The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made changes, approved and finalized the Area leadership assignments for 2020-2021.
Beginning on 1 August 2020, the following General Authority Seventy will serve as members of the new Philippines Area Presidency.
Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, Area President
Elder Wakolo has been serving in the Philippines Area since 2018. He was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of the Church on 1 April 2017. Prior to being sustained, Elder Wakolo had been serving as president of the Arkansas Little Rock Mission.
Elder Wakolo joined the Church in 1994 in Fiji. Since joining, he has served in various callings, which included seminary and institute teacher, branch president, high councilor, bishop’s counselor, stake president’s counselor, stake president, president of the Arkansas Little Rock Mission, and Area Seventy.
Elder Wakolo studied management and public administration at the University of the South Pacific. In 2007 he received a master’s degree in management from the University of Sunshine Coast.
Taniela Biu Wakolo was born in Lomaloma, Lau, Fiji, on 25 June 1967. He married Anita Herberta Moimoi in August 1987 and are parents to two children.
Elder Steven R. Bangerter, First Counselor
Elder Bangerter has been serving in the Philippines since 2019. He was sustained a General Authority Seventy on 31 March 2018. At that time of his call, he was serving as a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah South Area.
Elder Bangerter has served in numerous Church callings, which included full-time missionary in the Canada Vancouver Mission, ward Young Men president, elders quorum president, high councilor, bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, stake president, and Area Seventy.
Elder Bangerter received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Arizona State University in 1989. In 1993 he received a juris doctor degree from the Western State University College of Law. He practiced law with Cooksey, Toolen, Gage, Duffy & Woog from 1993 to 2003. From 2004 to 2018 he served as managing partner for Bangerter Frazier & Graff, PC. His legal career has focused on representing churches and other faith-based organizations.
Elder Bangerter was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 29, 1961. He married Susann Alexis Hughes in 1983, and they are the parents of six children.
Elder Yoon Hwan Choi, Second Counselor
Currently, Elder Choi is serving as the President of the Asia North Area. He was sustained as General Authority Seventy on 4 April 2009. At that time of his call, he was serving as a member of the Eighth Quorum of the Seventy in the Asia North Area. He served as a member of the Asia North Area Presidency from 2009 to 2011. From 2011 to 2013, he served as an Assistant Executive Director in the Temple Department and a member of the Boundary and Leadership Change Committee. From 2013 to 2015, he served as the president of the Washington Seattle Mission.
Elder Choi joined the Church in 1973. Since then, he has served in various Church callings, which included full-time missionary in the Korea Busan and Korea Seoul Missions, counselor in a bishopric, bishop, high councilor, stake mission president, counselor in a mission presidency, counselor in a stake presidency, stake president and Area Seventy.
Elder Choi received a bachelor’s degree in business information management from Brigham Young University–Hawaii in 1988. In 1989, he received a master’s degree in business information systems and education from Utah State University. He was also an instructor at Brigham Young University–Hawaii and Utah State University; manager of sales, administration, marketing, and customer support at Data General Korea; director of CDC and MBS Venture Capital Company; and the regional manager for temporal affairs for the Church in Korea.
Yoon Hwan Choi was born in Seoul, Korea, on 18 May 1957. He married Bon Kyung Koo in September 1982 and are the parents of three children.