CONCORDIA COLLEGE RETIREE APPRECIATION 2024
Nineteen members of the faculty and staff retired during the 2023-24 academic year or will be retiring this summer. They have a combined total of 503 years of service to the college and their contributions are appreciated! Honored retirees include:
Ellen Aho, Biology, 34 years
Rebecca Anderson, Bookstore, 20 years
Linda Brown, Finance, 39 years
George Connell, Philosophy, 38 years
Susan Ellingson, Education, 36 years
Carol Hedberg, Offutt School of Business, 11 years
Kimberly Kappes, Communications & Marketing, 22 years
Cindy Larson-Casselton, Communication Studies & Theatre Art, 36 years
Matthew Lindholm, Sociology, 23 years
Duane Melquist, Dining Services, 33 years
Pamela Miller, Admission, 20 years
Kevin Morehead, Administration, 35 years
John Phelps, Print Shop, 20 years
Laura Probst, Library, 11 years
Corrine Rude, Concordia Language Villages & Finance, 11 years
Christine Schulze, Concordia Language Villages, 41 years
Warren Schulze, Concordia Language Villages, 19 years
Scott Swedberg, Administration, 28 years
Heather Vick, Concordia Language Villages, 26 years
Congratulations to all the retirees!
Ellen Aho
Ellen Aho worked in the Biology department at Concordia for 33 years.
Ellen is very grateful for a career in which she could learn new things and interact with engaged and interesting people each day. Her teaching and research have both been deeply rewarding to her, and she is very thankful for the students, colleagues, and international collaborators who have shared this journey with her.
Once she has completed her employment, she will miss the people she interacts with each day and the sense of a home-away-from-home that she feels in the Integrated Science Center and throughout campus. Going forward, she welcomes an increased sense of freedom and looks forward to having time to embrace any and all new adventures that come her way.
“Dear Ellen — I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your long and distinguished service at the college. Your unwavering commitment to teaching and scholarship has met a standard of excellence that continues to inspire your colleagues and your students. I have always admired you as a voice of reason and thoughtfulness, and we will work hard to preserve your legacy as a leader on campus. Wishing you a future filled with joy and new adventures, as rewarding as the journey you have led at Concordia.”
— Sonja Wentling, professor of history and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Rebecca “Becki” Anderson
Rebecca Anderson worked in the Cobber Bookstore for 20 years.
Becki wasn’t familiar with Concordia when she first started working here. Her first impression of the campus was how lovely it was, and she is still delighted to drive around, even after all these years. She has enjoyed getting to know members of the faculty as they have worked together and has had the rare pleasure in enjoying the company of her coworkers in the bookstore. She considers herself very lucky to be part of such a dedicated team of professionals. Becki says that what she has found most rewarding about her time at the college is knowing that she worked to provide the tools used by more than one generation of Cobbers in their pursuit of a higher education.
After her retirement, Becki says she will miss the ease of getting to know college-age people. She says it’s been fascinating watching them come in as a group at the beginning of the year and seeing how different each group is from the one preceding it — and how much and how fast the individual students she gets to know change during the time they are here. She says this is especially true for her when it comes to international students — and that she has the highest respect for those who come to another country, with a climate even natives find challenging during the winter, to study at a college with Concordia’s high standards, and possibly not even using their first known language! It’s a challenge she can barely get her head around. Finally, she shares that she will also miss feeding the campus squirrels and laughing at the wild turkeys.
Her only set plan for after retirement is to sleep in and not get up as early in the morning as she used to. She says that she’s never really understood why, but she’s noticed in more than one bookstore that most bookstore people are not really morning people. Owls, not larks!
