Staff and Council Bios
Officers:
President-Elect:
Jim Stotts
Jim and his wife Ann joined TLLC in 2000. They have two elementary
aged daughters, Katie and Molly. Jim and Ann are originally from
MN and moved to Austin in 1993 with Jim's job. Jim earned
is BA in Economics and Psychology from St. Olaf College in Northfield,
MN in 1988. He is the Co-Chair of Love Builds to Serve, has served
on the Stewardship Committee and ushers during 9:30 services.
He is co-owner of Dietz Memorial Company and coaches both girls’ soccer
teams and still plays in the Austin men’s league.
President-Elect: Tracy Wells
Tracy Wells and her husband, Thomas, have been married for 16 years. They joined TLLC in 1999. She has been the Christian Education Council Director for the past four years and the VBS director for seven years. Tracy is also a member of the Morning Ringers handbell choir. Tracy has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University, but currently works from home as mother and homeschool teacher to their four children. She enjoys scrapbooking and has achieved the rank of black belt in tae kwon do.
Council Secretary: CeCe Coffman
CeCe joined TLLC 8 years ago when she married Marvin Coffman. She started the Receptionist Program and has been a volunteer receptionist for the past for two years. She was a Geo Group coordinator for five years, taught Vacation Bible School for three years, and served as a communication director with Lyle Killey for the Love Builds to Serve building fund campaign. She is currently on the board of the Mary Martha Friendship group for women. CeCe has four children and Marvin has two children, and they both keep very busy with their 10 grandchildren. CeCe and Marvin frequently usher and greet at Sunday services.
Treasurer: Joel
Reed
Joel is a CPA and graduated from Texas Christian University with a
BBA in Accounting. Since 1999, he has worked in investments and
ranching and prior to that was Director of Corporate Accounting
with Dell, Inc. His family includes Laurel, his wife of 31
years, and three children, Catherine 26, Joel 23, and Ryan
20. Joel is on the TLLC Finance and Endowment Committees. He
is on the Board of Lutheran Social Services and is chair of
their annual golf benefit for New Life Treatment Center. He
is Head Commissioner for the Town & Country Optimist High
School Boys Basketball League and he enjoys gardening, woodworking,
traveling, and racquetball.
Financial Secretary: Don Visness
Don graduated from Colorado University with a BA in electrical engineering in 1963. He joined NASA in 1964 and worked at the White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, NM for 34 years, retiring in 1999 after providing ground systems test support of the Apollo and Shuttle systems. He and his wife, Reenie, attended the first shuttle launch as honorees and plan to attend the last one in a few years. His daughter, Kelly Condon, lives in Round Rock and is the deputy director of the Leukemia Society in Austin. His son, Chris, and Chris's wife, Emily, are teachers and are planning to move to Austin this year. He has provided computer support in his NASA experiences and has been a financial secretary at Peace Lutheran Church in Las Cruces. Golf, sports, and church are his main retirement activities.
Assistant Financial Secretary: Andi Reaves
Andi has a BBA in accounting from Mary Hardin-Baylor and is a CPA and CIA. She retired from the City of Austin in 2003 as Deputy Controller. Andi has been married 40 years to Don, retired US Army Lt. Col. and recently retired from the City of Austin Law Department. They have one daughter, Chelly. She has served as the Mary Martha Cookbook co-chair, Assisting Minister, Lay Reader, and participated on various other committees. She enjoys reading, bridge, gardening, and needlework of all kinds.
Council Ministry
Directors
Endowment
Ministry Director: Deborah Rosenquist
Debbie has been a member of TLLC for about 27 years. She and
her husband, Lance enjoy their son Jason and their daughter Jeanene
and her husband, Brett, and their lovely granddaughter Jordan
Rose. Debbie retired after 14 years as Director of Information
Development at Dell and now serves as President of the House
Corporation Board for Alpha Chi Omega Society on the UT campus,
Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the O.
