2008-09 Shepherd of the Valley Church Council

My husband David and I fled Illinois in 2001 and are blessed with sons Ben (11), Jonathan (9), and Daniel (6).  I brought with me a Bachelor's degree from Northwestern University, and work experience in corporate strategic planning, human resource management, and graduate school marketing and admissions. 

Beyond SOTV, I am active in my sons' schools and scouting programs, while coaching youth volleyball and teaching classes at Dodge Nature Center.  I enjoy spending time with my family, especially outdoors when hiking and camping, and other core interests like friends, Bible studies, volleyball, and reading.  Our home is a haven for sports (especially Packer) fans, good conversations, and memories in the making as we learn and grow together.

I’ve been a member of SOTV since 1999 when my wife and family moved to Eagan. During this time I have served as a confirmation teacher, mentor, finance committee member, small group coordinator and council member. Our family sincerely enjoys Shepherd of the Valley as it has made a significant difference in our family’s faith journey.

My wife, Barb, enjoys raising our kids from home. In her spare time, she owns and operates “My Moments and Memories”, a video scrapbooking business catering to weddings, graduations, anniversaries and other significant events. We have four children: Christopher 21, Micayla 19, Eric 15 and Maggie 11.

I serve as the President and CEO of Thrivent Financial Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Our goal is to deliver an uplifting, confident and trusted banking experience. In today’s banking world, this is unique.

Clarence E.
(Bud) Holtze
Treasurer

I attended elementary and high school in Tomah, WI and the University of Wisconsin-Madison receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 1955. I practiced as a CPA for 35 years with Deloitte & Touche and it predecessor firms in Milwaukee and Minneapolis and retired in 1990 after being Managing Partner of the firm’s Milwaukee office for over 12 years.  

I have been active in numerous civic, professional, business and church organizations:

• a past president of the Wisconsin Institute of CPAs

• a council member of the American Institute of CPAs

• a past chairman of the Wisconsin Division of the American Cancer Society and a member of its National Board of Directors

• a past chairman of the Board of United Lutheran Program for the Aging (Luther Manor)

• a past president of the council of Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa, WI  and Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fridley, MN

• a member of the council, finance committee and treasurer of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, MN

• a board member and treasurer of the Crosscroft Homeowners Association in Rosemount, MN

• a past board member of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce

• a past member of the Greater Milwaukee Committee

• Emeritus member of the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Business School UW-Madison

• a past member of Milwaukee Downtown Rotary Club

My wife Evelyn and I live in Rosemount and have three children and nine grandchildren.

Arlen Wilson
Secretary

I have been the Secretary of the Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church Council since 2001.  It is a non-voting position appointed by the council.  Serving as the secretary not only gives me an opportunity to know the breadth and complexity of the programs and services of the church, but it also gives me the satisfaction of contributing, in a small way, to the oversight of that work.

In 2005, I retired from a twenty-four year career as a trainer and agent in insurance and financial services.  Previously, I was a teacher and speech therapist in the public schools for twenty-three years. 

My wife, Jan, and I have been members of this church since 1991.  We were drawn to this ministry by the welcoming people and the multitude of opportunities that it provides for meaningful worship, fellowship, and spiritual growth.  In 2007, we celebrated our 50^th wedding anniversary.  We have four children and nine grandchildren, all of whom live within twenty miles of our Apple Valley home.  Two of our children and five of our grandchildren also attend Shepherd of the Valley.  My hobbies have included woodworking and cooking, but my current passion is writing a story based on family history.

I have treasured all of the experiences my church membership has provided over the past fifty years, here at Shepherd of the Valley and at Salem Lutheran Church in West St. Paul.  The fellowship, teaching, committee work, and many council responsibilities have enriched our lives and provided many life long friends for both Jan and me.