“During Becki’s time at Concordia, she has successfully adjusted to the ever-changing textbook industry! When Becki started her position, it was pretty ‘old school’ as she had spent many hours faxing and phoning in faculty textbook orders. It is staggering to think of the tens of thousands of books Becki has packed and unpacked during her career. Becki has always been interested in keeping up and moving forward with the next big thing in textbooks. In part, Becki did this because she is a curious life-long learner but also because she always wanted to make certain she could assist Concordia’s faculty with their course material requests. Becki’s positive attitude and can-do approach to textbooks has created many friendships with faculty over the years. The way in which Becki connects with students is amazing. Alumni often stop by the bookstore long after they have graduated to say hello to her. It is not uncommon for Alumni to see Becki out in the Fargo-Moorhead area and recognize her as the book lady! We are sure the campus will miss Becki’s friendly face and her can-do attitude. The bookstore team will miss our daily interactions with Becki as they were always caring and thoughtful. Becki is a treasured friend to the entire bookstore team. Although we will miss Becki greatly, we wish her well and know that she will have more time in her retirement to spend time with her cats, family, and many hobbies. Yes, one of her hobbies includes the pleasure of reading a good book — why of course it does! After all, she is the book lady!”
— PJ Hines and The Cobber Bookstore Team
Linda Brown
Linda Brown has worked in the Finance department at Concordia for 39 years.
First and foremost, Linda says one of the most enjoyable things about her time at Concordia has been the people — staff and faculty, students, alumni, donors, and friends of the college. She has had opportunities to meet and work with people who care deeply about the mission of Concordia and its students — past, present, and future — and have financially supported this place. Linda has also enjoyed the variety in her work, serving the college in different roles with many varied responsibilities.
A rewarding aspect of her time at Concordia has included leadership for fundraising, relationship building, and overall management of the college’s finances and assets.
One of the projects she remembers fondly is the Campaign for Concordia, the first comprehensive campaign to raise more than $100 million for the college. The addition to the Knutson Campus Center (including Anderson Commons, the Parke Leadership Center and the Morrie Johns Conference Center) was part of this campaign, and the project was completed in 2008.
It was followed by the renovation of the Grand Center to be home for the Offutt School of Business, the renovation of the science buildings that is now the Integrated Science Center, and the construction of the Heimarck Center as home for the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions. The growth of the college’s endowment during her time here was from about $10 million in 1985 to $180 million today. This growth is the result of generous donors as well as investment strategy.
Once retired, Linda will miss the people the most.
“As was shared when her retirement was announced earlier this academic year, and as everyone at the college knows well, Linda Brown has generously given 38 years of extraordinary service to Concordia, serving in several senior-level roles and, while doing so, doing any and all work that needed to be done with grace, care, and excellence. To begin to appreciate her impact, one only needs to spend a few minutes with former leaders, alumni, and local supporters of Concordia- all of whom will go out of their way when you mention her name to sing her praises and to offer unsolicited examples of her brilliance, kindness, and her tenacity and dedication. Linda Brown’s is a legacy that is as large as Jake Christiansen Stadium, as resounding and reassuring as the bells of the Dovre Campanile, and as inspiring and steady as our matchless mission statement. We are all better off because she has given her life and love to this place, and we will miss her as much as we honor her well-earned retirement.”
— President Colin Irvine
George Connell worked in the Philosophy department at Concordia for 38 years.
George says that because most students haven’t taken a philosophy course before college, they are experiencing a wholly new field of study and distinct way of posing and answering questions when they take their first class. Introducing his students to the study of philosophy over the years has been immensely enjoyable for him.
During his time at Concordia, George was asked to serve as dean of the School of Arts and Sciences mid-2020, during the time that the college and country were struggling to cope with a once-in-a-generation pandemic. His two years as dean were some of his most challenging of his 38-year long career here at Concordia, but they also were very rewarding. He learned so much about what it takes to keep a college operating and found the chance to see the college from the administration perspective especially rewarding.
George will deeply miss the daily contact with his students and his colleagues when he retires. He is looking forward to spending some quality time with his two grandsons, as well as traveling, reading, cooking, biking, and volunteering post-retirement.
“Dear George — I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your long and distinguished service at the college, as faculty, humanities chair, and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. I am deeply appreciative of your work and leadership in shaping the School of Arts and Sciences, your mentorship, your honesty, and compassion in helping me understand the role of a servant-leader. You have exemplified — throughout your career — the values and ideals of a life-long learner, an active scholar, a compassionate and supportive colleague, and an honest, transparent, and fair administrator. Thank you for preparing the way for me and thank you for our counsel and support. We wish you an exciting and fulfilling next chapter in your life. I look forward to staying connected with you and being able to benefit from your continued engagement with the college community.”
