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eanne was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Huntington
Beach with her parents and two
sisters.
ngaged to Gary, a Deputy State
Attorney General; they have two
rescue dogs, a 5-year-old Golden
Retriever named Simba and a 4-year-old
Maltese-Poodle mix named Princess.
Marriage and starting a family are in the
works for next year.
few of her volunteer positions include California-Pacific Annual
Conference UMW President
(for the past four years), Annual Conference Co-Secretary (the first layperson
to hold this position), Board of Trustees
Secretary, Navigation Essential Ministry
Team, Immigration Task Force, Bishop’s
Border Ministry Team, and West District
Secretary.
ew highlight of last year was
when she was elected as one
of 988 General Conference
delegates representing our Conference in
Tampa, Florida. She was also a Western
Jurisdictional Delegate and was recently
elected as the Western Jurisdiction
Conference Secretary as well as serving
on the Western Jurisdiction Leadership
Team.
ear and dear to her heart is
Susan G. Komen Race for
the Cure. She was the 2012
Volunteer of the Year for the Los Angeles
Affiliate Office of Susan G. Komen. As
a breast cancer survivor, finding a cure
is a top priority for her and her family.
She also donates time as a member of
the Board of Directors for the Methodist
Hospital of Southern California, which
incorporates spiritual healing as part of
the nurturing care offered.
xcited about her hobbies, which
include dancing, exercising,
eating at the newest and hottest
restaurants, and reading (not necessarily in that order)! She loves Westwood
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DEEP CHRISTIAN LOVE, passion for the reign of God, profound vision
for the future of the Church of Christ, joyful heart: these are but a
few of the thoughts that go through my mind as I think of Leanne. As
Conference President of the United Methodist Women, as Co-Secretary
of our Annual Conference, as a leader at our Immigration and Bor-
der Concerns table – these are some of the places where I have been
blessed to work with Leanne. She is always a clear voice, an encourag-
er, and a challenger. She does not allow us to be mediocre in our work;
she expects excellence, for excellence is what she gives and what she
believes that God deserves. Throughout it all, her love of Christ and
others shines through and flows upon us all. Thanks
be to God for Leanne Nakanishi. I am praying for her,
for the church, and for the world as God leads her to
yet other places of service.”
—Bishop Minerva Carcaño
church dearly as so many friends inspire
her with sharing their faith, hope, and
love in action.
Leanne’s term as President of the
Conference’s United Methodist Women
is coming to an end this fall, but her
leadership is influencing the formation
of a UMW unit at Westwood UMC.
When you see Leanne, offer her a word
of thanks for all that she has done, and
continues to do, to enrich us all.
Bette Caldwell is Assistant Principal, Secondary Counseling Services, at San Pedro
High School. She has served as Editor of
The Spire and the Los Angeles District
page of Circuit West, as well as Chi State
News, a publication of The Delta Kappa
Gamma Society International. She has
been a member of Westwood UMC since
1964.
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
AT WESTWOOD
Mark your calendars for these important dates:
Saturday, November 16 at 10 a.m.
a gathering to talk about the 2014 year
Tentative Dates for 2014: January 11 • May 17
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