The Salvation Army announced on Wednesday that it is changing the operational model in the Central Upper Peninsula.
Auxiliary Captain Marie Lewis is appointed as the new Corps Officer in Marquette County, responsible for all operations in Marquette and Ishpeming, effective June 30, 2021. Captains Doug and Kim Winters will be moving to Delta County to lead operations in Escanaba after serving the last five years in Marquette.
Although the Winters will be stationed in Delta County, Captain Doug has been appointed to a newly created role of Regional Coordinator over the Upper Peninsula, including the Marquette County and Escanaba Corps. This new position allows the Salvation Army to leverage staffing and resources to better serve the entire Central Upper Peninsula area.
Captain Lewis is moving to Marquette in late June and comes from Kenosha, Wisc. Captain Lewis grew up in southeast Wisconsin and has two adult daughters living in Wisconsin. She started her Salvation Army journey as a volunteer in 2014 and felt the call to serve in ministry in 2016. She was first appointed as Corps Administrator in Kenosha and became an Auxiliary Captain in 2018. After seven years in Kenosha, her leadership will now continue the efforts in Marquette County.
In 2017, the operations in Ishpeming and Marquette were merged into one operational unit of Marquette County. This move enabled better coordination between these two previously distinct units, and the services in both locations were standardized to ensure that all residents received equal levels of service, regardless of location. The net result was that all clients received increased support from both locations. The regional coordination in the U.P will not be a direct merger, but the same types of coordination and better, more uniform services are expected with this organizational change.
“It is hard to leave the place we have called home for the last five years” stated Capt. Winters. “We have been able to see progress in our community over that short time, and we are grateful that we will be able to still be involved with this new position of Regional Coordinator.”
The Winters have repeatedly stated that they are humbled at the level of support that the community gives to The Salvation Army and the trust that the community has in this organization.
Commenting on the new organization, Winters stated, “The new concept of regional coordination will allow even better leverage of the resources that we are given in the U.P. so that we ensure the maximum support to given to our clients in greatest need.”
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