— Sonja Wentling, professor of history and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Susan Ellingson worked at Concordia in the Education department for 36 years.
During her tenure at Concordia, Susan has very much enjoyed the presence and connections with her students and colleagues. Some of her other enjoyments while working here have been Campus Ministry events, such as chapel, campus worship for homecoming, and graduation — as well as intellectual and cultural events such as symposia, art exhibits, concerts, theatre productions, and speakers, use of the athletic facilities, and the professional development opportunities such as travel seminars, conventions, and summer workshops.
In one of her shared photos, you can see Susan teaching a computer skills class in the library (prior to the development of the computer lab). She was asked to teach this class as she was the youngest department faculty member at that time. Ironically, she says that she is the least tech-savvy person in their department today and she is indebted to their instructional designer, Joe Kennedy.
Susan has had many amazing experiences during her employment, but her most rewarding came from working with two student co-inquirers on a Centennial Scholar research project about children’s drawings gathered from her Fulbright Scholars experience in Namibia — “1999 Centennial Scholars Program Lecture: ‘What Can Be Learned from Children’s Drawings in Namibia?’ with Marisa Asmus ’99 and Anna Pletscher ’00.”
After her retirement, Susan says she will miss her interactions with students and colleagues, as well as chapel worship. She plans to volunteer to teach English to new adult immigrants, create artwork, garden in her own yard, travel, read for pleasure, and continue exercising at the swimming pool and Olson Forum. She says she will continue to volunteer in the Growing Together community gardens as well.
“Dear Sue — We are so grateful for your long and distinguished service to the college. You have left a long-lasting legacy for your department, your students, and the entire campus community. Your hard work and dedication are an inspiration to all of us and we will miss your positive energy. Wishing you joy, good health, and lots of adventures for your next chapter of life.”
— Sonja Wentling, professor of history and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Carol Hedberg
Carol Hedberg has worked at Concordia College in the Offutt School of Business department for 11 years and 9 months.
During her time working at Concordia, Carol says that her greatest enjoyment came from the students, staff, and faculty. The Offutt School of Business is a close-knit department, and she will miss their company.
Carol has had many rewarding years at the college and recollects how proud she is of the many changes that have happened during her employment at Concordia. She says that the Offutt School has changed rapidly over the past 10 years, and she was glad to be a part of it.
Once retired, Carol will deeply miss the people — from students to colleagues alike. After she is retired, Carol plans to spend some more quality time with her grandchildren and their parents, as well as continuing to travel.
“Carol has been the heart and soul of the Offutt School of Business since it began 11 years ago. She is always the first one to lend a hand, meet people, and build a relationship across campus and the community. She of course completed all the requirements of the job; however, she also built relationships with everyone, a consistent proponent of gathering everyone together and spending time together. She lives with intention and does not look at people as a means to an end. She leaves her mark on the school, college, and community.”
— Chris Mason, associate professor of finance and dean of the Offutt School of Business
Kimberly “Kim” Kappes
Kimberly “Kim” Kappes has worked in the Communications and Marketing department at Concordia College for nearly 23 years.
While at Concordia, Kim says that her favorite thing about her position was the variety of job duties she had, many of which were unrelated to one another. She liked being able to completely switch gears mid-task and do something fresh.
The most rewarding aspect of her job was writing stories. She loved taking the answers to her questions and weaving them together to create a story. Writing is what she misses the most. She says that she may just have to start her own novel!
She also wants to add how grateful she is that both her son, Zach, and daughter, Courtney, went to and graduated from Concordia.
Kim shares that she and her husband actually both retired on the same day towards the end of October last year — and jokes that although he is 2 years older, she made him wait for her. Kim says she hasn’t made any big postretirement plans just yet, as they are still taking their time getting used to the new normal.
Every morning, Kim and her husband take a walk — and she exclaims that the best part of that is not having to set an alarm. She is very happy that our weather has been so cooperative this winter as it makes for great outside strolls — but when it has been too cold or icy, they opted for our very own Olson Forum. They always have a puzzle going, and she is reading even more than she used to (which was already a lot). She looks forward to spending more quality time with her kids’ families, including her five grandchildren, Ellie, Owen, Wyatt, Berkeley, and Riggs.
