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The San Francisco Theological Seminary Administrative Cabinet consist of the Seminary's president, four vice presidents, and two associate deans. They meet weekly to coordinate the administrative leadership needs of the seminary.
| Rev. Dr. James McDonald, M.Div., PhD |
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President of the Seminary
Professor of Faith and Public Life
Denomination: Presbyterian
Rev. Dr. James McDonald is the 11th president in San Francisco Theological Seminary’s (SFTS) history. For the past 13 years, McDonald, an ordained Presbyterian minister, worked for Bread for the World, a faith-based advocacy organization in Washington, D.C., that urges national legislators to end hunger. McDonald managed day-to-day operations, spearheaded fund-raising, and focused on advocacy and strategic efforts to build a broad movement against hunger and poverty. With a PhD in international relations from American University, McDonald led efforts to secure debt relief for the world’s poorest countries. After receiving Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees from Princeton University and Union Theological Seminary in New York, respectively, McDonald worked in pastoral ministry for 15 years. He was associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Ind., and then served Tabernacle United Church in Philadelphia from 1980-90. Throughout his career, McDonald has shown a deep passion for education that makes a difference. He was an adjunct faculty member at American and George Washington universities for nearly a decade, teaching courses on world politics, foreign policy and Latin America. |
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| Elizabeth Liebert, PhD |
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Dean of the Seminary
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Spiritual Life
Denomination: Roman Catholic
Dr. Elizabeth Liebert is the first Roman Catholic sister named as dean at a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) seminary. A professor at SFTS for more than two decades, she is also on the doctoral faculty in Christian Spirituality at the Graduate Theological Union. Her most recent book – The Way of Discernment: Spiritual Practices for Decision Making (Westminster John Knox 2008) – is already in its second printing. Dr. Liebert holds a B.A. degree from Fort Wright College of the Holy Names, a M.A. from Gonzaga University, and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. She is a member of the Sisters of the Holy Names, a religious congregation dedicated to the full development of the human person through various educational and pastoral ministries. |
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| Barbara Brenner Buder |
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Vice President for Administration and Finance
& Chief Financial Officer
Denomination: Presbyterian
Barbara Brenner Buder holds a bachelor's in business from University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from Yale School of Organizational Management. She worked for 14 years at Bank of America Corporation in San Francisco, advancing to executive vice president in the Corporate Strategy and Development Group. Prior to that, Brenner Buder was a manager in the audit department of Deloitte & Touche, a public accounting firm in San Francisco. Brenner Buder is an ordained Presbyterian elder and a member of First Presbyterian Church, Berkeley, where she sings in the Chancel Choir. |
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| Mary (Polly) Coote, M.A., PhD |
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Associate Professor, Registrar
Denomination: Episcopalian
Dr. Coote holds a B.A. From Swarthmore College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. She has been at SFTS since 1979 and serves in several capacities: associate dean for student life, director of admissions & financial aid, registrar, and associate professor of Biblical Greek. |
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