Guy Smagghe has appointed director of Presbyterian World Service and Development effective Sept. 1.
Smagghe has served with the church’s relief and development agency for 18 years, most recently as senior program coordinator. He has also worked as government relations officer for the agency, securing grants and funding from government sources, and as PWS&D’s representative on the board of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. He has a master’s degree in the field of political economy of international development from the University of Toronto and speaks three languages.
“I think the main challenge initially will be getting to know the constituency better and finding creative and effective ways to share the life-transforming stories of our work,” he said of his new role. “There may still be a lot of Presbyterians out there who may not see PWS&D as their agency of choice when it comes to development and relief, and my hope is that more and more people will see it as their agency of choice in the sense that we can make great use of their donations and expand the reach of their donations.”
Through its membership in organizations like CFGB, PWS&D can “multiply resources for food aid in the world unlike any agency that is not a church-based agency can do,” he said.
“The hope is always to make the biggest difference possible in the lives of the most marginalized and impoverished people so that they can live lives with dignity. And that’s the reason why we’re here.”
Smagghe replaces former PWS&D director Ken Kim who in March moved on to a position with World Renew, the relief and development agency of the Christian Reformed Church.
Photo courtesy of Presbyterian World Service & Development
