Dellanna West O'Brien

Dellanna West O'Brien served as executive director/treasurer of WMU, SBC, from 1989-1999. She, her husband Bill, and their three children were Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board missionaries to Indonesia from 1963-1973.

Mrs. O'Brien wrote Beyond Belief! Volume 1, published by WMU in 2000, and co-authored Choosing a Future for U.S. Missions, published in 1998. A visionary, she positioned WMU into the 21st century through the Blueprint Committee. WMU programs began during her term were: CWJC^®, Volunteer Connection^SM, as well as the formation of the WMU Foundation.

Dr. O'Brien passed away on September 7, 2008.

WMU events that occurred during the tenure of Dellanna O'Brien:

1. WMU assumed responsibility for coordinating housing for foreign missionaries on furlough (stateside assignment). (1990)
2. WMU established the Vision Fund and an Office of Development.
3. Project HELP^SM was launched, with an emphasis on hunger relief. The emphasis would change to other social issues in succeeding years. (1994)
4. GA World magazine was launched, for GA members in grades 5–6. (1995)
5. Baptist Women and Baptist Young Women organizations were combined to form the newly named Women on Mission^®, with a new magazine, Missions Mosaic, replacing Royal Service and Contempo. (1995)
6. The three major operating divisions of the national WMU staff, each formerly led by an associate executive director, were discontinued and replaced by a management team. (1997)
7. Christian Women's Job Corps^® gained the attention of then US vice-president Al Gore, and WMU's staff member responsible for CWJC^® joined a national coalition focusing on welfare-to-work programs, led by the vice-president.
8. Lottie Moon Christmas Offering^® totals surpassed $80 million. (1990s)