The Rev. Dr. Stephen Paul Bouman was called to the position of Executive Director for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission unit in November 2007 and officially assumed office in February, 2008. He previously served as bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod from 1996 to 2008. Pastor Bouman graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary/Seminex in 1973. He received his Master of Sacred Theology from New York Theological Seminary in 1978 and his Doctor of Ministry degree in 1980, an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in 2001, and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Wagner College in 2008. He has pastored parishes in New York and New Jersey and is founder of the Diakonia ministry education program, which trains lay people for ministry in local congregations. He currently serves on the board of Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries in Chicago, Illinois. Pastor Bouman is author of a number of scholarly articles, books, curricula and devotionals. Two recent books are They Are Us: Lutherans and Immigration, coauthored with Ralston Deffenbaugh, published in 2009 and Grace All Around Us (an account of ministry in the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks) published in 2007.
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Larry Bradshaw joined National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS) in October 2009 as President & CEO. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the not-for-profit senior living industry. From 1987–2006, he was Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President for Strategic Growth with Asbury Communities, a not-for-profit, multi-site, senior living organization. In 2006, Larry took on the role of President for Asbury’s for-profit company, The Asbury Group, offering consulting services to other Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). Larry was also the principal of Bradshaw Insights Group, providing consulting services to CCRCs in everything from strategic planning and board development to financial analysis and capital structure development.
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Ken Daly is the Senior Advisor to the CEO and President of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), where he was previously the CEO. As advisor to head of the nation's largest member-based organization for board directors, Daly is a recognized expert on corporate governance and board transformation. Under his leadership, NACD has grown in size and in scope, more than doubling its revenue and increasing membership by nearly 100 percent. Prior to joining the organization, Daly was an audit partner at KPMG, where he also served as the partner-in-charge of the national risk management practice. Retiring in 2005 from the firm, he assumed the role of executive director of KPMG's Audit Committee Institute. Daly has served on and chaired audit committees. He has extensive audit partner experience and routinely lends his regulatory expertise to counsel audit committees in critical areas, such as risk oversight. He has extensive experience as an auditor and consulting with companies in the banking and insurance industries. He is especially knowledgeable about the financial services industry. Daly is a frequent speaker and writer on many timely issues confronting today's corporate board, including executive compensation. He regularly appears in media and has recently been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Reuters, AP Radio and Fox News Radio, among others. Daly received his bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Delaware and has attended KPMG's International Partner Program in Birkenstock, Switzerland, as well as the partner development program at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. He is a certified public accountant (inactive status) in Pennsylvania.
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Jodi Harpstead was named President and CEO of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota in September 2011. Previously she was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS), where she led efforts in Services, Human Resources, Information Technology and Finance. Prior to joining LSS, Jodi spent 23 years with Medtronic, Inc. where held several key positions, including president of Global Marketing and U.S. Sales in the Cardiac Rhythm Management Division. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Regents of Augsburg College in Minneapolis.
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Junia John-Straker has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Lutheran Social Services of the Virgin Islands, Inc., the largest non-profit in the Virgin Islands, since February, 2007. Before her appointment to CEO, She served the organization for 16 years as Chief fiscal Officer. She oversees a number of residential and non-residential programs that serve the needs of children, low-income adults and seniors, and the disabled of all ages. Ms. Straker has over 33 years of financial and management experience and holds a bachelor's degree in accounting. Her experience also includes nine years with Certified Public Accounting firm. Junia has served and currently serves on several non-profits and governmental boards. She is committed to honor the command of Galatians 5:13 of “By Love serve one another”.
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Ms. Jane Isaacs Lowe Foundation Program Director (ret.)
Jane Isaacs Lowe has an extensive career in philanthropy, academics, and social work. With an 18-year tenure at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, she most recently served as their Senior Adviser for Program Development, and Director of the Vulnerable Populations Portfolio. Prior to that she was a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Work teaching and publishing in the areas of community health practice, administration, and planning. She began her career as a social worker and administrator at Mt. Sinai Medical Center (New York City) where she also was a faculty member in the medical school's Department of Community Medicine. She serves on the Board of Trustees of Playworks, and is a fellow at the New York Academy of Medicine. Lowe earned a doctorate in social welfare policy and planning from Rutgers University, a master’s in social work from Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Cedar Crest College, where she was a member of the board of trustees from 2008-2017.
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Rev. Kevin D. Robson was called to serve as the Chief Mission Officer for The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in May of 2015. He had previously served God’s faithful as the pastor of Prince of Peace Ev. Lutheran Church in Baxter, MN since 2006. He also served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran, Elgin, MN and as vacancy pastor of Immanuel Lutheran, Red Wing, MN and Trinity Lutheran, Long Prairie, MN. Prior to earning his MDiv at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne in 2001, Pastor Robson enjoyed a broad career in R&D, product management, business development and sales, and consulting with Union Carbide Corporation (Chicago, IL) and Air Products and Chemicals (Allentown, PA). He is a graduate of The University of Chicago School of Business (MBA Finance and Marketing, 1988) and The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (BS Chemistry, BSE Chemical Engineering 1982). He is currently in process of completing his DMin degree (Pastoral Care and Leadership) at CTS Fort Wayne. He has been married to Peg for 30 years; the couple has one son, Karl, 25.
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Julie E. Swanson President and CEO (ret.)
Julie E. Swanson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Lutheran Family Services of Virginia. Swanson joined LFSVA in July 2005. As President and CEO, Swanson manages 400 employees in 15 locations across the state with a total annual budget of $29 million. Swanson has worked with Lutheran agencies in the Virgin Islands, Florida and Colorado and has a background in both management and fund development. Throughout her career Swanson has been involved with programs serving children, families, refugees and the elderly. She served as a national Lutheran Disaster Response consultant after experiencing and then coordinating the response and rebuilding efforts for Hurricane Hugo and Hurricane Marilyn in the US Virgin Islands. Under Swanson’s leadership LFSVA acquired a company thus allowing it to expand its’ mission to serve adults with disabilities. In nine years the organization has tripled in size. LFSVA’s vision is to be a leading provider of services by helping children in foster care find permanent homes, strengthening families through therapeutic services, educating children with complex needs, and helping older adults and adults with disabilities live the most abundant lives possible. Swanson currently serves as the Chair for LSA Disabilities Network and is a member of the LSA Public Policy Advisory Council. She is a board member for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy and has been involved in organizing Virginia nonprofits as a coalition.
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The Reverend Doctor R. Reed Lessing is the Senior Pastor of St. Michael Lutheran Church in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Prior to that he served for fourteen years on the faculty of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, earning the rank of full professor. Earlier Reed served for thirteen years as a parish pastor in Louisiana and Oklahoma. He has published sermon studies and book reviews and has written six books—all related to the Old Testament. Reed is currently writing a commentary on the book of Zechariah. His academic degrees include a B.A., M.Div., S.T.M. and Ph.D. Reed is married to Lisa (nee) Radke and their marriage has been blessed with three children: Abi, Jonathan and Lori. |