Passionate Leaders with a Vision
THE 2023-2024 BOARD
Steve Buuck serves as the CEO at Faith Lutheran Middle School & High School in Las Vegas, NV, the largest Lutheran school in the history of the United States. Prior to Faith Lutheran, Steve served at Lutheran High School North in Macomb, MI and Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, TX. Steve earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Concordia University Wisconsin and his Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership with a minor in Business Administration at Marquette University. Steve and his wife Julie have three adult children and two grandchildren.
Dr. Mary Scott currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director at Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, California. Previously she served as the Head of School at Concordia International School Shanghai, China. She held that position from July, 2016 – June, 2020. Prior to serving at Concordia Shanghai, Mary served in numerous roles at Concordia University Irvine. She completed her years of service there as the Executive Vice President of the University and Provost.
Dr. Scott has a heart and a passion for various cultures. Mary has an earned doctorate from Pepperdine University. She has received a number of awards for her service, including the prestigious Spiritus Christi award from her Alma Mater, Concordia University, Chicago.
Mary is married to Dan. They have three daughters. Their youngest daughter is a student at Orange Lutheran High School. When they get a moment, Mary and her family love the outdoors, hikes and travel.
Psalm 37:5 - Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him and He will bring it to pass.
BRENT JOHNSON
E-Mail
Concordia Preparatory School, Towson, MD
Brent Johnson serves as the Headmaster at Concordia Preparatory School in Towson, MD. Prior to this Call he served as the Activities Director and Assistant Principal at Lincoln Lutheran High School in Lincoln, NE. His first Call was to Baltimore Lutheran Middle and Upper School where he served as a history teacher, coach and athletic director. Brent earned both his undergrad and graduate degrees from Concordia University Nebraska. Brent’s wife Joy is an English instructor and also leads the theater department at Concordia Prep. Their daughters Emma and Grace both attend Lutheran Schools in the Towson area.
Mr. Chris Steinmann, a member of Lutheran West's Class of 2000, serves as the Superintendent of the Cleveland Lutheran High School Association (CLHSA). The CLHSA and Superintendent's office serve both high schools: Lutheran West and Lutheran East.
Prior to his current role, Mr. Steinmann was a teacher and Principal for over a decade at Lutheran East. He holds degrees in Theology and Education, and is passionate about developing students to become lifelong learners, well-rounded young adults, and the next generation of Christian leaders.
Mr. Steinmann is married to Sara, a Lutheran West alumna, and the couple has two children.
Tia Esser’s first encounter with Lutheran schools was as a young student—first, at Ascension Lutheran School in Torrance, CA; and later, at Prince of Peace Lutheran School in Fremont, CA. She later moved to her parents’ home state of South Dakota where she earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of South Dakota and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University – Nebraska. Full circle occurred in 2010, when after a 28-year career in business management and law, she was called to serve Sioux Falls Lutheran School as its Administrator and K-8 Principal. In 2020, after expanding the school to include high school grades, she became Executive Director of one of the few Lutheran schools in the country that serves infants through 12th grade.
Tia shares that it’s an honor to serve the Lord in this way, and she has “unequivocally learned that He is able to do immeasurably more than all I can ask or imagine, according to His power at work within me and all those surrounding me; to Him be the Glory, throughout all generations, forever and ever!” Ephesians 3:20, 21
Tia and her husband, Paul (a retired commercial banker), are grateful for a wonderful family: sons, Tim (Kim) and Jacob (Supriya); daughter, Liz; and six beautiful grandchildren.
Joel Landskroener currently serves as the Executive Director at Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer, MN. He has a B.S. in Secondary Education with majors in Social Studies and Physical Education from Concordia College, Seward, NE, an MA in American History from the University of Maryland, and a MS in School Administration from Johns Hopkins University. He has served schools in Florida, Maryland, Indiana, and Minnesota. Mr. Landskroener works on many accreditation teams, presented at numerous educational and fundraising conferences, and provides leadership as a Board member of MINNDEPENDENT and the Minnesota South District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
Joel and his bride, Shirlee, are blessed with four children and four grandchildren.
