Eight new mission presidents have been called by the First Presidency. The mission presidents and their wives will begin their service about July 1. The new mission presidents and their assignments are:
Gerald D. Abram, 65, Philippines Cebu Mission; Rogers Ward, Rogers Arkansas Stake; former counselor in stake presidency, high councilor, bishop, counselor in branch presidency, Young Men president, and institute teacher; insurance broker; attended the University of Omaha and Air War College; born in Hennessey, Okla., to William E. and Eva A. Pogue Abram; married Mary Towell, four children. She is a stake missionary; former stake Relief Society president, counselor in stake Young Women presidency, Relief Society and Young Women president, activities committee chairman, and institute teacher; born in Enid, Okla., to William R. and Esther M. Murphy Towell.Thomas C. Anderson, 55, Netherlands Amsterdam Mission; Holladay 11th Ward, Salt Lake Holladay Stake; former member of Sunday School General Board, stake mission president, bishop, high priests group leader and assistant, Young Men president, ward mission leader, and missionary in the Netherlands; assistant attorney general for Utah; received bachelor's degree in political science from UCLA, and juris doctorate from the University of Utah; born in Los Angeles, Calif., to Stanley Charles and Mae Irvine Anderson; married Susan MacNeill, three children. She is a counselor in a Relief Society presidency; former stake missionary, Young Women and Relief Society president, and seminary teacher; office worker for J.C. Christensen, DDS; received bachelor's degree in international relations from UCLA; born in Portland, Ore., to Minard Sessions and Frances Adelaide Jeanette Blair MacNeill.
Jose A. Garcia S., 53, Chile Osorno Mission; Marcasa Ward, Panama City Panama Stake; counselor in Panama Panama City Mission presidency; former regional representative, stake president, counselor in district presidency, bishop, branch president, and branch clerk; sales manager; born in Valencia, Spain, to Gaspar and Maria Sanchez Garcia; married Romelia Gonazales, four children. She is stake director of public affairs; former counselor in stake Relief Society presidency, worker in family history library, ward Relief Society president, institute teacher, and visiting teaching coordinator; born in Veladera, Panama, to Orispiliano and Celia Gonzales.
Robert J. Grow, 49, California Sacramento Mission; Little Cottonwood Ward, Sandy Utah Granite View Stake; stake preparedness specialist; former high councilor, bishop, elders quorum president, Young Men president, Sunday School teacher, and missionary in the California Central Mission; chairman of Envision Utah; received bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Utah, and juris doctorate from BYU; born in Washington, D.C., to Richard William and Peggy Anne Staub Grow; married Linda Gessel, six children. She is stake Relief Society president; former Primary president, counselor in Relief Society presidency, Primary teacher and chorister, and Cub Scout den leader; received bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Utah; born in Salt Lake City to Clyde David and Mary Louise Gardner Gessel.
Laurence A. Harker, 66, Germany Munich Mission; Twin Oaks Ward, Tucker Georgia Stake; former high councilor, stake mission president, bishop, high priests group leader, elders quorum president, and missionary in the Swiss-Austrian Mission; director of hematology and oncology at Emory University; received doctorate in medicine from the University of Alberta and completed specialty training in medicine at McGill University and University of Washington; born in Cardston, Alberta, to Lawrence Leon and Amelia LaFern Burnham Harker; married Donna Parker, four children. She is ward choir director and a Sunday School teacher; former member of stake Young Women presidency, Relief Society president and counselor, member of ward Young Women presidency, seminary teacher, chorister and ward organist; received bachelor's degree in education-music from the University of Alberta; born in Calgary, Alberta, to Burton McKenzie and Mary Campbell Parker.
William G. Hawkins, 56, Peru Chiclayo Mission; Willow Creek Ward, Willow Creek Colorado Stake; ward mission leader; former high councilor, counselor in bishopric, high priests group leader, Scoutmaster, seminary teacher, and missionary in the West Spanish American Mission; dentist; received bachelor's degree in zoology from BYU and doctorate in dentistry from the University of Missouri at Kansas City; born in Stockton, Calif., to William Brazee and Nora Alice McIntyre Hawkins; married Katherine Nelson, two children. She is a stake missionary; former welfare leader and secretary in stake Relief Society; ward Primary president and counselor, counselor in Young Women presidency, and family history librarian; received associate degree in art from Ricks College and attended BYU; born in Borger, Texas, to Kenneth Horace and Naomi Ilene Meier Nelson.
James B. Mayfield, 64, Texas Houston Mission; Federal Heights Ward, Salt Lake Emigration Stake; counselor in stake Sunday School presidency; former member of Church Correlation and Evaluation Committee and Church Melchizedek Priesthood Committee, high councilor, bishop, counselor in elders quorum presidency, and missionary in Finland; chairman of the board for the Center for Humanitarian Outreach and Inter-Cultural Exchange; received bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Utah and doctorate in political science from the University of Texas; born in San Francisco, Calif., to Orson Smith and Isobel Merkley Mayfield; married Merlene Jeppsen, she later passed away; married Rosalind Ward Brockbank, 11 children. She is ward Relief Society president; former counselor in stake Relief Society presidency, ward Relief Society president, and Primary president and counselor; attended BYU; born in Malad, Idaho, to Joseph Welton and Gwendolyn Evans Ward.
Jose L. Torres G., 39, Mexico Veracruz Mission; Juarez Ward, Mexico City Mexico Cucutepec Stake; high counselor; former counselor in stake presidency, stake clerk, high councilor, bishop, branch president, and missionary in the Mexico Merida Mission; executive secretary to director of temporal affairs in Mexico City for the Church; received a degree in business administration at Instituto Tecnologico, and attended College of Science and Humanities; born in Tapachula, Mexico, to Cordoro Humberto and Enedina Perez Galvez Torres; married Rosaura Guzman, three children. She is ward Young Women president; former ward Relief Society president and counselor, counselor in Young Women presidency, and counselor in Primary presidency; received a degree in marketing engineering from Instituto Tenologico, and attended Benemerito de las Americas; born in Mexico City to Rafael Fransico and Vera Margarita Lugueno Guzman.