The First Presidency announced the calling of new members of the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy during the Saturday afternoon session.
Called as General Authorities to serve in the First Quorum of the Seventy are Elder Yoon Hwan Choi, Seoul, Korea; Elder Brent H. Nielson, Twin Falls, Idaho; Elder Dale G. Renlund, Salt Lake City, Utah; Elder Michael T. Ringwood, Salt Lake City, Utah; and Elder Joseph W. Sitati, Nairobi, Kenya. Also called to the First Quorum of the Seventy was Elder Mervyn B. Arnold, who had served as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy since 2003.
Called as general authorities to serve in the Second Quorum of the Seventy are Elder Wilford W. Andersen, Mesa, Arizona; Elder Koichi Aoyagi, Chiba-ken, Japan; Elder Bruce A. Carlson, San Antonio, Texas; Elder Bradley D. Foster, Rigby, Idaho; Elder James B. Martino, Aubrey, Texas; Elder Kent F. Richards, North Salt Lake City, Utah; and Elder Gregory A. Schwitzer, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Complete profiles of each will appear in future issues of the Church News.
First Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Yoon Hwan Choi, 51, was serving as a member of the Eighth Quorum of the Seventy in the Asia North Area at the time of his call and is currently serving as a counselor in the Asia North Area Presidency.
Elder Choi received a bachelor's degree from BYU-Hawaii and holds a master's degree in business information systems and education from Utah State University. He has worked as a university instructor and as a sales manager and director in corporate settings, and is currently a regional manager for temporal affairs for the Church in Korea. Elder Choi is married to Bon Kyung Koo Choi.
Elder Brent H. Nielson, 54, had been serving as a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy in the Idaho Area. Elder Nielson received a bachelor's degree in English from BYU and a law degree from the University of Utah and has been an attorney/partner at a law firm since 1985. He is married to Marcia Ann Bradford Nielson.
Elder Dale G. Renlund, 56, had been serving as a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Salt Lake City Area. After receiving bachelor's and medical degrees from the University of Utah, Elder Renlund received further medical and research training at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He has been a professor of internal medicine and has engaged in teaching, research and patient care in the sub-specialty of heart failure and transplantation medicine. Elder Renlund has been the medical director of a cardiac transplant program since 1991. Elder Renlund is married to Ruth Lybbert Renlund.
Elder Michael T. Ringwood, 51, graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting from BYU in 1983. In 1986 he became vice president of a major corporation and remained there for 14 years. He has also been the president and, more recently, president and chief financial officer, of two different business entities. Elder Ringwood has been a member of the Board of Advisors at the BYU School of Accountancy. He is married to Rosalie Nelson Ringwood.
Elder Joseph W. Sitati, 56, had been serving as president of the Nigeria Calabar Mission at the time of his call. Elder Sitati earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Nairobi, a diploma in accounting and finance from the Association of Certified Accountants and has also done course work for an MBA degree. He has worked as an executive for a nongovernmental organization and in several positions with a large oil and gas company. More recently he served as the Church's international director of public affairs in Africa. He is married to Gladys Nangoni Sitati.
Second Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Wilford W. Andersen, 59, was serving as a member of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Southwest Area at the time of his call.
Elder Andersen received a bachelor's degree in business management and a juris doctor degree from BYU. He has been a managing partner of an investment firm since 1969. He is married to Kathleen Bennion Andersen.
Elder Koichi Aoyagi, 64, was serving as a member of the Eighth Quorum of the Seventy in the Asia North Area at the time of his call.
Elder Aoyagi attended Kanagawa University for two years, majoring in foreign trading. He received a real estate license from the Japan Real Estate Academy and then worked for the Church as a real estate manager and a construction manager. He also worked as an assistant recorder in the Tokyo Japan Temple. In addition, he worked as a sales chief and senior sales manager for two separate corporations. Elder Aoyagi is retired. Elder Aoyagi is married to Shiroko Momose Aoyagi.
Elder Bruce A. Carlson, 59, was serving as a member of the Church's Military Advisory Committee at the time of his call. Elder Carlson graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and then graduated from the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base. He later received a master's degree from Webster University. Elder Carlson retired as a general from the United States Air Force in 2008. He is married to Vicki Lynn Martens Carlson.
Elder Bradley D. Foster, 60, attended Ricks College focusing on pre-veterinary studies and owns a business in the agricultural industry. He has served on a number of agricultural and educational-related boards of directors. He is married to Sharol Lyn Anderson Foster.
Elder James B. Martino, 57, had been serving as a member of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Southwest Area at the time of his call.
Elder Martino received a bachelor's degree from BYU and since graduation has worked for a family apparel company. He was president and CEO of the company from 1989-2000 and is the company chairman. Elder Martino is married to Jennie Marie Barron Martino.
Elder Kent F. Richards, 63, received a bachelor's degree and medical degree from the University of Utah. In 1977, Elder Richards began working as a surgeon. He has served as senior vice president of a nonprofit system of hospitals, surgery centers, doctors and clinics and as a member of the board and executive committee of the organization's board of trustees. Elder Richards has also served as a clinical professor of surgery. He is married to Marsha Gurr Richards.
Elder Gregory A. Schwitzer, 61, received a bachelor's degree and medical degree from the University of Utah. In 1980 he was named Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah and later became a physician of emergency medicine. In 1992 he was named Vice President of Clinical Programs at a nonprofit system of hospitals, surgery centers, doctors and clinics and remained there until 2005. He works part time as a physician at a health clinic. He is married to Jo Ann Elizabeth Rawsthorne Schwitzer.
