VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 2/20/14)—Gerianne (Geri) Blier has accepted a position working with the American Baptist Churches Information Systems (ABCIS). In addition to assuming the role of ABCIS Coordinator, Blier will continue to manage the Name and Address Services (NAS) for American Baptist Churches USA. The new allocation of Blier’s position with ABC began on February 15, 2014.

“Geri Blier has worked with many of the information systems at the American Baptist Mission Center for over three decades.  With her attention to technical detail and customer service orientation, she is uniquely qualified to assume stewardship of the American Baptist Churches Information Systems,” said Rev. David L. Cushman, Acting Director of Information Technology with the American Baptist Computer Center (ABCC).

Blier has worked with American Baptist Churches USA at the ABC Mission Center for 35 years. She started working at the Mission Center in 1979, as the billings clerk and part-time office cashier for the Accounting Department of the former Board of Educational Ministries. Nine months later, she became the full time office cashier. Two years later, Blier enrolled as a night student of computer operations at the Computer Learning Center in Philadelphia, which led her to a career in computer services and technology.

In 1983, Blier became the first computer operator for the newly formed ABCC. Through this position, she gained programing experience, and became the manager for Name and Address Services (NAS) in 1988. Blier’s work with NAS involves generating the mailings coming out of the Mission Center, data quality control, making improvements to the front end application (the part that people see and use), training people in how to use the application and create work orders, running reports, etc.

Blier is familiar with the ABCIS program and has gained considerable experience over the past nine months while filling-in for the former ABCIS Coordinator.  In this new role with ABCIS, Blier anticipates reaching out to regional employees to get their thoughts on how improvements to ABCIS can be made.

“What I love most about working with data systems is the satisfaction I get from turning raw data into useable information. Many of the skills I use every day in NAS are easily transferable to the work needed in ABCIS,” says Blier. “It’s been a joy working with so many interesting and diverse people over these many years.”

American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with over 5,200 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.