Biography
Trace Haythorn, Ph.D. joined the staff of the ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education in 2013 as executive director/CEO. In addition to his role with ACPE, Trace partners with Wendy Cadge and Michael Skaggs as leaders of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, an organization committed to research, innovation, and cross-sector engagement of chaplains and spiritual care professionals. Prior to coming to ACPE, Trace served as the executive director of the Frazer Center in Atlanta; President of the Fund for Theological Education in Atlanta; professor and program director at Hastings College in Hastings, NE; and associate pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN. He completed his Ph.D. in cultural foundations of education at Syracuse University, a masters of divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary, and a bachelor of arts at Austin College (Sherman, TX). Trace has also completed executive education programs in social innovation and nonprofit leadership at Stanford University and strategic perspectives in nonprofit management at Harvard University. An ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Trace is married to the Reverend Mary Anona Stoops, and they have two children, Jacob (24) and Martha (21).
Candidate Statement
The American Academy of Religion (AAR) is uniquely situated within the world-wide discourse about meaning and purpose, about how it is shifting in light of the unveiling of the fractures across and within cultures. That work cannot be accomplished, however, without the trustworthy management of the members’ funds, which lies at the heart of the role of the treasurer. Working closely with the executive committee of the Board of Directors and the national staff, the treasurer is responsible for helping meet the three duties of a nonprofit board: the duty of care (oversight of all assets of the Association); the duty of loyalty (assuring that all revenue and investments are used to advance the mission of the AAR); and the duty of obedience (that all activities are consistent with best practices in terms of reporting and accounting for financial management).
This role is going to be particularly difficult in coming years with the radical shifts that will likely occur in higher education and its support of faculty. AAR cannot assume that its revenue streams will be reliable, particularly those funds that have come through institutional support. The damage to the global economy along with the unpredictable ongoing impacts of COVID-19 will disrupt ways the AAR has convened and the models of academic presentation that in many ways have been the heart of the work for decades. New models will also require new business models, and the treasurer should support the organizational leadership in guiding such direction and providing such leadership.
Over the course of my career, I have served for the last twelve years in executive leadership with organizations that have each undergone significant change. In addition to my work with the ACPE, I have served as contingent faculty at the Candler School of Theology for the past eight years with both masters and D.Min. students. As a white, cis gender, protestant male, I embody much of the privilege of my culture, and I welcome the contestation of that privilege towards a more equitable society. As the parent of an adult child with Down syndrome, I also have a lens into the ways we have privileged certain kinds of intellectual processing to the detriment of others, and I seek to ground my work in advocacy with others for a more inclusive, equitable and respectful society.
I hope to bring my experiences to support the Board and national staff to navigate the path forward that shapes and leads the larger culture, believing the work of the AAR addresses the fundamental questions of meaning and purpose in ways that the general public desperately needs. Of course, that also implies greater commitment to the translation of scholarship for public engagement and advocacy. The treasurer’s role requires attending to the revenue and expenses to assure this and the larger mission of the association can be advanced responsibly and transparently. Such oversight requires a professional understanding of nonprofit financial processes and documents, which continues to be integral to my work as an executive director.