Concordia Presence Strong at Lutheran Education Association’s Convention

Lutheran educators from across the country gathered in Minneapolis at the Lutheran Education Association Convocation. The April event drew over 3,400 people including many Concordia alumni. LEA, a professional organization that exists to link, equip and affirm Lutheran educators, hosts the convocation every three years.

Workshops, exhibits and entertainment are all a part of the event which exists to help Lutheran educators enhance their ministries.

Dr. Jeffrey Burkart, associate dean of the College of Vocation and Ministry serves on the LEA board of directors and helped organize the event. Burkart said it is a great event that gathers Lutheran educators from all over the world. He sites Indonesia, Austrailia, and Papua New Guinea as places attendees have come from. “It gives everyone a chance to build up each other in our missions,” Burkart said.

Concordia hosted an alumni gathering in the evening where over 250 enjoyed fellowship.Concordia celebrated with Dari Hartmann ’83 who was recognized as this year’s LEA Master DCO. Previous alumni award winners
include Jim Halsted ’89, 2007 LEA Master DCO; Phillip Johnson ’82, 2006 LEA Master DCO; Alice Smith (’62 ’00), 2006 Distinguished International Teacher of the Year and 1996 LEA Distinguished Elementary Teacher of the Year; and Drew Gerdes ’00, 2006 LEA Distinguished Lutheran Early Childhood Teacher.