Rev. Lynn B. Benson is currently appointed as Director of Legacy Giving with the United Methodist Foundation. Lynn is a Deacon in Full Connection with the NC Annual Conference. As a 2013 graduate of Duke Divinity School, Lynn received a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Christian Education. Lynn’s undergraduate degree is in Business Finance from East Carolina University. Lynn served as the Christian Education Director at Rosemary UMC in Roanoke Rapids before joining UMF in 2016. The opportunity to serve with the Foundation is allowing Rev. Benson to connect her passion for finance, particularly stewardship, with her education and experience in Christian Education. Rev. Benson has been married to her high school sweetheart, Marty for 39 years. Together they have a son, Gray, daughter Lillie, son-in-law Lee and grandchildren Luke and Lainie. In her spare time, Lynn leads small-group classes in personal finance, spends time gardening, and enjoys Praying in Color. 

As the CFO Ivanna L. Cole, CPA, CGMA, oversees the accounting, finance, and administration activities of the Foundation. Ivanna has been with UMF since 2014. Prior to UMF, she served as the Controller for the NC Conference of The UMC for over 6 years. She has also held positions as the Chief Audit Officer at NC Central University and as an Experienced Assurance Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Ivanna attended the University of Maryland, College Park, earning a degree in Accounting and General Business. She is a CPA and, in addition to that, has a Not-for-Profit Certification II from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Ivanna is married with two children and enjoys spending time with them, doing fun things like road trips, playing badminton, and attending University of Maryland football and basketball games.

Nick Keller is the Controller at UMF. He is responsible for reviewing the day-to-day accounting operations and assisting the CFO with reporting and special projects. Prior to his tenure at the Foundation, Nick worked as an Assurance Associate at DHG, primarily serving healthcare and nonprofit clients. Nick obtained both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Accounting from Appalachian State University, where he was a cheerleader for three years.

Away from the office, Nick enjoys spending time with family, traveling the world with his wife, weight training, and serving the I/DD community as a member of the Board of Directors for The Arc of the Triangle. He is also a fan of Japanese cuisine and culture.

Kim Smith is the Office Manager and has worked for the Foundation for over 20 years.  She enjoys working with churches and individuals with their investment needs and loves the friendships she has made over the years with unit holders.  Kim is married to Scott with two beautiful daughters and they love all things Disney.

Amy joined UMF in 2016 and currently serves as Staff Accountant. She enjoys combining her love of numbers with assisting others to further their ministry and missions. Amy is a graduate of UNCC and lives in Clayton with her husband, Jeff, and their three sons. In her spare time, Amy enjoys walking her dogs, traveling and gardening.

Lynita serves as the Director of Marketing for UMF. She is a graduate of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, with a Bachelor of Arts degree and brings over 20 years of experience in creating successful marketing solutions for corporations, not-for-profit organizations, and small businesses.

Lynita, her husband Daryle, and their three children have lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina, for the past 13 years. She is an active participant in her local church and international mission work, particularly with orphanages. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, camping, and snow skiing.