“Kim, thank you for your years of dedication to the College and to the Communications and Marketing team. From operations management to media relations to proofing (and all other things you were asked to do along the way), your commitment to excellence and the support of the team will be missed greatly. Enjoy your retirement, you’ve earned it!”
— Josh Lysne, vice president for Communications and Marketing
Cindy Larson-Casselton has worked in the Communication Studies and Theatre Art departments for 36 years.
First and foremost, Cindy is grateful for and has deeply enjoyed the opportunity to engage each and every day with her students. She says that they have brought her immense joy, laughter, challenges, and adventures. She has also enjoyed the opportunity to engage and collaborate with her wonderful colleagues in the department and across the campus.
Cindy shares that during her time at Concordia, the most rewarding aspects of her job have been coaching and traveling with the speech team, leading several life-changing travel seminars, advising students, and serving on teaching evaluation teams, as well as learning from her colleagues.
Once she is retired, Cindy says that she will miss the same things above that she has enjoyed so much during her time here — the camaraderie among her colleagues and the numerous opportunities to engage with students and witness their journey of growth and learning.
Post-retirement, she is looking forward to spending time with her close friends and family. She jokes that in some ways, she feels as if she is just getting going. She plans to use her extra time to travel, get and care for a dog, and make headway on some projects that she previously had put on hold.
“Dear Cindy — I deeply appreciate your long and transformational work and leadership at the college. You have been an inspiration to me and to many other women faculty on campus — your kindness, grace, mentorship, and wisdom have made Concordia altogether a better place. I still cherish our experience together as participants of Narrative4, where you shared your humanity and resilience. My very best wishes for your next chapter in life.”
— Sonja Wentling, professor of history and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Matthew Lindholm
Matthew Lindholm worked in the Sociology department at Concordia for 23 years.
Matthew has enjoyed coming to work every day because of the collegiality on the third floor of Old Main, fostered by his closest colleagues in Sociology and Social Work — especially his chair and colleague for all his years at Concordia, Nick Ellig, and Kristi Loberg, director of the Social Work Program. He also recognizes Heather Boecker, “the hub of the floor,” who kept them organized and in good humor. Matthew has enjoyed his colleagues in political science, history, and interdisciplinary programs, with whom he traveled, planned, argued, shared small everyday kindnesses, joked, teased, and laughed.
Matthew has had many interesting, curious, and fun students in his classes— those from down the street and those from the other side of the globe. The urban communities class was especially memorable, as he got to explore Fargo-Moorhead with his students. Dan Mahli, then senior planner for Fargo, now city manager for Moorhead, helped them meet many shapers of these two cities and taught them how the metro area works, changes, and with what consequences. Multiple students from that class went on in related policy and administrative professions — urban planning, transportation planning, city administration, criminal justice policy, labor relations, housing policy, and urban nature education.
His travel experiences with students and colleagues were always a wonderful opportunity to learn new things. He especially enjoyed co-teaching “London: The Global City” with his then-colleague Andrew Lindner in 2011 and 2013. He still keeps in touch with Andrew and his students from that seminar.
He also recalls a wonderful travel experience on a grant written by Linda Johnson and Ken Foster that brought him to China with colleagues from communications, biology, business, political science, music, and language departments. They all learned from the different perspectives they brought, in addition to discussions with Chinese residents and professionals.
Matthew will miss his students, colleagues, and Heather Boecker when he retires. He also will deeply miss the conditions and structure of the work week, which encouraged him to read, learn new things and think about how to engage young adults.
Once retired, Matthew plans to spend his time at home with his partner and two still-at-home children. Matthew jokes that his partner is still working, so he has taken up the house-husband role.
He is interested in possibly going back to work or even school and furthering his education. He wants to volunteer more, hike, bike, travel, and expand his social circle. He is greatly looking forward to this time to care for his family and future adventures that may come his way.
