News from 3700
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
The Worship Committee is pleased to announce that Mary Lomax-Ghirarduzzi, Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of the Pacific will be Central’s 8th Honored Speaker for our Faith & Learning Speaker Series Sunday, January 22, at the 11.00am worship service.
This service is intended to celebrate our continuing relationship with the University of the Pacific and Stockton’s broader academic community; cultivate vital relationships with residents, programs, and agencies in the greater area; with a vision for compassionate service to our city.
Our past speakers have been Patrick Day, Kathy Hart, Lewis Gale, Pamela Eibeck, John Deasy, Heidi Mohammadkhan, and Christopher Callahan.
Dr. Lomax-Ghirarduzzi’s presence is a visible expression of a vital relationship between the University of the Pacific and the United Methodist Church. University of the Pacific is the only related United Methodist University on the west coast.
In addition, Central sponsors the Central United Methodist Church Bishop’s Endowed Scholarship. Over 40 present members of our congregation are graduates of the University of the Pacific.
Following the worship service, a reception hosted by the Pacific graduates will be held in the Fellowship Hall.
Introducing Mary Lomax-GhirarduzziMary J. Lomax-Ghiraduzzi joined Pacific in 2021 as the university’s inaugural Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Chief Diversity Officer. She is also a professor in the Communication Department. She is a leader on race, leadership, and faith-informed social justice.
Prior to Pacific, Lomax-Ghirarduzzi served as Dean of Students and Vice Provost of Diversity and Community Engagement at University of San Francisco. She has also served as Dean of Student Affairs at Ottis College of Art and Design and Assistant Dean of Students at CSU San Marcos. Dr Lomax-Ghirarduzzi attended San Joaquin Delta College before transferring to University of the Pacific. graduating in 1989. Lomax-Ghirarduzzi also holds an MA in intercultural counseling and social justice education from San Diego State University and an EdD in organizational leadership from Pepperdine. She serves on the San Francisco Public Library Commission and was President of this commission for eight years. Lomax-Ghirarduzzi was raised in Stockton and attended local schools. She is a graduate of Edison High School and credits Ben Reddish as one of her mentors.
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