Our Leadership

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I joined the church council in the fall of 2022 as interim treasurer. I had served on the council and as president and treasurer in prior years and went on to work as the Finance Director before my retirement. I was quickly reminded how much I enjoy serving on the council, so I ran for a 3 year term. I really love being a member of GA. I love that we are always exploring new ways to connect with folks and that we are not afraid to try something new. I’m excited about the future and happy to be a part of it all.

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I have been a member of GA since 2010 and am in my 5th year on the Church Council.  I am the Council Secretary, and serve on the Adult Education, Finance and East Side Collaborative Committees.  I am a member of GA and on the Council because I want to be part of a welcoming congregation that is working to be  in community with our neighbors.  Open Table is one example.  Through the East Side Collaborative we can join with our neighboring ELCA congregations to offer more opportunities for members of all the churches.

Brett (he/him) is a life-long Lutheran. Originally from Indiana, and moved to Saint Paul in 2006 to take a full-time job working for ReconcilingWorks.
Brett sang in his church’s youth choir and served as treasurer of the youth group. In Indianapolis after college, he sang in church choirs and served congregations in various roles including: council member, president, and treasurer.
Brett has significant non-profit finance and operations and GA has benefited in his role as treasurer and as interim finance manager for the congregation on multiple occasions. 

This is my second year serving on the GA church council. I grew up on the East Side as a member of GA, and now my husband Fran and I live in Roseville with our goofy pup, Isla. We love to spend our time working in our gardens, traveling, and enjoying good food together. We also are passionate about serving our community and working to make positive changes in the world, and this is why I feel called to be a council member. Our congregation has big hopes and dreams, and I love being able to support that.  

I’m proud to have been a member of GA for 17 years. One of the brightest spots I see in our future is the incredible community that we create for our children, youth & families. We have built a place where our children & youth feel at home. There is space and grace at GA for them to ask questions, build friendships and faith, and have a whole lot of fun at the same time.

I am grateful to serve on Council because I’ve seen the impact that the work we do has had on my own family and I’m excited to help bring that impact to others.

My wife Sally and I moved to Oakdale last year to be closer to family and church. We raised our four boys in Forest Lake and have five grandchildren,. The youngest was just
recently baptized at GA.
I served on the church council at Hope and was the council President there from 2015 until 2022. Through my experiences at Hope,  I sincerely want GA to grow and prosper and feel that I can contribute towards
that goal by serving on the church council.

My husband, Rich, and I have been members of Gustavus Adolphus for a little over 20 years, along with our two teenaged sons. This is my second year of being on council and I have been learning a lot about how council and church operates...I appreciate the learning opportunity. Away from church, I am a School Counselor and am working to obtain licensure for Licensed Professional Counselor. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, movies and plays, inspirational podcasts,  reading, and our dog Mara. 

Hi, my name is Rick Howard. my wife Lori and I have been members here at GA since about 1992. We have two grown boys, Joe and Noah, and a grandbaby on the way!  I have been on the church council as a member and a past president, have been part of the Personnel committee, helped on a few Habitat for Humanity builds over the years and am currently chairing our property committee. The people at GA have been very welcoming and is a major reason I choose to support GA and the missions we represent.