Contact Us

Sherry (Braun) Alcock ’82, P’17

Executive Director of Alumni Relations

Daina (Hollnagel) Bond ’93

Donor Records Coordinator

• Office: Loyalty Hall 105
• Phone: 563-387-1516
• E-mail: bondda01@luther.edu

Daina manages the processing of charitable donations received by the college. She is responsible for gift entry, including pledges, online giving, corporate and matching gifts, and special non-routine gifts such as stock, real estate, and bequests, and ensures accurate recording and reconciliation of gifts. Daina graduated from Luther with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology.

Megan Buckingham

Interim Director of Engagement

• Office: Loyalty Hall 204
• Phone: 563-387-1180
• E-mail: megan.buckingham@luther.edu

Megan leads the team responsible for keeping alumni, families, and friends connected to and actively engaged with Luther College. She oversees Luther’s major alumni programming, including Homecoming, reunions, alumni events and initiatives, alumni communications, and volunteer and engagement including the Alumni Council.

Megan is active in the Decorah community, serving as a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission. Megan graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2007. She lives in Decorah, with her spouse, Brian, who is a member of Luther’s biology faculty.

Michelle Cotant

Database Records Coordinator

• Office: Loyalty Hall Second Floor
• Phone: 563-387-1865
• E-mail: cotami01@luther.edu

Michelle is responsible for maintaining accurate constituent information and updates in the database, as well as updates for the Luther magazine. She also manages gift receipts and gift acknowledgement letters.

Nathan Ersig ’98

Senior Director of Development

• Office: Loyalty Hall 203
• Phone: 563-387-1510
• E-mail: nersig@luther.edu

Nathan provides strategic oversight and management of the fundraising activities and teams within the development office, including major and principal gifts, legacy/gift planning, prospect research, and data operations. Together with Jeanie Lovell, he serves as co-director of campaigns.

Active in the community, Nathan serves as a committee member for the Winneshiek County Community Foundation. Nathan graduated from Luther in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in music.

Chris Frana

Director of Systems, User Services and Research

• Office: Loyalty Hall 202
• Phone: 563-387-1523
• E-mail: franachr@luther.edu

Chris directs development resources research and works to maintain accuracy in Luther’s donor records system. A trained attorney, she focuses especially on donor privacy and rights.

Shelley Hurst

Development Office Event and Program Manager

• Office: Loyalty Hall Second Floor
• Phone: 563-387-1862
• E-mail: shelley.hurst@luther.edu

Shelley provides a variety of event planning and programmatic support in the areas of annual giving and engagement, stewardship, campaign, and special events.

Shelley earned a bachelor’s degree in education in 2005 and a master’s in public administration in 2014 from Drake University. She is involved on campus as the staff advisor for the PALS Organization. In the community, Shelley is a member of Decorah Rotary After Hours, Decorah FEC (Family, Educator, and Community Organization), and an assistant coach for Decorah United Soccer Club. Shelley resides in Decorah with her husband, Brad, and daughter, Holly, where they enjoy cheering on both the Decorah Vikings and Luther Norse.

Jeanie Lovell

Senior Director, Foundation Relations and Strategic Initiatives

• Office: Loyalty Hall 214
• Phone: 563-387-1512
• E-mail: lovellje@luther.edu

Jeanie oversees all aspects of corporate and foundation grant-seeking for Luther and works with faculty and staff to write proposals and secure funding for projects and initiatives of all kinds. Together with Nathan Ersig, she serves as co-director of Luther’s comprehensive campaigns. Jeanie is also the founder and director of Women, Faith, and Finance, Luther’s collaborative women’s philanthropy initiative. She earned a master’s degree in Philanthropy and Development at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, and a bachelor’s degree in communication and English from Central College. Jeanie is an active member of AFP and ALDE and maintains certification as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).

Paul Mullen ’79

Development Officer

• Office: Loyalty Hall 205
• Phone: 563-387-1827
• E-mail: paul.mullen@luther.edu

Paul travels in Rochester and Southern Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Arizona, New Mexico, and the Pacific Northwest to build relationships and invite gifts from alumni, parents, and friends of the College.

Along with his work at Luther, Paul is a member of the Rotary Club of Decorah and a participant with the Decorah Chapter of 100 Men Who Care. He graduated from Luther in 1979 and received a Master of Science degree from Montana State University in 1980. Paul and his wife, Elise (Barton) Mullen ’80, reside in Decorah.

Meleah Numedahl

Assistant Director of Annual Giving

• Office: Loyalty Hall 208
• Phone: 563-387-1024
• E-mail: numeme01@luther.edu

Meleah is a member of the annual giving team responsible for managing Giving Day and One Team Day, as well as supporting other annual fundraising projects. She also works closely with Steph Tomlin and Rachel Vsetecka on the Development and Engagement teams’ connection to students on campus. Meleah, her husband Scott (’00), and son Milo live in Decorah.

Meghan Pedersen ’12

Associate Director of Engagement

• Office: Loyalty Hall 104
• Phone: 563-387-1524
• E-mail: pedeme01@luther.edu

Andrew Peter ’14

Director of Major Gifts

• Office: Loyalty Hall 212
• Phone: 563-379-8848
• E-mail: petean06@luther.edu

Andrew manages Luther’s major gift program and leads a team responsible for building relationships and inviting gifts to the College in support of institutional priorities and strategic initiatives. He travels and manages relationships with our alumni, parents, and friends in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, northern Minnesota, North Dakota, northern California, the Mid-Atlantic and New England.

