草莓社区

For 19 of the past 21 years, has served at 草莓社区 as assistant to the president, including most recently, to the university鈥檚 newest one. Yoder helped Dr. , who started in January 2017, navigate her first year on the job.

At a retirement reception in December, Yoder鈥檚 long service and insightful guidance were honored by many in attendance, as well as by Huxman, who offered a warm parting tribute.

鈥淭wila trained three presidents,鈥� Huxman told the gathered crowd in the Campus Center, which fittingly included some other beneficiaries of Yoder鈥檚 gentle tutelage.

Yoder has actually worked with six men and women who occupied , some for many years and others for interim terms.

Beginning in June 1999, she worked with Joseph Lapp (1987-2003), then Loren Swartzendruber (2003-2016), and since January, Huxman.

Additionally, however, three interim presidents kept the business of the university moving forward: Beryl Brubaker (May-December 2003); Fred Kniss (May-August 2013 for Swartzendruber鈥檚 sabbatical), and Lee Snyder (July-December 2016).

With all of these presidents, interim and permanent, Yoder enabled smooth functioning at the highest levels of the university. Among her duties, she 鈥�schedules all of the president鈥檚 meetings; serves as corporate secretary to the Board of Trustees; aids in the development of numerous administrative documents, such as board policy manuals; and serves as a representative of the president鈥檚 office on numerous committees including the crisis management preparedness team and the facilities task force, among other duties,鈥� according to an October 2015 Weather Vane profile.

Over the years, Yoder equipped her office on the third floor of the Campus Center with symbolic reminders of positive operating procedures in the 鈥減ressure cooker, roller coaster world of the university president,鈥� Huxman said, referencing Yoder’s 鈥淭op Ten List鈥� of how to deal with disgruntled callers and two stones marked strength and joy.

Yoder occupied her role with 鈥減urpose, positivity, patience and perspicuity,鈥� Huxman said, elaborating on this last word by praising her colleague鈥檚 ability to 鈥渟ee clearly, deeply, reverently … with insight.鈥�

From anticipating sensitivities of various campus constituencies to holding confidentiality on a range of subjects to informing the community of births and deaths, 鈥淭wila has put her master鈥檚 degree from our seminary to very good use,鈥� Huxman said.

Yoder is a 1998 graduate of Eastern Mennonite Seminary. She and her husband聽Steve Yoder 鈥�78, SEM 鈥�98 have four adult children, three of whom graduated from EMU.

In a recent interview, Yoder shared that she looks forward to time with family聽and another 鈥渃hapter鈥� of meaningful work.

鈥淚t has been an incredible blessing to serve an institution I love in a role that has been so life-giving for me. I will miss all the people that give life to this incredible place,鈥� she said.