Adventist Church Leaders Vote New Appointments in Geoscience, Auditing Service

Two relatively young but experienced professionals were voted to leadership positions in their respective areas of expertise by the Seventh-day Adventist Church General Conference Executive Committee on July 9, 2020. Ronnie Nalin was appointed as the new director of the Geoscience Research Institute (GRI). Boris Cardenas was elected as associate director for workflow and innovation of the General Conference Auditing Service (GCAS).

Nalin will replace James Gibson, who recently retired after more than three decades leading the Loma Linda, California-based institute. Cardenas, on the other hand, has been tapped for a role that has been retitled Workflow and Innovation, according to GCAS director Paul Douglas. Cardenas will be serving from the world church headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.  

Both professionals have substantial credentials and years of experience in their respective fields.

New Director at GRI

A native of Italy, Nalin earned a Master of Science degree and then a doctorate in Earth Sciences at the University of Padova, Italy. Since 2007, he has served at the GRI first as an assistant researcher geologist and, since 2014, as an associate researcher. In 2018, Nalin was appointed the GRI deputy director.

Nalin has also served as an adjunct assistant professor at the Department of Earth and Biological Sciences at Loma Linda University in California. At Loma Linda, he has taught courses such as Introduction to Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, Historical Geology, and Stratigraphy and Basin Analysis.

For 15 years, Nalin has been a guest speaker and field trip leader on several continents, especially at events designed to provide continuing education and training to Adventist science teachers and professors. A scientific researcher, Nalin has published dozens of articles in peer-reviewed journals on sedimentary geology.

Nalin is a member of several professional associations, including the Geological Society of America and the International Society of Sedimentologists.

New Associate Director at GCAS

Cardenas, a native of Colombia, brings to his new position more than 20 years of experience in auditing, financial, and management accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant with expertise gained from working at the accounting firms of Deloitte and Arthur Andersen. He has also been a lecturer at Colombia Adventist University in Medellin, Colombia.

For the past 13 years, Cardenas has served with GCAS and brings to his professional responsibilities a range of competencies that include a high level of analytical and problem-solving skills, bilingualism, and an appreciation for working in cross-cultural environments. 

In his new position, Cardenas will manage a global workflow process directly with regional managers and in coordination with area associates. He is expected to coordinate on resource planning and management of the auditing services provided. Cardenas is also expected to provide in-depth investigations of identified problems and propose innovative solutions for consideration.