Dr. Jeff Lemke

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Jeff Lemke Head ShotDr. Jeff Lemke is looking forward to sharing his expertise with graduate students in MLC’s new course, School Business Administration. This course is an elective for all Master of Science in Education students and a requirement in our new Master of Science in Educational Administration program, a degree designed specifically for WELS principals and early childhood directors—and those willing to prepare themselves for such a role.

Dr. Lemke explains that this course will lead the graduate students through several crucial elements of administering a Lutheran school: financial management, recruitment, marketing, fundraising, and developing entrepreneurial schools.

Some of these topics touch on areas that are sensitive, perhaps even controversial. Lemke wants to discuss them all openly and honestly.

He explains: “It’s commonplace in today’s world that the topics of finances and belief are not to be discussed. I’m continually drawn to both these topics because they’re of critical importance in building schools that can be great tools for ministry. I believe other WELS principals and childhood directors believe the same.”

Lemke comes by his knowledge through both education and experience. His credentials include a BA (psychology) from Wisconsin Lutheran College, and an MA (organizational leadership) and PhD (educational administration) from Bethel University-St. Paul. He feels blessed to have received a broad education across several disciplines: psychology, communications, theology, business leadership, and education.

His experience includes his current ministry at St. Croix Lutheran Grades 6-12, where he serves as director of admissions, marketing, and international programs. He contracts with both international partners and local marketing firms to project St. Croix’s brand, and he regularly shares the blessings of a St. Croix education with families as close as St. Paul, Lake City, and Rochester, Minnesota, and as far away as South America and Asia.

Prior to his St. Croix call, he directed a St. Paul Family Center program that assisted new immigrants with the transition to life in America, a role that included extensive grant writing and community partnership development.

An eclectic early education also adds color to Dr. Lemke’s CV: He started elementary school at a rural school, Grace-Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and finished at an urban school, Atonement-Milwaukee. He continues to support Atonement enthusiastically because of the “incredibly formative experience” he received there. He’s also a proud graduate of St. Croix Lutheran, from which he immediately stepped off to a European backpacking trip with his sister. “Thus began a life-long journey of experiential learning,” he says.

Lemke is looking forward to joining MLC as an adjunct instructor. “Every time you teach,” he says, “you learn so much and see the fruits of it in your ministry. I have learned much already from the instructors who have guided me in developing the course and look forward to the many things I will learn from my students.”

Grad students will enjoy both Dr. Lemke’s knowledge and also his passion for excellence in Lutheran education. “The Lord has blessed each one of us with a passion for excellence in a unique realm of his created world,” he says. “May the Spirit guide us all in fully developing our area of excellence so that he may use us as an instrument of his will.”

 

Meet Dr. Jeff Lemke

Family: I have wonderful women in my life. My wife has her master’s degree in philanthropy and development and works with our local hospital. She’s a tremendous resource regarding fundraising and financial management and is an outstanding mother, especially during my weeks out of the country. My daughters Ava and Lucia revel in their friendships and learning opportunities at Salem Lutheran in Stillwater, Minnesota. Their little sister, Mikaela, is 7 months old and makes sure we are awake and giggling all of the time. We all love dance parties and exploring nature.

I’ve been raised in good company with three older sisters and two sisters-in-law. My mother taught at the grade school level for over 25 years and provided me with a sense of creativity shown via photography endeavors.

My father is a lifelong friend and mentor. We talk daily about financial management and how to build great schools. We continue to utilize God’s gift of football as a tool for ministry with young men and have been fortunate to build two statechampionship teams together.

Church: Salem-Stillwater MN

Professional Organizations:

  • National Association of International Educators—Committee of K-12 International Programs
  • School Board at Salem-Stillwater MN
  • Minnesota Football Coaches Association

Personal interests: dance parties with my girls, international movies, skiing, investing, football

Dr. Carrie Pfeifer

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Dr Carrie PfeiferDr. Carrie Pfeifer DMLC ’81 has a passion for good teaching. She knows good teachers aren’t merely good with math or English, nor are they merely good with kids. Good teachers connect the learner and the subject matter—but there’s more. Good teachers understand that each child learns in a different way, and it is the teacher’s job to figure out each child’s instructional needs and meet those needs.

In many ways, Dr. Pfeifer has made this her life’s work. “Every student is unique,” she says, “and I enjoy finding out what helps each student experience success in school.”

When the school is a Christian school, the importance of solid teaching and learning is even greater—and so is Pfeifer’s passion. “A Christian education is such a special blessing for our children,” she says. “My passion is to be able to offer that blessing to as many children as possible.”

Pfeifer’s passion has been fed by experience. She has taught at almost every grade level, PK to high school, in her ministries at St. Matthew-Niles IL, St. John-Sleepy Eye MN, Minnesota Valley Lutheran HS-New Ulm MN, and St. Croix Lutheran Schools-West St. Paul MN.

At both area Lutheran high schools, she not only taught courses, but she also served as learning resources director, which affirmed to her the importance of differentiating instruction to meet each learner’s needs.

Many WELS teachers are familiar with Pfeifer through the continuing education courses and webinars she has taught through MLC the past several years, including the courses Human Relations and Understanding Autism, and the webinars on brain-based strategies for students who have learning issues and attention issues. Pfeifer created these webinars herself, and they are available this semester. She hopes to create more webinars on autism and literacy disorders. She also offers a one-credit online course in differentiated instruction, which is part of the Teaching that Works series.

Carrie and her husband, Gene, live in Inver Grove Heights MN and attend Good Shepherd-Burnsville MN. They have three adult children, Jesse, Nicole, and Jordan; and one new granddaughter, Makinley Mae, born in June to Jesse and his wife, Naomi.

Nicole and Jordan were adopted from South Korea. On a trip back there last March, Carrie and Gene found the agency where Nicole came from. “It was a pretty special day for us,” she says.

In addition to her work as Learning Resources Director at St. Croix Lutheran, she is also Director of Student Residences and teacher of English 4 and College in the Classroom Advanced Writing (in partnership with Bethany Lutheran College).

Carrie likes snowshoeing, bicycling, and playing with little Makinley. Another “hobby” is teaching speed reading and ACT/SAT/TOEFL test prep classes in her spare time.

As an English teacher, she will stick with the classic To Kill a Mockingbird as her favorite book. And her favorite music is that produced by her daughter, Nicole, who is an indie-rock singer and songwriter with one album made and another in the planning.

MLC continuing ed and graduate students are grateful that Carrie is willing to share her passion for good teaching with them, and Carrie is grateful to be their instructor.

“I think it is vital that teachers continue to learn and grow,” she says. “MLC’s continuing education program and graduate programs offer high-quality courses from a Christian perspective. I feel very blessed to be a part of such an outstanding program. I enjoy working with such a high level of students—our synod is blessed to have such talented teachers in our schools.”