BALTIMORE— Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron has been elected as the new conference secretary for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at conference’s annual General Assembly on Nov. 14 in Baltimore.

Secretary-elect Archbishop Vigneron was elected over Oklahoma City’s Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, 96-88, to succeed the current secretary, New Orleans Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond.

Archbishop Vigneron will serve one year as secretary-elect for the USCCB before beginning a three-year term as secretary at the conclusion of the USCCB’s 2018 Fall General Assembly.

In addition to keeping minutes at the plenary assemblies and Administrative Committee, the role of secretary includes serving as chairman of the Committee on Priorities and Plans.

This election also marks the end of Archbishop Vigneron’s three-year term as chair of the USCCB’ Committee on Doctrine.

Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind. will succeed Archbishop Vigneron as Chairman of the Committee on Doctrine.

Archbishop Vigneron isn’t the only Michigander to win an election at the USCCB conference. Bishop Joseph Cistone of the Diocese of Saginaw has been elected Chairman of the Committee on National Collections, receiving more votes than Archbishop Michael Jackels of Dubuque, Iowa, 124-65.

In other elections, Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Va., was elected chairman of the Committee on Communications; Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan. was elected chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities; former USCCB president Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz was elected chairman of the Committee on Religious Liberty, and Bishop Nelson Perez of Cleveland was elected chairman of the Committee on Cultural Diversity.