March 31, 2026
General Commission on the Status and Role of Women
Across its leadership, Wespath Benefits and Investments is shaped by strong leaders whose professional expertise is inseparable from their sense of purpose! This Women’s History Month, we celebrate Wespath’s vibrant women leaders, whose work supports the ministries of the entire Connection. Their stories reflect a shared commitment to service, equity, and the belief that leadership at its best creates space for others to thrive. In a series of exclusive interviews, these inspiring women shared with GCSRW a glimpse into their daily lives, while also giving us a front row seat to their bold visions, deep values, and unwavering sense of purpose and hope.
Helen Exarhakos
Managing Director – Customer Service
A typical workweek begins with intention. “I start my week by reflecting on recent successes and setting clear priorities… Each day, I immerse myself in enhancing the customer experience, collaborating with colleagues to drive results, and providing coaching to empower their growth and success.”
For Helen Exarhakos, the meaning of her work is inseparable from the people it serves. “I love that my work is grounded in purpose and service,” she says. “At Wespath, I get to use my professional skills in a way that truly cares for those who serve others. It’s incredibly meaningful to know that what we do every day has a real, positive impact on the lives of our participants—and that our work aligns with values I genuinely believe in.”
Exarhakos leadership philosophy is rooted in collaboration and care—qualities she believes women bring powerfully into leadership spaces. “I’ve seen that women bring their own valuable experiences and perspectives to leadership, which can really enrich conversations and decision-making,” she reflects. “I appreciate the thoughtful, collaborative way many women lead and the sense of care they bring to their work. In the church especially, I believe women’s leadership adds depth and connection that strengthens our shared values.”
In reflecting on her professional experience as a woman, Exarhakos shared, “I think my gender has played a role in shaping how I lead and communicate, but it’s one part of a broader mix of experiences that influence how I show up at work.” She names relationship-building, listening, and developing others as central to her leadership: “Helping people grow in confidence, skills, and perspective is one of the most meaningful parts of leadership to me.”
Her hope for women in the church and the world is both bold and communal. “My hope is that women feel empowered to lead boldly without having to justify their presence or soften their voices.” She adds, “It’s important that women lift each other up through mentoring, coaching, and support—it’s amazing how much stronger we all become when we invest in one another.”
An exemplar for practicing balance, Exarhakos knows the value of rest and self-care. On her perfect day off, Helen slows down. “No alarms, no strict schedule,” she says—just breakfast out, time outdoors with her dog, family, church, and ending the day “hosting dinner at home, enjoying conversation and connection.”
Nicole Durham
Managing Director of Human Resources
Only seven weeks into her role, but already making a difference, Nicole Durham describes her days as deeply relational. “My workday is centered on relationship building, getting to know the organization, understanding our strategic objectives, learning the HR team.” At its core, she says, her work is about support: “equipping [others] to deliver on our mission and strategic objectives.”
Durham was drawn to Wespath through a deep sense of alignment with their values. “What drew me was really strong unwavering values and a clear mission,” she explains. “We reach a stage in our career where we really want to spend time in a place that aligns with your personal values and that’s what Wespath has been for me.” She was equally compelled by the organization’s history and future: the “stability and solid foundation of a 100+ year organization” that also maintains a commitment to transformation and innovation. “There is an aspect of transformation, which I’ve spend much of my career doing,” she shared. “My primary focus is to preserve and respect the heritage of Wespath, what makes us unique and wonderful, while we also evolve and do things differently.”
As a successful careerwoman, Durham’s commitment to women in leadership is deeply personal. She shared, “having women in leadership positions really helps to ensure there’s a pipeline of future generations of women being able to fulfill these roles.” “You can’t do what you can’t see,” she explains. “I’m very sensitive to the fact that I need to lift others as I climb—that’s a personal mantra of mine.” She names both legacy and responsibility: “I’m paying it forward for all of the women ahead of me who were pioneers and paved the way for me.”
Durham sees gender as just one piece of a wider mosaic, making each person beautiful. “It’s less about my gender alone and more about the uniqueness of who I am,” she reflects. “It’s a compilation of my gender, my racial identity, my diverse experience, my lived-in experience.” Growing up biracial in a predominantly Mexican community and spending much of her early career among men shaped her perspective, leadership style, stating, “All of those dimensions, including my gender, have been an asset because I can bring a different perspective into the room.”
Her hopes for women, in the church and in the world, are foundational: “Basic human rights, dignity, respect. Opportunity for choice.” She also names the influence of storytelling: “The power of media is massive in our ability to shape the treatment of women.”
Her dream day centers on family. “A light morning with coffee… lots of cooking with my sons,” she says. “My most perfect Sunday recently I made a pot roast with mashed potatoes and all my family gathered around the kitchen table.”
Sheila Henretta
Chief Legal Officer
Sheila Henretta’s days are structured but never dull. “Organizing is what I do in the grand scheme of things— Keeping myself informed, drafting materials, attending meetings,” she explains. “I spend my days paying attention to legal issues, corporate governance, and overall risk management for the organization.” “And of course, meetings,” Henretta laughed.