“Dear Matthew — I wanted to thank you for your long and distinguished service at the college, as colleague and chair of the sociology department. I have always valued your thoughtful contributions to advancing discourse across campus. You were instrumental in helping us rethink and redesign the core curriculum. Your wit and wisdom, your sense of humor and compassion always made it a joy to come to work in Old Main. You have left a deep and lasting impact on your colleagues and especially your students. Wishing you an exciting and fulfilling next chapter.”
— Sonja Wentling, professor of history and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Duane Melquist
Duane Melquist worked in the Dining Services department at Concordia for 34 years.
“Duane — Concordia College Dining Services is very grateful for more than 30 years of service from you. You held several positions over the years, including concessions supervisor, vending supervisor, and custodial supervisor, along with many other varied duties. You made extensive contributions to DS’s system improvements, inventory processes, custodial practices, and planning for Anderson Commons. We wish you many years of healthy, happy retirement life. Thank you, Duane!”
— Janet Despard, director of Dining Services
Pamela Miller
During her time at Concordia, she enjoyed getting to know her coworkers and happily working together. Since she started 20 years ago, she has had to learn six different systems: Unisys, Recruitment Plus, Banner, Enrollment RX, Salesforce, and Slate. Even though she always dreaded hearing the words “we are getting a new system” because it meant giving up the familiar and starting over, each new system stretched her beyond her comfort level and kept her constantly growing. Each new system was a group learning effort — spotting troubles, working out the kinks and figuring out workarounds when the system fell short in what they wanted it to do.
In the end, these frequent changes made her department see the value of each co-worker and it brought them all closer together. It also made her feel good to know that she could help take some of the load off her co-workers, brought some peace of mind to the incoming students and their families, and contributed in some small way to the overall success of Concordia.
Post-retirement, Pamela will deeply miss her co-workers and the spontaneous talks which often ended up with gutwrenching laughter. She plans to spend time with her family, as her mom and her husband’s parents are all in their 90s and she will become “quite the pest” helping them, as they start to require more assistance. She also plans to spend more quality time with her husband (which will probably have something to do with fishing, hunting, or taking walks through the woods), their five grandkids, son and daughter-in-law, two daughters, and son-in-law.
“Pam is an irreplaceable member of the enrollment team and Concordia family! Her dedication to our team, Concordia and her family and friends is unmatched. Over 20 years of commitment to Concordia College, she has amassed incredible institutional knowledge and is a centering force in the Welcome Center and across campus. In addition to her regular work, Pam has always taken care of small special details above and beyond whatever the project calls for. She anticipates what’s needed and gets things done long before anyone else realizes there was a need. Most importantly, Pam is an amazing friend, always there to support her colleagues professionally and personally. We are all grateful for you, Pam. You will be greatly missed. Enjoy your retirement and thank you for everything.”
— Samantha Axvig, director of admission operationsKevin Morehead
Kevin Morehead worked in the Facilities department at Concordia for 35 years.
“Kevin has served Concordia for an incredible 35 years. With this many years of service, one can only imagine the thousands of lives he impacted, directly and indirectly. As a building services staff member, Kevin has not only kept our facilities clean and well-maintained but was also a positive role model and mentor for others. He was a valued team member and colleague.”
— The Concordia Community,
John Phelps
John Phelps has worked in the Concordia print shop for 20 years.
During his time at Concordia, John has very much enjoyed his work. One of the things he has most enjoyed is the students he has met and interacted with throughout the years.
While employed here, the most rewarding thing about his time at the college has been the ability to do his part in recruiting future students, as well as assisting in the fundraising for Concordia.
Once retired, John will miss the connection with his colleagues and the students. Post-retirement, John currently has no set plans, but looks forward to enjoying his free time and relaxing.
“John, thank you for all the years you have put into making our materials, signage, coursework, posters, event programs, and all the other projects that have come through the print shop. They have always looked great! It has been a pleasure working with you, and you will be missed. Enjoy your retirement!”
— Josh Lysne, vice president for Communications and Marketing
Laurie Probst
Laurie Probst has worked in the Library at Concordia for 11 years.
Laurie loves being a librarian, in part because the world of libraries is constantly evolving. She says she still does some of the same things she did early in her career, but technology has completely changed the way she has done them — for the better (mostly). Laurie is also doing some things that weren’t even possible 25 years ago and that the ability to connect students and faculty to the wealth of information and content now available through the library and the web still amazes her. She says that when we look, it’s exciting to see what we can actually find.