Henry and Dickinson Museums, and program chair for Chapter GT
P.E.O. She served two terms as TLLC Council PR Ministry Director,
as sponsor for chartering the Endowment Fund in 2001 and Endowment
Committee member, as Senior Pastor Call Committee member, as
Council President in 2003, as CDC Task Force chair, and as a
bell ringer, communion assistant, lay reader, usher, and Personnel
Committee member. Her hobbies are playing bridge, traveling,
and babysitting for her granddaughter.
Education Ministry Director: Cheryl Bertero
Cheryl Bertero has been married to Charlie for thirty-two years; they have four children and a daughter-in-law. Since retiring as an elementary school teacher, Cheryl continues to substitute several days a week. She has attended Triumphant Love for almost ten years and has been involved in Adult Education, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, a confirmation small group, Camp Chrysalis work weekends, family camping, counting, Divine Chefs, and numerous book and Bible studies. She currently serves as the IHM host coordinator and in worship as a lay reader and communion assistant. Cheryl participates in GIFT, Say Hello!, and women's retreats. She also enjoys reading and traveling.
Nurture
Ministry Director: Dick Lewis
Dick and his wife, Sherry, are charter members of TLLC. They have one married daughter, Jennifer, and one grandaughter, Grace Elizabeth.
Having worked for the state for over 30 years in different capacities, from the Governor's office to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Dick is now with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality where he conducts public meetings on environmental permits.
He's a Texas Tech Red Raider and enjoys bass fishing in his leisure time.
Property
Ministry Director: Charles Maddox
Charles
is a Charter member of TLLC. He has served on the council, chaired
the Property Committee, Usher and also serves as a Lay Reader.
Charles is married to Linda and they have three grown children.
Charles has a BS Degree in Civil Engineering and a MS in Environmental
Health Engineering. He is retired from Texas Dept of Health & Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality and currently works at
Austin Water Utility as a Water Control Engineer.
Public
Relations Ministry Director: Joyce Moeller
Joyce, her husband, Dick, and their two young children, Derek and Meredith, joined TLLC in 1978, after spending two and a half years living and working in Nice, France, with Texas Instruments. She has served TLLC as a member of Nurture and Outreach as Emergency Meals Coordinator, Altar Guild, Fellowship Committee, and Mary Martha Friendship Group. She has volunteered as a Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teacher, hosted the annual TLLC Christmas party several times, worked on the church newsletter, and participated in various Bible studies. She and Dick served as co-chairs of the 1993 Together Love Grows capital funds building program. She was trained as a Stephen Minister in TLLC’s first Stephen Ministry class, has served as P.R. Council director previously for two consecutive terms, and has served on the Building Stewardship Task Force, P.R. Committee, Lifelong Ministry, and Furnishings Committee. Joyce is a sustaining member of the Austin Junior Forum and the Natural Science Guild and she served as a docent at the Pioneer Farms for eight years. She and Dick now have two adult children, and two delightful grandchildren.
Social
Service Ministry Director: Vacant
Support Ministry Director: Jay Newman
Jay Newman was born and raised in Oklahoma and is a University of Oklahoma graduate. He has been an Austin resident since 2000 and joined TLLC in 2002. Jay and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. He is the vice president of sales for Rackspace in San Antonio. This is Jay's second year to serve as TLLC's Council Support director, and he provided the banners for the Love Builds to Serve building campaign.
Witness
Ministry Director: Sandy Kingslien
Sandy joined TLLC in 1988. She has 3 children and 3 grandchildren, and her children were all confirmed at TLLC. Her daughter, Carrie Copeland, and Carrie’s husband, Ed, and their 3 children, Connor, Clara, and Emylee, are also members of TLLC. Sandy has worked with TLLC youth and taught Sunday School. She is presently on the Altar Guild.
Worship
and Music Ministry Director: Janet Lonvick
Janet and her family moved to Austin in 1998 and joined TLLC. She is in the handbell choir and has been involved in the Confirmation and Senior High youth programs. Janet is married to Chris and has two daughters, Ruthie and Sarah. She enjoys cooking, gardening, reading, and genealogy.
Youth
Ministry Director: Janis Coltin
Janis has been a member of TLLC
since moving to Austin in 1996. She sings in the Women's
Chorus, plays in the orchestra, teaches fifth grade Sunday
School and is in charge of TLLC's acolyte program. Janis
and her husband Bill have two sons, Brian and Michael. She
enjoys gardening, music, scrapbooking and reading.
