The Lehigh County Conference Churches has announced the appointment of Dr. John "Jack" E. Felch, Jr. as the Executive Director of the Conference, effective Nov. 11.

Felch was introduced at an Nov. 7 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the conference's new offices, 1031 Linden St., Allentown.

Eighteen conference staff moved to the new Linden Street location. Two Hamilton Street offices of the conference will close. The main offices of the conference are still in Alliance Hall, 534 Chew St., Allentown.

The new Linden Street site houses the housing programs of the conference. A new centralized intake-coordinated assessment case manager is the first point of entry for Lehigh County residents who come to the conference because they are homeless or threatened with homelessness.

Once the intake-assessment is completed, the client is referred to the program that best suits the client's needs.

Felch leads a staff of 32 in fulfilling the conference's mission to "minister to and advocate for those in need and encourage all to reach their full potential."

The conference, partnering with 138 congregations and faith-based organizations, seeks to put faith into action, assisting the hungry, the homeless, persons with mental health concerns and at-risk youth. There are more than 4,900 conference volunteers, the conference assists 14,000 annually and its annual budget is $3.5 million.

For the past 13 years, Felch has been an administrator in churches and regional ecclesiastical organizations. Since retiring from the Army, Felch has been an executive with private firms, government and not-for-profit organizations. He has been on the faculty of the U.S. Army War College, George Washington University and Goshen College.

Felch is an ordained elder and deacon in The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and received graduate degrees in Operations Research and Management.

He and his wife have been married for 47 years and reside in Coopersburg. They have four children and nine grandchildren. Mrs. Felch volunteers at her local church and with the Coopersburg Historical Society. Felch was elected to the Coopersburg Borough Council in 2009 and is Council President.