On March 1, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called and sustained a new president for the Maple Valley stake. A stake is the geographical boundary, like a diocese that governs 10 congregations – called wards – in Buckley, Enumclaw and Maple Valley.

The new stake president is Enumclaw resident Frank C. Rodarte Jr. He was called to his new position by visiting authorities of the church, elders Spencer Jones and Perrin Walker of the Quorum of the Seventies. Rodarte replaces his father, who served eight years as the previous stake president. Jones shared that this was the first time in his experience where a son replaced his father to this calling.

Rodarte called Russell Millard of Maple Valley and McKay Kunz of South Prairie to be his counselors. The three form a presidency to govern the stake. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a lay ministry, so local ministers like Rodarte and his counselors have jobs and donate their time to serve in the church.

A graduate of Auburn High School, Rodarte served as a missionary in Chicago, then played football for Central Washington University as a lineman protecting now-NFL quarterback John Kitna. He graduated in construction management and is vice president of Rodarte Construction of Auburn. Rodarte and his wife Melissa have seven children who attend Enumclaw schools. Football is still a passion. He also donates time helping youth in the Enumclaw junior football program.

Millard has a civil engineering degree and a master’s in business administration from Brigham Young University. He is a real estate investor for MFI Limited, a family-owned real estate development company. He and his wife Pamela have five children who attend and have attended Tahoma district schools.

Kunz is also a graduate of Brigham Young University in manufacturing engineering and is employed by The Boeing Company. He and his wife Linda have two children who attend and have attended White River schools.