UMCSC doubles communications office

[caption id="attachment_5067" align="alignleft" width="200"] Matt Brodie[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5066" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dan O'Mara[/caption]

COLUMBIA—The South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church is expanding its communications office to two full-time staffers, a move that many hope will help the church better tell its story to the world.

Matt Brodie, who has been the communications director for 11 years, is shifting his focus to coordinate the conference’s production needs, primarily handling the South Carolina UMC’s video, photography and website, as well as taking on a new role as conference disaster response coordinator (see related story here).

Dan O’Mara, a longtime journalist, has been hired to serve as communications coordinator and help tell the UMC’s story in media outlets throughout the state.

“This is a chance for the conference to expand its capacity to communicate our story to the rest of the world,” Brodie told the Advocate. “I’m excited to have Dan on board as part of the team to bring all of his knowledge and experience to the table.”

O’Mara, who starts Oct. 3, has worked in newspapers for more than 30 years. Most recently he was senior editor of The Herald in Rock Hill. Prior to that, he served as state government and politics editor, business editor and public safety editor at The State. He held newspaper editing and reporting positions at six other newspapers in North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Arkansas, writing about a broad array of subjects including faith, education, government, politics and business. He and his wife and sons are members of Spring Valley Presbyterian Church, Columbia, where he serves as a ruling elder, moderator of the Christian education ministry and Sunday school teacher and has served as moderator of the Board of Deacons.

“With joy in my heart, I’m looking forward to helping the South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church tell the stories, both institutional and personal, that promote our mission of being bearers of the Good News of Jesus Christ,” O’Mara said. “I’m invigorated by the challenge of using my experience to assist both the state conference and its congregations in communicating with each other and with the greater body of Christ.”