New faces at WELS CMM
The WELS Center for Mission and Ministry (CMM), Waukesha, Wis., welcomes Mr. Paul Patterson and Mr. Kyle Egan. Patterson joined the CMM on July 1 as the associate director of the Commission on Lutheran Schools, replacing Mr. Tom Plitzuweit who took a call to serve at a school. Egan started as chief financial officer (CFO) on July 6, following the retirement of former WELS CFO, Mr. Todd Poppe.
Patterson will be responsible for overseeing the WELS School Accreditation (WELSSA) program. He came to the CMM from Wisconsin Lutheran School, Racine, Wis., where he served as principal for eight years. Prior to serving at Wisconsin Lutheran School, he served as a principal and teacher at Peace, Sun Prairie, Wis., and Christ, Zumbrota, Minn.
While he says he’s going to miss being around kids, he’s looking forward to the opportunity to serve in a new role. “One of the passions I have is developing professional learning communities and tapping into the strengths our educators already have and using those strengths to maximize the benefit to the school. I’m looking forward to working with schools that are interested in improvement and leveraging the resources of so many smart people in our synod to make those connections,” says Patterson.
Patterson and his wife, Lara, have four children, two in high school and two in college.
In his free time he likes to hunt and has been teaching snowboarding since 2008 as a nationally certified snowboard instructor.
Mr. Jim Rademan, director of the Commission on Lutheran Schools, says, “Paul brings a vision for excellence in education and a passion for meeting the needs of both children and families being served through our schools.”
As CFO, Egan will be responsible for overseeing the synod’s finances. He is a member at Bethlehem, Germantown, Wis., with his wife Janet and three young children.
Egan has more than 15 years of finance experience, most recently as the assistant treasurer and director of investor relations for Quad/Graphics in Sussex, Wis. He is looking forward to using his professional expertise to further the ministry work of WELS.
“I’ve had a pulling at my heart over the last several years that had me searching for an opportunity to use my abilities in a way that would help forward a mission or ministry, to do something that would align my faith closer to my professional background and the skill set that God has given me,” says Egan. “There has been so much good work done at WELS, and I want to make sure I carry that forward in a good way.”
When he’s not working, Egan likes to visit the zoo with his family and attend Packer games with his wife—in pre-pandemic times.
“We feel blessed Kyle has made the prayerful decision to join the leadership team at the WELS CMM and look forward to working with him,” says WELS President Mark Schroeder.
