Fall 2013
Dear Classmates:
Christmas has arrived on the Luther campus! At chapel today, the CFL was already arranged for the Christmas at Luther concerts that will begin later this week. The dedication and talents of our students continually amaze me as they prepare for this wonderful event. Renee and I always look forward to welcoming guests into our home when they travel to Decorah for a concert!
The fall colors in Decorah were beautiful for homecoming, a perfect backdrop to a great weekend. While I was away from campus for homecoming this year, I can report that the football team had an exciting victory over Loras. Other fall sports have enjoyed some notable successes including a trip to the national tournament for men’s soccer, and trips to the national championship meet for both men’s and women’s cross country. Another highlight of the homecoming weekend was the dedication of the Aquatic Center, and the Miller Natatorium. I had the opportunity to work out in the new pool over the summer, and our boys have enjoyed the facility on several occasions for swim team practices. The new facility is a fantastic asset for the campus and the larger Decorah community.
Dr. David Tiede, the college’s interim president, has proven to be an ideal fit for the role. He kicked off a set of five “whirlwind” discussions on campus this fall involving faculty and staff. The discussions focused on five disrupters influencing higher education. The discussions were thought-provoking and provided an opportunity for us to consider how we might take advantage of the changing environment. The output of the process included presentations to the board of regents at their October meeting. The search for a permanent president has been reconstituted, and we look forward to more detailed news in the spring.
Enrollment remains strong as Luther welcomed 670 new students this fall. The mix is up a bit from Midwestern states, and down a bit from elsewhere in the U.S. Looking at the diversity breakdown for the entire student body, the largest contingent, after international students, is now Hispanic-American. The 41 international students hail from 32 different countries.
Luther’s development staff has been busy evaluating the recently completed Sesquicentennial Fund campaign, using "listening post" sessions in a variety of locations around the country to involve members of the constituency. One of the points highlighted in this evaluation is the need to stop the decline in the percentage of alumni contributing to the Annual Fund. The good news is that the past year has seen a reversal of that trend, with the percentage of alumni giving rising from 24.5 percent to 26.3 percent.
Our class lagged the average slightly last year with 20.2 percent of alumni making a gift to the Annual Fund. If you’ve been contemplating a gift to Luther, now is the perfect time. I hope you might consider a gift to Luther during this holiday season. Best wishes to you and your family for a blessed season!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Craig Rabe
1992 Class Agent
[email protected]
Your gift. Every year. Put to work, right away, where it is needed most.
Each year nearly 10,000 alumni, parents, and friends support the Annual Fund with gifts from $5 to $75,000. Strong support from alumni helps Luther secure additional funds from foundations and corporations, and your gift each year helps us to reach our goal of 27% alumni giving. Here’s how your class is doing so far this year:
CLASS OF 1992 TOTAL GIVING: $17,105.65 FROM 13% OF THE CLASS*
Have you made your 2013 gift to Luther? Only 77 more gifts are needed to reach 27% for your class. Please visit www.givenow.luther.edu to make your gift today. Thank you!
Please note: Your Spring 2014 class agent letter will include a listing of your classmates who gave to Luther during 2013. Be sure to make your gift before December 31 to be included.
*as of October 18, 2013
Class Notes
STEPHANIE AGRESTA is the global director and leader of social media and digital for MSLGROUP Americas in New York.
MATT BEATTY is the president of military and government markets for Carlson Wagonlit Travel in Minnetonka, Minn.
MARK JUHL is the president of Jaytech Inc. in Fridley, Minn. He is also on the board of directors for the International Trade Organization Association of Water Technologies.
BECKY KING-KAPRICH is the senior health informatics and product service coordinator for Telligen Health Information Technology in West Des Moines, Iowa.
CINDY (BROWN) and KLINT KJELDAHL ’91 live in Maple Grove, Minn. Cindy teaches first grade for the Osseo Area Schools.
CHRIS (KULIG) ’93 and JEFF PFUND live in Madison, Wis., where Jeff is the assistant director of financial aid at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
ANDY POTTS is a research coordinator at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.
TODD TRAVAILLE earned a master’s degree in business administration from Bellevue University. He is the operations manager for USA Insulation Omaha (Neb.).
KELLI (DUNNE) WINCHESTER is a business analyst for Aviva USA in Des Moines, Iowa.
ANNE (POTTER) WALTERS is the regional fiduciary manager for Wells Fargo in Minneapolis.
Marriages
DAWN BONDHUS and Quinton Mueller, Sept. 4, 2010.
DAVE SCHNEIDER and Karen Liu, Sept. 2, 2012.
TODD TRAVAILLE and Kelly Wolff, Sept. 10, 2011.
Birth
Karen Liu and DAVE SCHNEIDER welcomed a son, Logan Alan, in October 2013.
