Staff

Jay Wittmeyer

Executive Director

Jay Wittmeyer is the executive director of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, which he joined on January 15, 2020. Wittmeyer had previously served with LMPC from 2004 to 2006. He is an ordained minister through the Illinois-Wisconsin District of the Church of the Brethren. His career focus has been on organizational capacity building and has spent many years in international faith-based contexts. He currently serves on the board of directors of Elgin Academy and has just finished ten years on the board of Heifer International. He has served on the boards of Churches for Middle-East Peace, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, National Farm Workers Ministry, and Foods Resource Bank.  

Previous Work & Education

Previously, Wittmeyer served for 11 years as the Executive for Global Mission and Service for the Church of the Brethren, which is headquartered in Elgin, IL. During his tenure, Wittmeyer worked to strengthen the organizational capacity of local church denominations to serve their communities. In this position, Wittmeyer traveled extensively to work with organizations in Haiti, Rwanda, Venezuela, South Sudan, Nigeria, and elsewhere. In addition, Wittmeyer served for three years in Bangladesh with the Mennonite Central Committee, seconded to the Partnerships in Agriculture and Extension and in Nepal, seconded to the United Mission to Nepal. Wittmeyer’s career includes two years with Brethren Benefit Trust as director of the Brethren Pension Plan and employee financial services. 

Rev. Wittmeyer has a Masters in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University and a Masters in English as an International Language from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where he did his Bachelors in English Education. He has studied Family Systems through the post-graduate program of the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family. 

Dorren Gertsen-Briand

Office Coordinator

Dorren brings the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center 20+ years of experience in the Not-for-Profit world and eight years of coordinating outreach at her church. She sat 5 years on her local public library board; filled a vacated seat on the school board during the pandemic; and is on the 2nd term of vestry service for her parish.

McKayla Barbour

Communications Coordinator

McKayla joined the LMPC team July 2022. She has completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology through Taylor University and completed her Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation through Trinity College Dublin. While her education was not focused on marketing or communications, her education in the peace field and love for creativity have led her to this position.