
“This new position makes him an ex officio member of the Andrews University Board of Trustees and its vice chair,” said Niels-Erik Andreasen, president of Andrews University. “During an earlier conversation with Elder Livesay, he assured me of his strong support of Andrews and its educational mission, both locally and internationally. I look forward to working with Elder Livesay in his new areas of responsibility.”
 
Livesay comes with a broad experience in ministry and administration. Since 2001, he has served as president of the Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, filling that position after serving four years as its vice president for administration.
 
Beginning his pastoral ministry in Knoxville, Tenn., in 1973, Livesay then attended the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary on the campus of Andrews University, completing his MDiv in 1976. After serving as pastor and academy chaplain in Georgia, Livesay was youth director for the Georgia-Cumberland and Northern California conferences, and assistant to the president for communication in the Georgia-Cumberland and Oregon conferences.
 
Don is married to Barbara Cook Livesay. Barbara has 25 years of education experience which includes teaching grades 1–12 and serving as principal of an elementary school, a junior academy, and most recently, Livingstone Adventist Academy, a K–12 school. She is currently the Risk Management/Church Safety director of the Oregon Conference. The Livesays have two daughters, Christina Livesay Henry and Stephanie Livesay Larsen.
 
Andrews University is jointly operated by the General Conference and the Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. As such, Andrews has the privilege and responsibility to serve our church constituents alongside Elder Livesay and the other church administrators.

-Written by Gary Burns, director of communication, Lake Union Conference, with additional reporting by Keri Suarez, media relations specialist, Office of Integrated Marketing & Communication