The Genesis Presidency

The current presidency of the Genesis Group was set apart by President Merrill J. Bateman of the First Quorum of Seventy on August 3, 2003. It consists of the following members:

President. Don Harwell is from Los Angeles, California, and attended California State University at Los Angeles. He was baptized in 1983 in the Salt Lake City Ensign Stake. He also serves on the Stake High Council of the Midvale Utah Union Fort Stake. He works for PowerStream, Inc. in Orem, Utah, as the Vice President of Sales. He is on the Advisory Board for Corrections and serves as the Director of the Salt Lake County Citizens Review Board for Adult Probation and Parole. His wife, Jerri A. (Hale) Harwell, is from Detroit, Michigan. They have been married for sixteen years and have six children.

First Counselor. Orin Howell was born in Liverpool, United Kingdom, and was baptized in 1996 in Bosnia (currently Bosnia-Herzegovina) while serving as the commander of a U.S. Army Reserve unit. He also serves as the Executive Secretary in his home ward, North Point First Ward. Brother Howell is a graduate of Northern Michigan University and University of Utah. He is currently employed by the Veterans Administration Salt Lake City Health Care System in the Psychology Services Department. Brother Howell also serves as a Special Emphasizes Program Manger for African Americans and as the Acting Special Program Emphasizes Manager for Asia Pacific Americans for the VA Medical Center. He is also a facilitator and mediator within the community and for the VA. He remains a military officer with the U.S. Army Reserves. He and his wife, Tina, have four children: Tavia, TJ, Amanda, and Zack.

Second Counselor. Eddie Gist is from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and was baptized in 1997 in the Rochester Palmyra New York Stake. He also serves as president of the Elders Quorum of the Midvale East First Ward. He holds a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University. He and his wife, Heather (Ferguson) Gist, own Modest By Design Clothing Company in Murray, Utah. They have three children: Eddie Jr., Shelby, and Sariah.