Thank You to Linda Nelson

On Sunday, May 21st, Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church celebrated office manager Linda Nelson’s June retirement and her 11 + years of service. When the announcement of Linda’s retirement first became known, I had someone ask how the Church Council would find three people to replace her. It is not an exaggeration. Linda has been the voice of the church and first responder to countless visitors. Of course, that is only the first part of her job description. Linda has also served as our financial secretary and accountant. Did I mention that she organizes the volunteers who lead Sunday morning worship, as well as the coffee servers? She is active in nearly every aspect of our congregational life. Personally, I am grateful for the work Linda has done, for her friendship, her organizational skills and her willingness to take on new projects and challenges. Yes, it will be hard to find three people to take her place.

With that said, I am very pleased to announce that Diane LaMere has accepted the invitation and challenge of following Linda as the new office manager. Diane is no stranger to the congregation or to the work that Linda has been doing. Diane is truly a gifted church worker. I first knew her when we were colleagues at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Excelsior where she was responsible for leading contemporary worship. From there she went on to be the Director of Children’s Ministries at Mt. Calvary in Excelsior with an enrollment of 400 students. 10 years ago, I invited her to lunch to discuss whether she would be interested in making the Sunday School floor more inviting and child friendly. Little did I know that she had a BBA in Accounting from the University of Iowa. She will continue Linda’s work schedule of three days in the office each week, and work from home in preparation for the Sunday School program. We are all excited about this transition.

Linda will remain active in the life of Lake of the Isles, so you will see her regularly. And Diane will continue to be the face of the church for our Sunday School families. Thank you to both Linda and Diane for your service.