By CBF Communications
DECATUR, Ga. – Today the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is announcing more details of a reorganization of its Operations staff that will bolster relationships with CBF state and regional organizations while nurturing staff-wide collaboration and prioritizing employee flourishing.
The promotion of LaToya Cross to serve as CBF’s director of human resources and the appointment of Grace Martino-Suprice to perform a new role in CBF life are centerpieces of the announcement. Suprice has been named director of culture and collaboration.
The roles will strengthen the organization’s support of its staff as well as its state and regional partners as it intentionally nurtures collaboration around what CBF calls the platform functions of its work – human resources, information technology, finance, events and identity.
Martino-Suprice becomes CBF’s Director of Culture and Collaboration, will continue as coordinator with Baptist Fellowship of the Northeast through end of year
In her role as director of culture and collaboration, Martino-Suprice will work across the staff to champion a culture that aligns with the organization’s values as she enhances cross-functional teamwork at CBF. She will supervise the information technology function of the organization and also serve as a liaison between CBF and its state and regional partners.
Martino-Suprice has served on the CBF staff since August 2018, most recently on the Outreach and Growth Team. For the past two years, she has served as the coordinator of Baptist Fellowship of the Northeast, a CBF regional organization serving Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She will continue in this role through the end of the year. Read a letter from Grace to BFN here.
Kasey Jones, CBF’s coordinator of outreach and growth, praised Martino-Suprice’s service to the Fellowship through her work on the Outreach and Growth team.
“Grace has a deep love and appreciation for CBF, and her gifts and talents are made for the new position of director of culture and collaboration,” Jones said. “She is a natural connector with a keen analytical mind and a curiosity for systems and technology. May God use her in a mighty way to propel CBF forward.”
Randy Parks, a former moderator of the Baptist Fellowship of the Northeast and the current chair of CBF’s nominating committee, said Martino-Suprice has shared “an exuberant joyful expression of Christian leadership” in her service to the region for the past two years.
“Ever mindful of the wide variety of Christ followers in our region – ethnically, culturally and with gender sensitivity – Grace inclusively listens to and puts into practice suggestions and ideas across the wide spectrum of BFN,” Parks said. “She is ever mindful to consider voices from all ages as well – bringing ideas from our university students, our seniors, our young parents and others into the mission and vision of being Christ’s presence and growing our Cooperative Baptist Fellowship within the Northeast. She truly lives into her name – forever grateful for the grace-filled ministry of Grace Martino.”
Martino-Supprice said the teams and individuals with whom she has worked at CBF has prepared her for this role. “I bring with me the love and commitment to faith communities from my time in Congregational Ministries, an innovative and joy-filled spirit from fAMILIA, an unrelenting pursuit of belonging for all from Outreach and Growth, and a priority for rooted relationship from Baptist Fellowship of the Northeast,” she said. “I carry with me the principle that it’s not only about what we do, but how we do it. I am ready to continue this legacy in this new role with CBF and our partners.”
Paul Baxley, CBF’s executive coordinator, said Martino-Suprice is uniquely suited to lead CBF’s efforts toward a culture of dynamic collaboration.
“Over the last year, Grace has offered important leadership to efforts that have significantly grown our capacity to use technology while also cultivating habits of healthy collaboration,” Baxley said. “Her experience leading a CBF regional organization and her years of service on our Outreach and Growth team further strengthen her capacity to lead this body of work for our Fellowship.”
Jeff Huett, CBF’s chief operating officer, said Martino-Suprice is the right person at just the right time for this role.
“The role is a natural outgrowth of a culture in CBF life that pays attention to staff flourishing and the mutual benefit of the work do alongside our partners,” Huett said. “Grace is a collaborator at heart and has demonstrated great skill in working with impact across our staff and beyond.”
Cross promoted to Director of Human Resources
LaToya Cross, who has served on the CBF staff for more than nine years, has been promoted to director of human resources. In this role, LaToya is responsible for the overall administration, coordination and evaluation of the human resource function for CBF.
Baxley said he is “delighted” for LaToya to serve the Fellowship in this capacity.
“Over the past several years, LaToya’s leadership in our staff and beyond has grown considerably as she led a comprehensive review of our employment policies, has offered important leadership to our growing cross-cultural capabilities, has helped us navigate the transition to hybrid work, has been an advocate for the well-being of our employees and has partnered beautifully with staff and state and regional leaders in search processes,” Baxley said. “She will bring much to her continued leadership not only in our expanded operations team but to our entire Fellowship.”
Huett said he looks forward to LaToya’s continued leadership.
“LaToya has an incredible grasp of details and is great at what she does for our Fellowship,” Huett said. “Her approach to supporting staff and providing information and tools for their flourishing helps everyone do their jobs better.”
LaToya said she “grateful and thrilled” to step into the role.
“I look forward to contributing to our team’s impact together under the new leadership of Jeff Huett and continuing to foster a supportive and collaborative workplace,” she said.
CBF Identity, Fellowship Experiences teams focus their work
Even as CBF searches for a director of identity, the addition of Leah Tripp as digital strategy specialist earlier this year has facilitated a more focused approach in the roles of other members of the Identity team. Tripp leads CBF’s social media strategy and website development.
Jeff Langford will focus his work on graphic design, as he continues as coordinator of the CBF Heartland region. Aaron Weaver, who has served as CBF’s director of communications will continue serving as primary editor of fellowship! magazine and cbfblog and will shift his focus to leading of CBF’s robust resource ideation and development efforts as content and creative strategies officer. Lauren Lamb will continue her work as CBF’s Marketing & Communications Manager, with a focus on editing, planning and formatting newsletters, email campaigns and content creation.
Director of Fellowship Experiences Carrie Harris will be joined by Panina Golston, CBF’s office manager, in work across the staff and alongside state and regional organizations, churches and partners, to coordinate experiences and events.
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CBF is a Christian network that helps people put their faith to practice through ministry efforts, global missions and a broad community of support. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.