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Staff
Senior
Pastor: Rev. Dr. Norb Firnhaber
Pastor Norb is married to Geanie and they have three
adult children. He was born in Nebraska and raised in Illinois.
Pastor Norb
graduated from college with a major in philosophy, and completed
a Master of Divinity Degree at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis,
Missouri. He received a master’s degree in counseling
from the University of Northern Iowa and a Doctorate in Ministry
and New Testament from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
in Berkeley. He has completed clinical pastoral training and
has done graduate work at Hartford Seminary and San Jose State
University.
He has served
as pastor of two congregations and two campus ministries. The
parishes were in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and West Hartford, Connecticut.
He was also an instructor in theology at San Jose State University
and at Concordia University in Austin while serving at the
University of Texas.
He enjoys
sports, singing, reading Greek, backyard ponds, conversation,
and Dr. Pepper. An avid runner, he has logged over 28,000 miles
and has participated in 80 road races and six marathons.
Email Pastor
Norb.
Associate
Pastor: Rev. Jennifer Krentz
Pastor Jennifer was born in Moorhead, Minnesota. She grew up
in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan and attended Valparaiso
University (Christ College), Valparaiso, Indiana, majoring in
Theology and Humanities.
She also
attended Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Her internship
was in Toledo, Ohio, and she completed her clinical pastoral
work at Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas. She joined
the TLLC staff in 2004 after serving a congregation in Indiana,
Pennsylvania, for four years.
Pastor Jennifer
enjoys reading and writing, travel, study, singing, film, basketball,
conversation, and coffee.
Email Pastor
Jennifer.
Worship and Music Director: Carol Holck
Born in Houston and raised in Ohio, Carol is a graduate of Wittenberg
University, piano performance. Her Master’s degree is from
the Ohio State University, piano pedagogy, with some seminary
post-graduate studies. She has served Lutheran congregations
for more than 20 years in various musical capacities. She shares her life
with her two children and enjoys dancing, and the outdoors.
Email Carol
Holck.
Christian Education and Small Group
Ministries Director: Julie Klock
Julie was born in Sioux Falls, SD, and grew up as a PK (pastor’s
kid) in Lutheran parishes in North Dakota, Minnesota, and South
Dakota. Julie attended St. Olaf
and Augustana Colleges. Interests include her children’s
activities, reading, camping, and people.
Email Julie
Klock.
TLLC Child Development Center Director: Karen
Weise
Born in Austin, Karen attended the University of Texas at Austin
and received a degree in Child Development, as well as a Business
Administration degree from Austin Community College. She shares
her life with her husband and two children. She enjoys decorating,
gardening, and outdoor activities with her family.
Email Karen
Weise
Volunteer
Ministry Director: Janice Daily
Janice was born in Waco and grew up all over the U.S. in a military
family. She is married and has one adult daughter. She earned
her Associate of Applied Science, Child Development, from Austin
Community College and was formerly employed at our CDC. Music,
painting pottery, journaling, reading, and computers are among
her and favorite things.
Email Janice
Daily
Office Supervisor: Cathey Arnold
Cathey grew up in Abilene, Texas. She's
married to Dale and they have two married daughters and five
grandchildren. Though she never achieved a college degree, she
has been in the work force since high school. She enjoys
her friends and family and serving on altar guild at St. Barnabas
the Encourager Church.
She praises God for bringing her to TLLC in 1986.
Email Cathey
Arnold.
Bookkeeper: Lisa Ard
Lisa was born and raised in Austin and graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Retail Merchandising. She is married to Mike, her husband of 20 years, and they have two boys – Austin and Adam. After a short stint as an area sales manager for a department store chain, she returned to work in her family sporting goods business until 2007 when she came to Triumphant Love as the bookkeeper. She and her family are avid Texas Longhorn fans and enjoy sports of all kinds. Although a cradle Episcopalian, Lisa is honored and blessed to be a part of the extended Lutheran family at Triumphant Love.
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