President
The Rev. Dr. Philip Kuehnert
2982 Davis Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709
Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church
Dr. Kuehnert previously pastored Ascension Lutheran Church in Atlanta,
GA during the period when Ascension inaugurated the first Open Arms center,
simultaneously with the planting of a new mission with an Open Arms ministry
at Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. At
Zion in Fairbanks, they completed a large Open Arms center on a second
site in January of 2000, and soon enrolled 200 children. In 2005
the congregation also erected a new sanctuary on the same new site and
relocated the entire ministry at that time.
Secretary
Dr. Arthur Linnemann
1917 NE 156th Ave., Portland, OR 97230
Educational Consultant for LCMS School Ministry
A graduate of Concordia University, River Forest, IL, Dr. Linnemann
served as a teacher and administrator in Lutheran schools in the Midwest
for many years. From 1974-1995, he filled the position of Associate
Director of Parish Services with the Northwest District of the Lutheran
Church – Missouri Synod. Later Dr. Linnemann headed the original
task force called Planting Churches with Child Care, which
led to the formation of the Open Arms Institute in 1999. Since
that time, he has served as the secretary for the Board.
Treasurer
Mr. Gary Kounkel
5141 Clearwater Drive, Loveland, CO 80538
Business Consultant and Owner of Bighorn Resources - Loveland, CO
Mr. Kounkel has a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering from Iowa
State University. He has done graduate work in management, business
and finance, and real estate at UCLA, the University of California at
Riverside, the University of Colorado, and the University of Minnesota. He
has earned a real estate license in Iowa and California, and a broker's
license in Colorado.
Mr. Kounkel has further training in sales supervision, business development,
and time management. His business experience includes twenty five
plus years of corporate management, primarily as president and general
manager of Fortune 500 start-up and growth subsidiaries. This experience
includes business development, real estate development, construction,
electronics and technology, and agriculture. He is familiar with
the areas of accounting and financial planning, business planning, marketing
and sales, acquisitions and mergers, negotiation, and real estate entitlements
and project development. As the owner of Big Horn Resources, Inc.,
he provides consulting services for investment, business and real estate
development, and business management.
Mrs. Lori Aadsen
467 Blue Diamond, Boerne, TX 78006
Mrs. Aadsen earned a Bachelor's degree in Child Development and a
Master of Education degree in Childhood Curriculum and Instruction. Until
recently, she served as an early childhood consultant, deployed staff
of LCMS District and Congregational Services in the Child Ministry
Department. In that position, she was deeply involved in all aspects
of ministry with children, birth through the 5th grade in Lutheran
congregations across the United States. Prior to that, she was instrumental
in the start of a successful childcare ministry at Gloria Dei Lutheran
Church in Houston, Texas.
Mr. Spencer Alexander
5948 NE 30th Ave, Portland, OR 97211
Mr. Alexander has had a stellar career in the field of automobile dealership
management. He has been accepted as an executive manager for
both General Motors and Nissan Motor Corporation. He has experience
and expertise in all phases of dealership startup and operation. Subsequently,
he has resigned his position to prepare for the pastoral ministry in
the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. He is currently
enrolled at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon.
Mrs. Bonnie Elseroad
4655 Webb-Bridge Rd, Alpharetta, GA 30005
Director of the Open Arms Child Care Center in Alpharetta.
With her husband, Rev. Kevin Elseroad, Bonnie has been instrumental
in the successful development of Christ The Shepherd Lutheran Church
and this Open Arms Center. The center is now accredited by the National
Lutheran Schools Accreditation and by the National Association for the
Education of Young Children. Recently it was also recognized as a Center
of Distinction by the state of Georgia. Though not the founding director,
Bonnie came into the position not long after it began, and must be credited
with all the success this center has achieved.
