Mary Ellen Wood Smoot of Centerville, Utah, was sustained Saturday, April 5, as Relief Society general president. She previously served as director of Church hosting.
Sustained as first and second counselors, respectively, were Virginia Urry Jensen and Sheri L. Dew, both of Salt Lake City.Released as Relief Society general president was Elaine L. Jack, along with her counselors, Chieko N. Okazaki and Aileen H. Clyde. They had served together as the Relief Society general presidency since March 31, 1990.
Mary Ellen Wood Smoot, a native of Ogden, Utah, has served on the editorial board of The Friend magazine, as a Relief Society president, as a member of the Church Correlation Writing Committee, and with her husband, Stanley M. Smoot, while he was president of the Ohio Columbus and Ohio Akron missions.
She has also served as organizer of the Centerville Historical Society, on the board of the South Davis Community Hospital, with the United Way, and wrote the History of Centerville. A member of the Lakeview Ward, Centerville Utah North Stake, Sister Smoot and her husband are the parents of seven children.
Virginia Urry Jensen, is a native of Salt Lake City. At the time of her call to the Relief Society general presidency, she was director of Church Building Hosting. Previously, she served as a counselor in ward Relief Society, Young Women and Primary presidencies; on stake boards of those auxiliaries; Relief Society, Young Women and Primary teacher; and activities committee member.
She is a former secretary of the University of Utah Alumni Association, and the University of Utah Union. She is active in the PTA. She and her husband, J. Rees Jensen, are parents of four children. They are members of the Mount Olympus 6th Ward, Salt Lake Mt. Olympus Stake.
Sheri L. Dew is a native of Ulysses, Kan. She has served as stake and ward Relief Society president, Sunday School teacher and Relief Society General Board member.
Sister Dew of the Willow Canyon 3rd Ward, Sandy Utah East Stake, is the author of Go Forward with Faith, The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley. Sister Dew is vice president of publishing for Deseret Book Co., which published the biography. She also wrote President Ezra Taft Benson's biography. She is former associate publisher for This People magazine and former assistant editor of Bookcraft Publishers.