Andrew graduated from Luther in 2014 and is currently a student in the Philanthropy and Nonprofit Development MA program at the University of Northern Iowa.

Mary Lynn (Swenson) Rettig ’79

Senior Development Officer

• Office: Cedar Rapids Regional Office
• Phone: 319-573-0357
• E-mail: mary.rettig@luther.edu

Mary Lynn travels in central and southern Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, and southern California to build relationships and invite gifts from alumni, parents, and friends of the College.

Mary Lynn is a 1979 graduate of Luther College. While a student, she worked at Preus Library, an experience that led her to the University of Iowa where she earned an MLS in Library Science and PhD in Higher Education. She and her husband, David, reside in the Amana Colonies where they own a winery and are active in various community organizations. She is also a member of the Iowa City Noon Rotary, serving on the Scholarship Committee.

Elaine Riley

Director of Prospect Strategy and Research

• Office: Omaha Regional Office
• Phone: 563-387-1514
• E-mail: elaine.riley@luther.edu

Elaine manages Luther’s prospect strategy and research program. She partners with fundraising staff to assist with the management of prospects through the fundraising lifecycle while also working to expand and maximize fundraising results.

Sharon Sander-Palmer P’27

Alumni Administrative Coordinator

• Office: Loyalty Hall 121
• Phone: 563-387-1164
• E-mail: sandsh03@luther.edu

Sharon provides administrative and project management support for programming and events in the alumni office and provides direct administrative support to the Executive Director of Alumni Relations.

Allie Scott

Director of Annual Giving and Engagement

• Office: Loyalty Hall 206
• Phone: 563-387-1100
• E-mail: allie.scott@luther.edu

Allie manages Luther’s annual giving program and sets the strategy for raising annual unrestricted and restricted gifts to the College. She leads a team that, through collaborative partnerships across the department and across campus, is responsible for increasing annual giving revenue, broadening the base of support, and strengthening leadership gifts.

Allie is involved in the Decorah community as Trustee for the Decorah Public Library and as a violinist in the Oneota Valley Community Orchestra. An ordained United Methodist minister, she regularly preaches at area churches and has been published in several books, including “But Those are MY Toys!,” a chapter on teaching children about generosity in the book When Kids ask Hard Questions (Chalice Press, 2019).

Elijah Solheim

Development Office Operations Coordinator

• Office: Loyalty Hall Second Floor
• Phone: 563-387-1509
• E-mail: esolheim@luther.edu

Elijah manages functions related to mass and segmented fundraising, stewardship, program, and event communications across platforms. Elijah is responsible for creating efficient systems and processes to streamline office operations and handles a variety of specialized administrative operations including implementing, coordinating, and monitoring complex mailings and projects, supporting budget management systems, tracking volunteers, and maintaining Development-related webpages.

Kelly Sorenson

Director of Planned Giving and Data Operations

• Office: Loyalty Hall 209
• Phone: 563-387-1066
• E-mail: kelly.sorenson@luther.edu

Kelly leads and manages Luther’s planned giving program, as well as the gift processing, data management, process design, and accounting operations for the division. She works alongside the development team in building relationships and securing philanthropic support through bequest intentions, charitable gift annuities, trusts, and other gift planning vehicles from alumni, parents, and friends of the College.

Kelly earned a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree and an Organizational Communication and Inclusive Leadership Certificate from the University of Northern Iowa. She holds the Certified Gift Planning Associate (CGPA) and Certified Gift Planning Professional (CGPP) designations, and is an active member of the Minnesota Gift Planning Association, serving on the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access committee.

Samantha Spilde

Development Officer

• Office: Loyalty Hall 211
• Phone: 563-387-1511
• E-mail: spilsa01@luther.edu

Samantha travels in northern Iowa, Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Illinois, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida to build relationships and invite gifts from alumni, parents, and friends of the College.

Along with her work at Luther, Samantha is involved in the Decorah community serving on the Nordic Fest Board of Directors and is active in Decorah Rotary After Hours and 100 Women Who Care. Samantha graduated from Davidson College in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in English. Samantha resides in Decorah with her husband Daniel where they enjoy hiking and biking Decorah’s many outdoor trails.

Steph Tomlin ’09

Assistant Director of Engagement

• Office: Loyalty Hall 106
• Phone: 563-387-1084
• E-mail: steph@luther.edu

Steph is a member of the Engagement team responsible for organizing Reunion committees for Signature Reunion programs, as well as implementing student engagement strategies to help foster relationships with young alumni.  Steph is a 2009 Luther graduate, and lives in Decorah with her partner, Cody.

Rachel (Schutte) Vsetecka ’09

Director of Stewardship and Special Events

• Office: Loyalty Hall 210
• Phone: 563-387-1286
• E-mail: vsetra01@luther.edu

Rachel administers the college’s President’s Council donor recognition program, along with other special event and donor stewardship activities. Partnering with campus departments, she works to steward donors and encourage continued gift support.

Rachel volunteers in her community and serves as the President of the Howard County Childcare Association Board and is the Treasurer of the Regional Health Services of Howard County Foundation Board. Rachel graduated from Luther in 2009 with a degree in management and she and her husband, Rod, have two children.