While working at Concordia, one of the most rewarding things for Laurie has been the many times that she was given the opportunity to work one-on-one with students and help them to their light-bulb moment, when they say “I get it now,” or “Now I understand.” She likes to think that’s why we are all here in the first place.
Post-retirement, Laurie will move back to southern Minnesota to support her aging parents and be closer to the rest of her family. Beyond that, she plans to travel and learn Arabic. Her next bucket list country is Tunisia.
“Laurie Probst came to Concordia after successful professional experience at Florida International University, Penn State, and the University of Minnesota. Her contributions to Concordia College, the Tri-College Library System, and the F-M region were substantial during the past 11 years. Laurie’s commitment to providing strategic leadership for the library, mentoring librarians and staff in the Carl B., supporting student learning, and navigating the challenges of maintaining a strong library collection during times of fiscal constraints and escalating costs of electronic resources are to be commended. While her first and foremost commitment was to what Laurie herself might call ‘library land,’ she embraced the college’s mission and made significant contributions across campus, most notably serving as cochair in our most recent strategic planning process; her work on ‘Concordia Leads: The Plan for 2030’ will preserve her contributions to campus copyright, intellectual property, and recording policies. She has worked collaboratively with our neighboring institutions to ensure the Tri-College library collaboration served our students and the regional public libraries. Laurie has also made important community contributions, including the development, with partners at Horizon Middle School, of the RIDE (Reading for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity) Program. This program brought eighth grade students to campus to work with Cobbers on a PEAK, and aimed to inspire reading, empower young people, and increase diversity on K-12 library bookshelves.”
— Susan Larson, professor of psychology, provost and dean of the college
Corrine “Cori” Rude
Cori Rude has worked at Concordia Language Villages — most recently in Finance — for 11 years.
Meeting and working with so many talented and diverse people from all over the world, hearing four or five languages (at the same time) in the hall outside her office, and the wonderful friendships and daily surprises are what Cori has enjoyed most about her work. She says Concordia has been a beautiful place to be daily — gorgeous year-round — and simply always a fun and interesting place to be and to work. Her daily commute has included bears, swans, eagles, deer, foxes, lakes, and the occasional car.
Cori has really enjoyed working with the Bemidji Area Friends of Concordia Language Villages volunteers and facilitating the fourth and fifth grade essay contest. These competitions involved visiting Bemidji-area classrooms, presenting a short language activity with program staff, and inviting students to write about how they could learn and grow from the study of a language at CLV.
During her time with CLV, she got to know area classroom teachers and principals, the BAF volunteers, and language staff. Cori says that it has been fun to meet the kids, their families, and hear about their reactions to winning the contest and then attending CLV. She has also enjoyed her time facilitating the fundraising part of the contest, as well as writing grants, asking area businesses for funds, and planning and hosting a fundraising banquet each October. The themed banquet included a delicious multi-course meal and entertainment — including belly dancers, a flamenco group, Norwegian fiddlers, a gayageum musician, an erhu player, Finnish folk musicians, and most a famous Cameroonian musician.
Once retired, Cori will miss the people, daily schedule, and challenges of her work. After retirement, she plans to do some more traveling (she has four more continents to set foot on, 12 more states to visit, and many more national parks to see), as well as spending time with her three grandkids and daughter. She thinks it will be nice to spend her upcoming summer days relaxing with friends and family, and cruising on the pontoon.
“Cori has always given her best. Her presence in the office and her wealth of knowledge will be missed. She handled summer waitlists, villager finances, and managed summer village financials with ease. She excels at any project she is given. Her work with the Bemidji Area Friends scholarship has helped fund villager camp experiences. We are all excited for her to embark on this next chapter in her life.”
— Daniel Johnson, Concordia Language Villages staff accountant
Christine Schulze worked at Concordia Language Villages for a total of 41 years, including 30 as executive director.
