Staff and Leadership Listing for Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church




Rev. Arden Haug
Pastor
Pastor Arden Haug began his ministry at Lake of the Isles in January 2013. His colorful and innovative use of music, liturgy and the history of the Lutheran Church has evolved over 25 years of ministry in Minnesota and in Europe. He began his ministry as a Norwegian-speaking preacher in Minneapolis in the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church. It was here that he met his wife Janna. Together as missionaries they established English-speaking congregations in Riga, Latvia and Vilnius, Lithuania. After serving as the Senior Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Marine on St. Croix, the Haugs, together with their then teenage sons Vitali and Alexei, were sent to Bratislava, Slovakia where Pastor Haug served as the ELCA’s Regional Representative for Europe. He later became the pastor of the Bratislava International Church and the Director of the ELCA Wittenberg Center in Wittenberg, Germany. Pastor Haug’s doctoral studies in homiletics or the art of preaching are reflected in his personal, relevant and often humorous and inspiring sermons.
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Linda Nelson
Office Manager
Linda has been a member at LOTI since 1986 and has been office manager since 2011. She loves working at LOTI and feels like the congregation is part of her extended family.  After having worked in law firms for over 25 years, she feels this is a great change of pace and wonderful place to work and worship.
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Dr. Kristina Rizzotto
Director of Music
Dr. Kristina Rizzotto has served as a church musician since 2006, in the capacities of liturgical organist and director of adult and school choirs, as well as of handbell ensembles and a Schola Cantorum. She is also an active international recitalist, having played organ and piano concerts in Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and in 22 American states. Dr. Rizzotto was named a member of The Diapason’s 20 Under 30 Class of 2017, which recognizes young leaders in the fields of organ, harpsichord, carillon, and church music. Dr. Rizzotto is a self-published composer. She holds a Doctorate in Organ Performance from the American Organ Institute at the University of Oklahoma, a Master of Music in Organ Performance and Sacred Music from East Carolina University, and a Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Magna cum Laude). Her doctoral dissertation was about the importance of music in the formation of the national identity of the Latvian people, focusing on organ compositions by Aivars Kalējs which represent the values and spirit of the Latvian heritage. Her YouTube channel features nearly 400 organ, piano, and choral recordings, which have been watched more than 2 million times. Dr. Rizzotto is married and has two children.
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Diane LaMere
Director of Children's Ministries
Diane joined the staff at LOTI in 2013. She oversees the Sunday School program and events/activities held throughout the year involving children and families. Diane comes with years of experience as a children's ministry director, children's music director and worship accompanist. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing the piano, singing, volunteering at school and daily walks with her two labrador retrievers. Diane is married and has two children.
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Sandy Swan
Wedding Coordinator
A creative visionary in fashion design and event management, Sandy founded the award-winning couture bridal and costume company, A Head of Her Time. She continues to partner with the Wedding Guys as a Gown Curator and is the Wedding Manager for LOTI. She directed the School of Fashion at the Art Institutes International and earned an award for Excellence in Education. She also taught at St. Catherine University. Her extensive education background has taken her around the world, studying millinery, fashion design and marketing from names including London College of Fashion in the UK, Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Ramat Gan, Israel, European School of Business (ESB) in Reutlingen Germany, Philadelphia University, and Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
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