Mr. John Friend
20 Terraza Del Mar, Dana Point, CA 92629
Since 2006, Mr. Friend has served at Concordia University – Irvine,
CA in the School of Business as Executive Vice President and Adjunct Professor
of Business. He also serves as a member of the Finance Committee of the
Center for US Missions at Concordia. Prior to this, Mr. Friend held a
variety of positions in Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs with
the Johnson and Johnson Company and its subsidiaries. He has also served
on the Board of Regents and the Board of Trustees of Concordia University – Irvine,
and currently serves on the LCMS National Advisory Group for Missions.
Mrs. Suzi Herbert
209 Meadow Creek Drive, Hayesville, NC 28904
Formerly a member of the Georgia state legislature, and of the administrative
staff of Griffin/Spalding schools in Griffin, Georgia, Mrs. Herbert
is now serving as an educational consultant in a variety of roles.
She and her husband, Dr. Paul Herbert, participated in the development
of early models of the Open Arms concept in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
Mr. Ralph Klevenow
30071 Benbury, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-8494
Business and Financial consultant to the South Wisconsin and Southeastern
Districts of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
Mr. Klevenow conducted his own business for a number of years, after
which he served as the business manager and LCEF Vice President for the
South Wisconsin District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. He
has been closely involved with Open Arms affiliates in several locations
in Wisconsin and the Southeastern District. He served as the Open Arms
Institute Board treasurer from 1999 until the end of 2007.
Rev. Jeff Miller
1333 S. Kirkwood Rd., St. Louis, MO 63122-7295
Senior Vice President - Ministry Resources of the Lutheran Church Extension
Fund for the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
After serving as a parish pastor in Kansas and southern Minnesota, Rev.
Miller successfully planted a new mission congregation near the Twin
Cities in Minnesota. Subsequently he filled the position of Missions
Executive for the Minnesota South District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri
Synod for a number of years. In his current position, he resources and
supports LCEF District Vice Presidents in the 28 LCEF districts. He also
assists in providing demographic services to the LCMS.
Mr. Paul Reaves
1675 Wynne Road, Cordova, TN 38016
Executive Secretary - Business and Finance for the Mid-South District
of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Mr. Reaves’ early business experience was in the field of banking. In
his current position he serves as the administrator for the Lutheran
Church Extension Fund in the Mid-South District, handling loan applications
and advising congregations on site location, construction, financing,
and the like. Mr. Reaves was instrumental in the start of a new mission
congregation with childcare ministry in Cordova, Tennessee.
Mr. Richard Weniger
1700 NE Knott St., Portland, OR 97212
Director of Education Services for the Northwest District of the Lutheran
Church – Missouri Synod
Mr. Weniger is a graduate of Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska,
with a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from there as well.
He was a teacher and administrator of Lutheran schools in Missouri, Utah,
and Oregon. He also served as Director of Operations for Concordia University
Foundation, Portland, OR; Executive Director of Urban Education Ministry,
Bronxville, NY, and Executive Director of Portland Lutheran School. In
his current position, Mr. Weniger consults and coaches ministry leaders
of the congregations of the Northwest District - LCMS in Washington,
Oregon, Idaho and Alaska.
Mr. Martin Barlau
2229 Scotch Pine Ct., Loveland, CO 80538
Executive Director of the Open Arms Institute
Mr. Barlau is a graduate of Concordia University – Seward, Nebraska,
with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Curriculum from Wayne State College
in Wayne, Nebraska. He was a teacher and administrator in Lutheran
elementary schools in Nebraska and Colorado for 30 years. From 1987 to
2000 he served as the Missions Executive for the Rocky Mountain District
of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. During that time he was privileged
to participate in the start of 21 new ministries in Colorado, Utah, New
Mexico, and El Paso, Texas. He was responsible there also for the areas
of Stewardship, Human Care Ministry, and Campus Ministry.
As the first
Executive Director of the Open Arms Institute, he has been involved in
the development of services, planning and conducting conferences, and
ongoing consultations with clients and prospects. The Institute saw the
startup of five new Open Arms centers in 2007. Two of these were in connection
with new mission congregations, and three were with established congregations. |
