Joni and Friends Appoints New CMO and COO
AGOURA HILLS, CA, June 26, 2024 – Joni and Friends, the international disability ministry, today announced two new roles within the senior leadership team. Donna Lucas has been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer and Jason Holden to Chief Operating Officer. The C-suite level roles will help the ministry serve the growing physical and spiritual needs of people living with disabilities around the world.
“Donna and Jason have decades of exceptional leadership experience which will be invaluable in expanding Gospel hope and practical help to the more than one billion people with disability worldwide,” said Joni and Friends President Laura Gardner. “As God leads this transition, we look forward to the servant leadership and heart for service that they’ll bring to their new positions.”
Lucas will lead ministry marketing, fundraising, and communications while providing new leadership for the Response Team that shares Christ-centered support and practical assistance to people in need around the world. A strategic marketing executive, she brings a unique approach to growth by prioritizing relationships across the ministry. Lucas has served with Joni and Friends since 2017, most recently as SVP, Marketing and Development. She led the creation of a stellar marketing team that rebranded the ministry and directed a successful ministry-wide system transition for the fundraising vertical of the ministry. Lucas previously spent three decades leading large consumer products brands in new product development, branding strategy, and messaging.
Holden will direct all ministry operations, including leadership of 20 U.S. Ministry offices, international ministries, global operations, and ministry impact. Since joining Joni and Friends in 2018, he has overseen international and domestic outreach programs (Wheels for the World, Joni’s House, Retreats & Getaways), Information Technology, and Global Risk Mitigation, most recently in the role of SVP, Global Operations. As the leader of IT, he guided multiple teams through a successful organizational systems transition. Holden previously served as a Command Master Chief in the U.S. Navy where he led teams and managed construction projects around the world for more than 20 years.
Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder and CEO was extremely enthusiastic about the transition.
“Over the years, I’ve worked closely with Donna Lucas and Jason Holden, two highly qualified leaders in their fields of expertise. They are people who love the Lord Jesus, who pray over every initiative, and who bend over backward to ensure the success of the Gospel through every Joni and Friends program here in the States and around the world. I congratulate Donna and Jason and am convinced they will bring our ministry to a new level!” says Joni.
The new C-suite appointees will lead alongside Chief Financial Officer, Christopher Sue, who joined Joni and Friends earlier this year. With nearly four decades of accounting and finance experience, Sue has provided guidance in operations, budgeting, technology, and logistics. Father to an adult son with autism, Sue has the joy of connecting with and encouraging other families navigating disability.
About Joni and Friends: For more than 40 years, Joni and Friends has provided the hope of the Gospel and practical care to people living with disability around the globe. Ministry programs include Joni’s House, Wheels for the World™, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training. Joni and Friends also delivers daily inspirational media through radio programs and podcasts.
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