Council-at-Large

Dana McKenzie
dmckenzie@wolfrohr.com

I have been attending worship here at Shepherd of the Valley since moving to Apple Valley in 1999. Prior to that time, I was a member of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Maplewood.  SOTV quickly became a very comfortable and happy place for my family and me.  I had never been confirmed as a teenager and chose to be confirmed at SOTV two years ago as an adult. I have taught God Zone and have served as a confirmation guide. My daughter, Erica Counters, attended God Zone and confirmation classes, and was confirmed last fall.

I am a shareholder of the St. Paul law firm of Wolf, Rohr & McKenzie, P.A. where I practice exclusively in the area of family law.  In addition to traditional litigation matters, I handle many cases as a collaborative lawyer and as a mediator, assisting parents in crafting good arrangements for their children.  I also assist with the Divorce Care classes at SOTV by helping the participants better understand the legal system. 

My hobbies include reading, writing humor essays, attending St. Paul Saints baseball games and skiing. Our family consists of my spouse, Todd Counters, who is an attorney in Eagan, our daughter Erica, dogs Sam and Buddy, and cats Gizmo and J.D.  

Lynne Nelson
lynnemnelson@yahoo.com

I joined Shepherd of the Valley in 1994. After teaching Sunday School for 3 years, I hung up my teaching hat and joined the Senior choir. I sing in the Women’s ensemble, and do the occasional duet with my husband.  I have a math degree from St. Olaf College, and an MBA from the University of Minnesota. This fall I started the Crossways Bible Study program at SOTV (need to keep learning!). I’ve spent most of my career (20+ years!) working for Cray Research and Silicon Graphics. I am currently a Systems Engineer at Silicon Graphics. I work in the higher education market covering a 14-state Midwest territory.

I love to spend time outside running, biking, hiking, golfing and doing the occasional triathlon (I like to challenge myself physically). I also enjoy needlework of most kinds, and have been knitting my husband a Norwegian sweater every year for the past 3 years. Reading and cooking are other favorites of mine. My husband Chris and I have four girls – Kiersten, Karin, Gwen and Kylie - it is a joy to watch them all grow.

 

Paul Leeder 

My family and I joined Shepherd of the Valley church eight years ago because it offered so many opportunities and so many different ways to worship God. We also wanted a church close to home and which was involved in the community. We really found that and so much more at Shepherd of the Valley church. Some of my favorite SOTV activities are Mens’ Breakfasts, winter retreats and Bible studies.

I was born and raised in southern Wisconsin and I earned a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I also have a MBA from the University of St. Thomas. I’ve worked in the information technology field for 20+ years and the last eight years in information security for Medtronic.

I’ve been married to my wife, DeAnne, for 13 years. She’s a Minnesota native who graduated from the University of Minnesota – so we have “mixed” marriage when football season comes around. We do agree on the fact that we have been extremely blessed with three children Andrew (11), Elise, (9) and Natalie (7).

In my free time my interests include skiing, fishing, boating, reading and lately geocaching.

I believe it’s important to volunteer and contribute to the community. I’ve been a coach of a variety of sports, a scout leader, a tutor and a planning advisory commissioner for the City of Eagan. I look forward to serving and growing as a new council member with God’s help. 

Ron Holt  

I am currently employed by Food Systems Design Inc., a small engineering consulting firm in Bloomington, where I work as a project manager/food process engineer. We provide management and design services for the food and beverage industry. We design food process lines and packaging systems for a variety of food products.

My family includes my wife Linda, and daughters Meghan (age 24) and Julie (age 21). We have been members of Shepherd of the Valley for 14 years. We have been a part of many of the programs and bible studies here at Shepherd of the Valley. We are truly blessed for the experiences that we have had and the many wonderful friendships that we have made in this giving and caring church community.

In my leisure time I like to read, fish, play golf and tennis and canoe in the boundary waters. Linda and I love to travel, hike any trail that needs exploring and spend time with our family and friends. One of our favorite things to do is spend time on the north shore of lake Superior.

Jim Odland

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