After previous experience in law, government, and banking regulation, Henretta shared her experience at the agency saying, “Wespath is a really amazing place to work. For me, I love the culture and I love that you can have this great culture, and at the same time do this very sophisticated work.” “There is never a dull moment,” she shared.
A lifelong advocate for women in leadership, Henretta is clear: “I’m a big proponent of women being in leadership roles.” She continued, “There is just no reason that women should not be equally involved in all industries.” She credits her upbringing—attending an all-girls school and being raised by a mother, who was a physician when few women were—for shaping her confidence. “It never occurred to me that there was anything a girl or woman couldn’t do.”
“I really believe women bring real value to the table,” Henretta gushed. She is a champion for diverse and vibrant workplaces, praising Wespath for their visionary work culture saying, “Having a diversity of perspectives—gender, race, life experience, expertise, etc.—makes for better business outcomes.
Her hope is both expansive and precise— “That we continue in the direction of being viewed and treated as equal members of society with equal capabilities and equal opportunities, never to be excluded or judged on the basis of being female.” She beautifully articulated a future where “women continue to take on more and more leadership roles across the board, across all industries, government, corporation, whatever it is!” A champion for women, both as leaders and as family members, she reflected, “I just want to see more and more women in leadership roles, with mechanisms in society that support women to do that.” “Better balance,” she concluded.
Her perfect day is energetic and outdoorsy—“enjoying my family and playing doubles tennis with me,” paddleboarding, golf, and any activity that gets everyone moving together.
Christina Tincher
Managing Director of Communications
Christina Tincher’s workday blends strategy, creativity, and care. She starts her day walking into the office, holding time for “brainstorming, organizing, strategy.” She then dives into her day with meetings and collaborative time with teammates and senior leaders, staying “in close contact with my team making sure everyone has what they need to be successful.”
Formerly working at for-profit investment firms, Tincher has 10 years of service at Wespath—with roles spanning investments to communications. Reflecting on her growth at Wespath she reflected, “The recognition that Wespath has provided to me to recognize the work that’s gone in, the energy and vision, all these things they recognize in their employees.” “They recognize you and elevate you,” she says, pointing to leadership development training and a culture that supports growth. “As you grow, you get the support you need to be successful in your role.”
For Tincher, the mission is her grounding. “Caring for those who serve— helping to ensure that clergy and lay members, planned sponsors, institutional investors, annual conferences, all are doing their part to serve the church and provide community, structure, and strength.” “Being part of that is motivating and inspiring,” she beamed. That care for others is not reserved only for their clients, but abides deeply within the staff and organizational culture of Wespath. Tincher reflected back to the time of the pandemic, a time when so many working families with young children were struggling, sharing, “Wespath supported me… No questions asked. My boss was so supportive, senior leadership was supportive.” “That was something that has always stuck with me. It’s very aligned with our missional work to take care of each other.”
Tincher believes women’s leadership strengthens organizations through perspective and inclusion. “When women are included, we’re able to broaden the perspectives and inspire vision, innovation, strategy.” She continued, “When women are included it’s a signal that everyone is included. We all come from a world that is male-dominated, so it’s refreshing to have leadership that you can connect with, and male leadership that supports that as well. She also named her deep values of modeling leadership in her home life: “I like to show my kids that women are leaders.” Concluding, “We know that women are great and add a lot of value to organizations in general across communities.”
Her hope for all women is rooted in perseverance and advocacy. “It is so important for women to keep persevering, but also to advocate for themselves and for policies that will benefit them.” Noting, “Men are also parents, and there should be balance in our lives.”
Tincher’s hopefulness and deep sense of justice bubbled over sharing, “We [women] have to continue to advocate for those who have lesser voices. It’s important to continue to push for what we believe in and make progress generally.” “We’ve made a lot of progress and now is not the time to stop.”
Her dream day is gentle and full— a slow morning, time with her kids, being in nature, reading, shared meals, enjoying her loved ones, and “rounded out with a good meal and a movie together.”
Johara Farhadieh
Chief Investment Officer
Johara Farhadieh describes her days plainly: “Back-to-back meetings, to be quite honest.” She spends her days attending to the investments and clients of the organization, while working alongside the entire executive leadership team to realize this goal. Beneath the fast pace is deep conviction. “Wespath is a gem in this world,” she says. “It’s the people, the purpose, the mission, along with the fact that I get to do this alongside my passion for investing.” “All three coming together makes this such a gift to have this as a career and a job.”
Managing billions of dollars carries responsibility—and opportunity. “When you’re managing billions of dollars, you have the opportunity to make a real difference.” For Farhadieh, that difference includes investing in dignity, retirement security, and opening doors for minority and women-owned asset managers. “There’s something about giving people an opportunity that they might not have been given, and I’m committed to giving others opportunity.”
Farhadieh brings both passion and compassion to every aspect of her work, sharing: “What was really important to me was taking care of those who serve, but it was important to me to take care of everyday people who have worked really hard and need to be prepared for retirement. I wanted to be able to make a difference in investing to make sure they can retire with dignity.”
