Six New General Authority Seventies Announced during April 2017 General Conference
Six new General Authority Seventies were announced during the 187th Annual General Conference on April 1.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, announced the calls of six new General Authority Seventies and 36 Area Seventies during the Saturday afternoon session of the April 2017 general conference.
General Authority Seventies serve in the Presidency of the Seventy, in Area Presidencies, and in other headquarters administrative functions. Under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, they travel frequently to meet with and teach Church leaders, missionaries, and members of the Church in local congregations. They have authority to serve anywhere in the world, while Area Seventies’ authority is generally limited to the area where they serve.
New General Authority Seventies include:
Elder Taylor G. Godoy
Elder Taylor G. Godoy.
Elder Taylor G. Godoy had been serving as a member of the Fourth Quorum of the Seventy in the South America Northwest Area at the time of his call.
Elder Godoy received a bachelor’s degree in dentistry from the Catholic University of Santa Maria in 1993 and a master’s degree in administration from the Technical University of Madrid in 2006. He worked as a dentist in a private practice and later with Church Seminaries and Institutes as an institute coordinator, teacher, director, and country director. Most recently, he was the South America Northwest Seminaries and Institutes area director.
Elder Godoy has served in numerous Church callings, including full-time missionary in Lima, Perú, bishop, high councilor, stake president, area public affairs director, and Area Seventy.
Taylor Guillermo Godoy Atanacio was born in Lima, Perú, on July 10, 1968. He married Carol Tatiana Pacheco Agostinelli in May 1994. They are the parents of two children.
Elder Joni L. Koch
Elder Joni L. Koch.
Elder Joni L. Koch had been serving as president of the Mozambique Maputo Mission at the time of his call.
Elder Koch received a bachelor of science degree in statistics from Brigham Young University in 1991. He received an executive MBA/Logistics from FGC/SP in 1994. During his career he has worked in senior management positions at Cargill Foods, APM Maersk Group, and most recently as the CEO of Conexão Marítima Ltda.
Elder Koch has served in numerous Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Brazil São Paulo North Mission, bishop, stake mission president, stake president’s counselor, stake president, Area Seventy, and president of the Mozambique Maputo Mission.
Joni Luiz Koch was born in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil, on March 19, 1962. He married Liliane Michele Ludwig in April 1988. They are the parents of two children.
Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella
Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella.
Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella received a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1989 and a master’s degree in business administration in 1991, both from Brigham Young University. He worked as managing director at Kodak Polychrome Graphics until 2005, was a partner at Korn Ferry International until 2009, and was recently a partner at Caldwell Partners.
Since joining the Church in 1971, Elder Parrella has served in numerous Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Brazil Porto Alegre Mission, branch president, bishop, high councilor, stake president’s counselor, Area Seventy, and president of the Brazil Belo Horizonte Mission.
Adilson de Paula Parrella was born in Guarujá, São Paulo, Brazil, in November 1962. He married Elaine Finholdt in 1988. They are the parents of five children.
Elder John C. Pingree Jr.
Elder John C. Pingree Jr.
Elder John C. Pingree Jr. had been serving as a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Salt Lake City Area at the time of his call.
Elder Pingree received a bachelor of arts in English in 1990 and a bachelor of science in political science in 1991, both from the University of Utah. He also received a master’s of business administration from Harvard Business School in 1993. Throughout his professional career, he has held executive management positions in biotechnology, healthcare, and medical humanitarian organizations.
Elder Pingree has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Massachusetts Boston Mission, elders quorum president, high councilor, bishop, stake president, president of the Texas Houston Mission, and Area Seventy.
John Cannon Pingree Jr. was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 11, 1966. He married Anne Pugsley in March 1990. They are the parents of five children.
Elder Brian K. Taylor
Elder Brian K. Taylor.
Elder Brian K. Taylor had been serving as president of the Texas Dallas Mission at the time of his call.
Elder Taylor received a bachelor degree in arts in 1988 from Brigham Young University. He was cofounder and CEO of FATPOT (For All The People Of The World) Technologies, a software company serving the 911, public safety, and homeland security agencies.
Elder Taylor has served in numerous callings, including institute teacher, high councilor, president of the ward Young Men, stake president, and president of the Texas Dallas Mission.
Brian King Taylor was born in Ogden, Utah, to Lowell Moon and Marie King Taylor in April 1964. He married Jill Featherstone on April 30, 1987. They are the parents of seven children.
Elder Taniela B. Wakolo
Elder Taniela B. Wakolo.
Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, a native of Fiji, comes to his new calling after serving as president of the Arkansas Little Rock Mission.
Elder Wakolo studied management and public administration at the University of the South Pacific. In 2007, he received a master’s in management from the University of Sunshine Coast. Most recently, he was service center manager at the Church’s Fiji Service Center.
Since joining the Church in 1994, Elder Wakolo has served in numerous callings, including seminary and institute teacher, branch president, high councilor, bishop’s counselor, stake president’s counselor, stake president, president of the Arkansas Little Rock Mission, and Area Seventy.
Taniela Biu Wakolo was born in Lomaloma, Lau, Fiji, on June 25, 1967. He married Anita Herberta Moimoi in August 1987. They are the parents of two children.
