Meet the Board
Merle Poirier is a native Marylander and is the operations manager for the Adventist
Review, the flagship publication of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Additionally,
she is also the designer for KidsView, the Review’s publication for children. Jane and
Merle go back to grade school together. Jane was hired at Spencerville Adventist
Academy (SAA) when Merle served as the board chair, and subsequently Jane
taught music to Merle’s daughters.
In fact, Merle’s youngest daughter was
mentored by Mrs. Lanning and now teaches music at Spencerville Adventist
Academy, holding the same position Jane held before she retired. Merle is married
to Tim Poirier, vice director of the Ellen G. White Estate. Together they have two
married adult daughters and three grandchildren.
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Merle Poirier
Board Chair
Jane Lanning
Jane Lanning is a retired music educator having taught for 35 years. She was the
founding and artistic director for the original Adventist Children’s Choir established
in 2009 and associated with Spencerville Adventist Academy in Silver Spring,
Maryland. This choir won numerous awards under her direction. A native
Marylander, Mrs. Lanning studied piano with Dr. Stewart Gordon at the University of
Maryland while completing her B.S. in Music Education from Columbia Union College
(now Washington Adventist University).
She continued her studies for an M.A. in
Choral Conducting at University of Maryland. Choral singing has been a part of her
own experience since singing in a select Treble Choir beginning in the fifth grade. In
high school she traveled as a member of an elite choir to Poland in 1975. They were
invited to perform for President and Mrs. Gerald Ford and Polish Royalty at the
Warsaw palace. Mrs. Lanning is passionate that today’s youth experience mindful
singing, especially when singing hymn arrangements about the love of God.
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Erwin Nanasi is a sought-after speaker, musician, and consultant for community
events and engagements. To sustain congregational singing during the COVID-19
pandemic, Dr. Nanasi recorded over 700 piano hymn accompaniments and made
them available for free on the KnowHymn App. He is passionate about empowering
young people to find their voice and develop their musical and spiritual gifts,
fostering a deeper connection with their faith and community. Currently Erwin is the
Director of Music at the Spencerville Adventist Church.
Erwin Nanasi
Jim Lanning
Jim Lanning has worked in the humanitarian sector for most of his career, having
served as Director of Acquisitions and Logistics for ADRA International. Currently,
he is a Senior Ambassador for ADRA. He is the husband of Jane Lanning and
together they have three adult children and five grandchildren.
Seelan Abraham
