Staff Updates
WSCF Executive Committee Elects Marcelo Leites as next General Secretary
Marcelo LeitesThe World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) is pleased to announce and introduce Mr. Marcelo Leites from Uruguay as the in-coming General Secretary of WSCF. This decision was made by the WSCF Executive Committee following more than a year of search process which began in October 2019 and was completed last November 2020. As the in-coming General Secretary, Marcelo Leites, will be presented by the Executive Committee to the member movements in the forthcoming WSCF General Assembly (GA) for approval.
Marcelo David Leites comes from a long history of involvement with the Student Christian Movements (SCMs) in Uruguay and WSCF LAC. He currently works as WSCF’s Regional Executive formerly called Regional Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) from 2012 and Director for WSCF’s Global Program on Ecological Justice since 2016. Prior to this, Marcelo was a member of the Student Christian Movement of Uruguay from 2005 to 2011. He worked as a Social Educator, Campaigner and Accompanier for youth-related programs and projects in Montevideo, Uruguay before joining WSCF as the interim regional secretary for LAC in 2011.
Marcelo brings to WSCF a strong passion for justice work and ecumenism. In his introduction to the Executive Committee, he wrote “I have dedicated my personal and professional life to work on areas related to advocacy, economic and ecological justice, human rights, ethics, youth participation, gender and a theory of change. I believe critical thinking and biblical contextual analyses, organizational development, collective team work and grassroots capacity building are fundamental to pursuit changes.” Marcelo studied Social Work for 2 years and Philosophy for 4 years at the Universedad de la Republica in Montevideo, Uruguay, and graduated in 2011. He is 35 years of age and lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the WSCF LAC regional office is also located.
Marcelo begins his new role as WSCF’s General Secretary this February 1st,2021 after a hand-over period with the out-going General Secretary Necta Montes.
Necta MontesWSCF thanks Necta Montes from Philippines for her commitment, service and leadership to the Federation in the last six years. Necta came to WSCF’s leadership at a time of uncertainty and the need for organizational change. Within this period, she led the transition of the Federation towards stability and sustainability, transparency and greater cohesion. In her final report to the Executive Committee, Necta said, “It was not through calm and peaceful waters that we travelled in this ecumenical ship, it was stormy, unknown and filled with challenges and difficulties. But we were never alone in this journey. God showed us signs of hope, provided the compass to set us forth towards continuing our ecumenical journey.”
WSCF Executive Committee invites all to join in praying and wishing Marcelo Leites success as he takes on this new role in the life and future of the Federation and Necta Montes as she begins a new journey in life especially at this time of New Normal brought about by the Covid19 Global Pandemic.