Thomas S. McAnally

Thomas S. McAnally retired in late 2001 from the staff of United Methodist Communications in Nashville where he had served as director of United Methodist News Service, the official news agency of the denomination. He joined the News Service staff in Nashville, Tenn., in 1969 and became director in 1983. Previously he served five years as Director of Communications for the Nebraska Conference of the United Methodist Church.

A native of Oklahoma, McAnally earned his undergraduate degree in journalism from Oklahoma City University, and his master's degree in mass communications from Syracuse (N.Y.) University. He received a distinguished alumnus award from Oklahoma City University in 1985 and was named Communicator of the Year by the United Methodist Association of Communicators in 1989. He served as president of the national interfaith Religious Public Relations Council (now Religion Communicators Council) Board of Governors from 1988 to 1990.

Representing United Methodist News Service, he reported on United Methodist and ecumenical events throughout the United States and in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South and Central America. Tom and his wife Charlotte, a retired educator in the Metropolitan Nashville Public School System, have a son and daughter and three grandchildren.