Board of Directors
The affairs of WELS Foundation are managed by a volunteer board of directors consisting of between 7 and 13 directors. No fewer than 5 nor more than 11 of the directors must be laymen representing financial, investment, trust, or legal backgrounds. All must be communicant members of a WELS congregation. Directors are elected to terms of four years by WELS through its Synodical Council. The director of WELS Ministry of Christian Giving also serves as an ex-officio member of the board.
Attorney Mark Schulz is a shareholder in the law office of Meier, Wickhem, Lyons & Schulz, S.C., and has been representing individuals and businesses for 40 years. Currently he concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning and wealth building, probate, trust administration, real estate, business, and commercial transactions. He has been a municipal judge for Milton Township since 2018, and is a past board member of the Real Property, Probate & Trust Law section of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
Mark earned a bachelor of arts from Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa, and obtained his law degree (J.D.) from the University of WisconsināMadison.
Mark has served on the national board of directors for WELS Kingdom Workers and on the WELS Board for World Missions, in addition to serving on the WELS Foundation board of directors from 2006-2018.
City: Milton, Wis.
Church: St. Matthew, Janesville, Wis.
Term Expires: 06/30/2030
David Wendland is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in De Pere, Wis. He has been with Edward Jones since 2012. Previously, David spent nine years as a WELS teacher serving St. Peter in Schofield, Wis., and Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School in New Ulm, Minn.
David earned his BBA in accounting from UW-Madison in 2000, his BS in Education from Martin Luther College in 2003, and his MBA from UW-Oshkosh in 2015.
He is a member at Messiah in Green Bay, Wis.Ā He serves on various committees and boards at Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton, Wis.
City: Green Bay, Wis.
Church: Messiah, Green Bay, Wis.
Term Expires: 06/30/2030
In October 2017 Mike Krueger retired as an engineering manager from the Dow Chemical Company after 28 years with Dow Corning and Dow. He received his undergraduate degree from Michigan Technological University and an MBA from Northwestern University.
In addition to his service on the WELS Foundation board, he serves as president of his congregation, president of the MLS Foundation board, treasurer of Christian Life Resources Saginaw Valley, and is an advisory member on the MLS Governing Board. Mike is also a past member of the Michigan District Mission Board.
City: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Church: Christ Alone, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Term Expires: 06/30/2030
Pastor Kolander is currently serving as pastor at Victory Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, Fla. As former chairman of the Ministry of Christian Giving in the Southeastern Wisconsin District, part of his role was the promotion of endowments on the local church level, along with connecting churches to WELS Foundation and WELS Investment Funds.
Previously, Pastor Kolander served congregations in Indian River and Gaylord, Mich., Menomonee Falls, Wis., and Citrus Heights, Calif. While living in Wisconsin, he also served as second vice president of the Southeastern Wisconsin District; vice president on the Governing Board of Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minn.; and on the Board of RegentsāFinance Committee for Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School, Jackson, Wis.
City: Jacksonville, Fla.
Church: Victory, Jacksonville, Fla.
Term Expires: 06/30/2030
Scott Neitzel is the founder of Wilson Wells Advisory Services, LLC. Previously Scott served as the secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration. As secretary he oversaw the stateās personnel, budget, finance, IT, gaming, building program, and maintenance operations.
Previously Scott spent 18 years at Madison Gas and Electric in Madison, Wis., finishing his service as sr. vice president. Scott has held various positions within the state and federal government, both in Madison and in Washington, D.C.
Some of his former board experience includes the following: trustee of the State of Wisconsin Investment Board; board member of the State Bank of Cross Plains; past chair of the Wisconsin Center District; board of elders of Our Redeemer Lutheran, Madison, Wis.; and member of the National Petroleum Council.
Scott earned a B.S. from the University of WisconsināOshkosh and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
City: Verona, Wis.
Church: Resurrection, Verona, Wis.
Term Expires: 06/30/2027
John Pahmeier is a managing director at Artisan Partners, a global investment management firm headquartered in Milwaukee. John joined Artisan in 2002 to lead the firmās business development and client service efforts in the U.S. wealth market.
Outside of work, John has extensive volunteering experience. He is currently serving his second term on the board of regents at Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC), his alma mater. John has also served on the Stimac Family Foundation board since 2019.
Previously, John was the chairman for the board of directors at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School, Jackson, Wis., and has also served in many positions over the years on the board of education and the Ministry Planning Committee at his church, Bethlehem Lutheran.
City: Mequon, Wis.
Church: Bethlehem Lutheran, Menomonee Falls/Germantown, Wis.
Term Expires: 06/30/2027
Kyle Egan has been serving as the chief financial officer and treasurer of WELS since July 2020. Prior to assuming his current position, he served as assistant treasurer & director of investor relations at Quad/Graphics, Inc. (Quad). Over his ten-year tenure at Quad, he held various other management roles related to treasury, investor relations, pensions, 401(k) plans, technical accounting, and external reporting.
Prior to working at Quad, Kyle served as an auditor for the accounting firm Deloitte. He earned a bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from the University of WisconsināWhitewater in 2004 and a master of professional accountancy, also from the University of WisconsināWhitewater, in 2005.
He is a member at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Menomonee Falls/Germantown, Wis., and currently serves on the board of directors of Chosen Gen Discipleship Ministry.
City: Germantown, Wis.
Church: Bethlehem, Menomonee Falls/Germantown, Wis.
Rev. Kurt Lueneburg is the director of WELS Ministry of Christian Giving, responsible for helping Godās people excel in the grace of giving that glorifies Christ and provides funding for WELS gospel ministries. Previously, he served the Lord as a parish pastor in Memphis, Tenn., and Cannon Falls, Minn., and as a Christian giving counselor in the Minnesota and Nebraska Districts. Heās an advisory member of the WELS Investment Funds board.
City: Ixonia, Wis.
Church: St. Markās, Watertown, Wis.
Rev. Charlie Vannieuwenhoven is the Administrator for the WELS Board for Ministerial Education which is responsible for the schools and programs that train the next generation of pastors, teachers and staff ministers.Ā Previously, he has served as a parish pastor in North Mankato, MN and Tampa, FL, and as the Dean of Students at Luther Preparatory School in Watertown, WI.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern College in Watertown, WI in 1994.Ā He earned his Master of Divinity degree from the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1998.
City: Watertown, Wis.
Church: St. Matthewās Lutheran Church, Oconomowoc, WI
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