Farhadieh is candid about the work’s challenges. Being mistaken for administrative staff earlier in her career was “a reminder that there’s always work to do.” Still, she remains resolute: “I’m up for the challenge, because I’m going to make it better for my young daughter and those coming up behind me.” Her vision for accomplishing this goal is clear—advocacy, starting with herself. She shared, “I, as a human being, have been an asset to this work. I know my strengths and my weaknesses. I’m my biggest cheerleader; I’m also giving critique and feedback to my own work.” And she supplies that same support to her team, noting the need for diverse, woman-forward leadership. “Women approach things in a different way—it’s important for us to have diverse leaders so we can get to the best place. Bringing in different perspectives will only make organizations better. Having women at the top is valuable to organizations, agencies, and, of course, the church.
Her hope for women is honest and hard-earned. “There’s no real balance… you just do the best you can.” Yet she dreams of systems that allow women leaders to thrive fully—in career, family, and life. “My hope is women continue to lead—in church, activism, and other ways. My hope is to see more women leaders who continue to have families, who enjoy their lives. The world isn’t set up to allow women to maximize that. I hope we can continue to build a system that can empower women leaders,”
Her perfect day? “Spending time on a beach, reading a book, without interruptions,” or sewing quietly. Or perhaps indulging in a guilty pleasure, like reality TV—no meetings required.
Jennifer Seuring
Chief Financial Officer
Jennifer Seuring starts each day at Wespath with intentionality and purpose: waking up early, organizing her day, preparing for whatever lies ahead, and being in community with those at work. Her intentionality brings balance, which is clear as she shared, “I try to organize my day in terms of exercise, social activity, and meetings, meetings, meetings.” “It’s kind of a basic ordinary day, and I love that!”
Seuring describes Wespath simply: “Truly the culture, everything is just better.” After years in finance, she found something different here—an organization with a soul. “Money truly doesn’t make you happy,” she reflects. “You have to believe in what you’re doing and really care about it, otherwise what’s the point.” Continuing, “I think that at this point in my career, I often ask, ‘is this a company I would want my children to work at?’ And a lot of times, its no. Many banks and financial firms feel like they don’t have a soul. Wespath takes a different approach.” She attributes much of Wespath’s innovative work culture to it’s General Secretary, Andy Hendren. Seuring explained, “he leads the organization with kindness and approachability. He’s a leader, but he’s the kindest, most caring leader I’ve ever worked with. He makes me want to lead the exact same way.”
The work culture she describes is just one of the reasons Seuring loves Wespath. “I feel super close to the participant and it’s great,” she shared. Her role as CFO also comes with the immense opportunity for mentorship. Seuring is thoughtful about leadership, particularly for women in finance. Aware of how women are often labeled, she is intentional about how she shows up. “I try to be super self-aware, and really focus on propping people up, lifting them up, promoting others, not competing with others, mentoring other people.” Authenticity in all things is a guiding value for Seuring, sharing, “Whether it’s the receptionist or the CEO, and even in my personal life, I want them to talk about me the same way.”
Diversity and inclusion are woven into the fabric of the organization, an attribute that is meaningful for Seuring. Beyond representation, she values how Wespath celebrates and learns across differences—not symbolically, but meaningfully. From Black History Month celebrations, Lunar New Year gatherings, and accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, Wespath takes seriously what it means to be an inclusive environment. That commitment to inclusivity is also modeled in their leadership structure, which proudly includes several leadership development tracks for their employees. As a woman within that leadership structure, Seuring encouraged, “I want people to feel like they have every opportunity, inside or outside of Wespath. I want them to know they can have it all.”
Her hope—for Wespath and the church alike—is freedom from burnout and regret. “I want women to feel good at where they’re at and to look forward and not back.” She believes women can “have it all,” especially when balance is understood not as perfection, but sustainability.
A perfect day for Seuring continues to model that balance she has built her career on, walking her beloved dog, enjoying a group exercise glass, good food, hosting her friends, and “any kind of self-care.”
General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of Wespath Benefits and Investments, Andrew Q. Hendren, reflects on his own commitment women’s equity and empowerment:
“Wespath would not be in the position it’s in today were it not for female leaders of its past and present. My predecessor, Barbara Boigegrain, served 27 years as Wespath’s General Secretary. For seven of those, I reported to her. And during my first 11 years at Wespath I reported to the General Counsel at the time, Sarah Hirsen, and worked alongside our recently retired (after 38 years at Wespath) CFO, Eileen Kane. All three were instrumental agents of change for the better at Wespath: whether that was improving internal control discipline, implementing a board governance framework that has launched Wespath to strategic success by maximizing the generative capacity of our board, or thinking outside the box to create new lines of program for Wespath, like our institutional investment services. I learned so much from them as mentors, and they made me a better leader.
Having women in leadership is so important to bring greater diversity of perspectives and viewpoints to an organization, and to ensure that all the women in a workforce see themselves reflected in leadership. As Wespath’s leader, I’m committed to having the best team of leaders possible, and the best team in my view, is a team that has talented and strong women on it. Wespath’s women leaders who you’ve spoken with are but a few outstanding examples.”