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    5 May 2017 - Johannesburg, South Africa
    News Release

    Africa Southeast Area Presidency Changes 

    With the departure of Elder Stanley G. Ellis, newly called General Authority 70, Elder Joni Koch joins President Kevin S. Hamilton and Elder Mark S. Palmer to lead the Africa Southeast Area.

    Elder Koch, a second-generation member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a recently called General Authority Seventy.

    Born March 1962, in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil, to Luiz and Etleca Koch, he is one on three children.  He received a bachelor of science degree in statistics from Brigham Young University. Received an executive MBA in logistics from FGV/ São Paulo.

    Elder Koch married Michele Ludwig in the São Paulo Brazil Temple on April 26, 1988; two children and two grandchildren.

    He was employed by EMC from 1991-1995 as operations manager; international logistics manager at Cargill from 1996-2006; Brazil Inland Services CEO at AP Mollar Maersk from 2006-2013; and CEO of Conexao Maritima Ltd. from 2014-2015.

    Church service includes: Full-time mission in the Brazil São Paulo North Mission and served as an institute teacher, bishop, stake mission president, stake president and Area Seventy. He served as president of the Mozambique Maputo Mission at the time of his call as a General Authority Seventy.

    Elder Koch will begin his time as the second counselor to President Hamilton August 1, 2017.

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