Doreen Gosmire retirement interview

After 14 years of service to the Dakotas Conference of The United Methodist Church, Dr. Doreen Gosmire, director of communications for the conference, will retire in September. In addition to leading the communication work of the conference, Gosmire has been instrumental in the design and production of the annual conference, coordinated lay leadership development efforts, mentored interns in the conference office, and been a key strategic partner across the denomination.

Gosmire's path to the director of communications role was diverse and robust. A proud South Dakota State University alum, Gosmire was involved in media and communications in college, hosting a show called "The Garden Line" —a step toward her dream of becoming the next Julia Child or Martha Stewart. However, her path turned toward education—first as a teacher and later as a school administrator. She was then recruited to work on the Dakota Digital Network—an initiative to put video conferencing in every school in South Dakota—followed by a season working as a professor at University of South Dakota.

During that season, a friend approached her about considering the communications position with the Dakotas Conference in Mitchell, where Gosmire lived.

Upon being offered the job, Gosmire recalls, "Bishop Deb Kiesey shared, 'Your main responsibility is printing a quarterly newspaper—a newsletter—that is mailed to everybody. And we've got this website that we need to kind of keep up. And we're trying to do video conferencing.' So those were the main job [duties] she outlined for me."

The quarterly newspaper may have only lasted one more issue under Gosmire's leadership, but the conference's communication footprint expanded exponentially. She developed a weekly e-newsletter format (Monday @ Dakotas), allowing her to share the stories of mission and ministry around the Dakotas and across the connection.

Gosmire's experience with videoconferencing would be invaluable as the conference had just begun utilizing this tool (then known as the DAVID system) to reduce travel time and costs for conference committees and leaders to meet.

But Gosmire understood the high value of relationships in the Dakotas and was committed to upholding that value even as new tools and technologies were implemented.

"The challenge is you have to make it feel like you're having interaction and that you're connecting with people," said Gosmire. "Even when we're doing Monday at the Dakotas, making sure that we use quotes that emulate or reflect how that person would speak and what their voice sounds like. That's just really important."

She has worked hard to embed that value of connection in her work and model it for churches and leaders so they feel empowered to tell their stories in their own communities. "I think a lot of people assume that 'I don't have anything important to share' or 'this really isn't that big of a deal,'" explained Gosmire. "But putting out there what you're doing—whatever brings you joy, whatever brings you connection, and whatever touches your life—is exactly what your neighbors and your friends and your community want to hear about. They want to hear your story because your story is their story."

Because of Gosmire's commitment to the mission, the power of the Dakotas' stories and the impact of conference ministries have spread beyond our borders. Readers of the e-newsletter from UM News will regularly see Gosmire's byline and a story about God's work in the Dakotas.

She has also been a fierce advocate for collaborating with other United Methodist communicators in our area, jurisdiction, and across the general church.

“In my past 11 years working with Doreen, I have found her to be a thoughtful, strategic, Christ-centered, and deeply committed colleague—and it’s been my privilege to partner with her and learn from her," said Christa Meland, director of communications for the Minnesota Conference. "She’s been a leader among United Methodist communicators in the North Central Jurisdiction, offering her expertise, mentoring those newer to their roles, and coordinating robust coverage of General and Jurisdictional Conferences. Doreen also served on the board of the United Methodist Association of Communicators and played a key role in creating annual events that equipped, inspired, and challenged communicators across the connection. She will be greatly missed both within and beyond the Dakotas-Minnesota Area.”

Gosmire regularly emphasized the the impact of collaboration and the power it brings to the ministry and telling the story.  "It brings a level of synergy and quality that you could have never accomplished on your own," said Gosmire. "To have that connection and have a team all around me just inspires the next thing."

That "next thing" for Gosmire will be some time to "put her feet up" as she recovers from foot surgery in September. Eventually, the retirement itinerary will include travel in the U.S. with her husband, Ray, to connect with their large extended family and spend time with their adult children, Myles, Marshal, and Molly.

It will also include continuing to seek ways to respond to God's call to serve and be in ministry—a principle that has guided Gosmire throughout her journey.

"I think you can go to work every day, and you can do it as a job. But for me, it's always been a faith journey. No matter what job I've had, it's, 'What is God calling me to do?'"

Gosmire added, "I think that's true of whatever job you're in. We're all called to serve in a variety of capacities. It may be in the pulpit, or it may be as a director of communications or a teacher or a farmer or a rancher. We're all called."

Gosmire's faithfulness in responding to God's call has blessed many in the Dakotas Conference.

"Doreen's unwavering dedication and creative spirit have been the cornerstone of our communications ministry," said Bishop Lannette Plambeck, resident Bishop of the Dakotas-Minnesota Area. "Her leadership has not only informed but inspired our conference, bringing the stories of faith and service to life in ways that connect and uplift us all. The innovative and formational ways she led modeled for us all what it means to use communication to develop disciples and to share the good news of Jesus Christ. As she steps into this new chapter, we celebrate her remarkable legacy and the countless lives she has touched with her work. We wish her abundant blessings in her well-deserved retirement."

"It's been a humbling experience to walk on the journey with so many great people," said Gosmire. "Thank you."