While at Concordia, Christine has enjoyed embracing the challenge and opportunity of directing a complex organization, and having staff and alumni spanning the globe was an incredibly meaningful professional endeavor. It has been most rewarding to keep pushing the boundaries of language and cultural immersion, expanding it in all ways from pedagogy and assessment to culinary experience and physical place. The possibilities are infinite, and there is still so much room for growth and development. She looks forward to seeing how the next generation of Villages leadership will take this even further.
After her retirement, Christine intends to remain connected to the Language Villages. She looks forward to continuing to support its mission through volunteer time and financial support. She says this will also keep her connected to the language village deans and staff who are deeply committed to inspiring courageous global citizens. She simply plans to do more of what she has enjoyed her entire life, but for more extended and focused periods of time: traveling, camping, biking, skiing, kayaking, reading and cooking.
“Christine — On behalf of all of us at the Villages, thank you for your exemplary leadership! So much of what we take for granted today was only made possible by your clear vision and tireless efforts. There is a thriving campus on Turtle River Lake because of your dedication to carry on and build up the dream that is Concordia Language Villages. Thank you!”
— Marc Johnson, Concordia Language Villages director of development
Warren Schulze
Warren Schulze worked at Concordia Language Villages as their director of operations for 19 years.
During his time at CLV, Warren has greatly enjoyed the opportunity to work with and learn from an amazing group of colleagues and employees. One of his most rewarding projects was building three new permanent villages on Turtle River Lake in Bemidji: Swedish, Russian, and Korean.
After retirement, Warren will miss his conversations with his fellow colleagues, as well as the paid holidays. Warren’s post-retirement plans include building a wood-fired sauna at his lake home, finishing biking up the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (Banff, Canada to Mexico), and taking lots of naps.
“Warren has been a steadfast partner at Concordia Language Villages over several decades on the operational side. He has a keen devotion to maintaining and supporting all that was created on the shores of Turtle River Lake over the past 64 years. His fine artistic eye, along with practical and technical knowhow, have served the Villages well over the years.”
— Mary Kosir, Concordia Language Villages executive director
Scott Swedberg
Scott Swedberg worked at Concordia in the Facilities department for nearly 29 years.
“After 28 years of dedicated service as the master electrician, Scott leaves behind a lasting impact, illuminating the campus with his expertise and dedication to excellence. Nearly three decades of hard work has led up to his welldeserved retirement. He and his presence will be missed.”
— The Concordia Community
Heather Vick
Heather Vick has worked at Concordia Language Villages as program coordinator for a total of 26 years.
While working at Concordia, Heather has met and worked alongside the most fun and interesting people. Supporting the CLV mission is something she has been very proud of. She has learned many things about world languages and cultures during her time here. As a non-profit, with too much to accomplish with too little staff, Heather had to learn all the systems and procedures to keep operations afloat and running. She says that this has kept the job interesting and fulfilling.
During her time with us, Heather says one of the most rewarding things has been meeting all the interesting people. Just last year, Heather shook hands and chatted with the queen of Norway, presenting her with a custom iconic CLV nametag from our Norwegian Village — just one of the fun opportunities that has come from having an office in Norway House in Minneapolis. She stresses that this is an important place to connect with our constituents. On a more basic level, Heather says that she finds the family support she provides very rewarding. There is nothing better than helping a family through the experience of registration, prepping for travel and a successful experience at the villages. As a mom of three villagers herself, she knows what that means to a family.
Heather will miss her coworkers and the staff of CLV when she retires. Post-retirement, Heather plans to take six weeks off to visit Sweden and Norway immediately. She jokes that she will surely be back at the airport helping out for future summers IF we start giving a grandparent discount. She also has a paying job as the coordinator of Gingerbread Wonderland at Norway House for each holiday season and implores everyone to come visit.
“Heather, your hard work over many years of dedication to CLV has made an incalculable impact on thousands of villagers, staff, families, and partners. Our community is so lucky to have had you as part of the team, and your incredible wealth of knowledge and breadth of skills will be deeply missed. We are so grateful for your insight, dedication, energy, positivity, brilliance, support, humor, patience, optimism, generosity, calm, collaboration, and grace under pressure. Thank you and congratulations on your retirement!”
— Ellen Frierson, Concordia Language Villages program director