Julie Kangas serves as the Principal at Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, Texas. She is proud to have served in Lutheran Education for 30 year - 25 of those years were at Zion Lutheran Church and Schools in Anaheim, CA before being Called to Concordia in 2018. Julie received her bachelor’s degree from Concordia University Irvine and her master’s degree from Pepperdine University. Julie’s husband, Sean is a teacher at Trinity Klein Lutheran School in Spring, Texas and they have two children. Their son will be attending Concordia University Texas in the fall, and their daughter will continue as a sophomore at Concordia Lutheran High School.
Staff
DR. David Hahn . Executive Director
Dr. David Hahn has served Lutheran schools for 48 years. Dave enjoyed a fulfilling career at schools in Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and NY before becoming ALSS’s Executive Director in 2014.
Dr. Hahn is an LCMS Called Teaching Minister with a BA from Concordia University Chicago. He earned a M.Ed from Towson University, a PhD in Educational Administration from the U of Minnesota and an Honorary Doctorate from Concordia University Nebraska. Since 2007, he has also served on the Faculty of the Van Lunen Center.
Dave and his wife, Janet (also a Called Teacher) are blessed with a wonderful family: three daughters (all teachers), three sons-in-law and seven grandsons. Janet also serves ALSS as its Administrative Assistant. The Hahns live in Saratoga Springs, NY and enjoy travel, fishing, boating, horse racing, golf and lots of fun with family and friends.
Dr. James Pingel . Assistant Director
Dr. Jim Pingel currently serves as the School of Education Dean for Concordia University (Mequon and Ann Arbor). Pingel’s two most recent publications are The Lincoln Way, the Truth, and the Life: Reflections on Leadership and Faith (2020) and Imagine the Possibilities: Conversations on the Future of Christian Education (2018)—a book he co-authored by Dr. Bernard Bull. Pingel previously served as Executive Director at Sheboygan Area Lutheran High School (Sheboygan, WI, 2004-2013) and Executive Director at Mayer Lutheran High School (Mayer, MN, 1994-2004). He and his wife, Michelle, are blessed with two children, Joshua and Josie. In his leisure time, Pingel enjoys reading, traveling, and cheering on the Green Bay Packers.
Vision . Values. Targets
Vision
ALSS is a professional organization through which the synchronized efforts of exemplary school leaders crystallize in missional, relevant, and healthy Lutheran high schools worldwide.
Leading
ALSS defines and interprets dynamic models of effective leadership for Lutheran secondary schools and identifies, nurtures, trains, and challenges potential leaders to apply such models to their work.
Resourceful
ALSS promotes and models mutually beneficial networks and partnerships that enable the identification, review, and recommendation of quality and innovative resources of all types [people, electronic, print, and program].
Visionary
ALSS has developed and aligned its operations with an innovative, empowering vision for excellence in leadership.
Christ Centered
Grounded in the grace of God in Jesus Christ, ALSS nurtures the spiritual welfare of its members and upholds servanthood in Christ as a ministry model for leaders in Lutheran secondary schools.
Advocating
ALSS is known and appreciated for its advocacy of the needs of Lutheran high school leaders and their schools.
Critical Targets
Outcomes of this mission and vision
New Leaders
Future Lutheran High School administrators are identified and supported to become leaders of significance and Christian influence.
Heads of Schools
Emerging and beginning heads of schools are identified and equipped in the essential elements of executive leadership appropriate to the needs of Lutheran secondary schools.
Professional Development
Current and future Lutheran high school administrators have access to resources and models and collegial conferencing in current/emerging educational trends to enhance professional development.
Professional Dialog
Our members engage in a range of collegial to collaborative to consultative conversations to identify, inform, and develop strategies to advance the missions of their schools.
Increasing (Expanding, Growing) Membership
A higher percentage of eligible schools are members of ALSS and an increasing number of school leaders are engaging in ALSS activities.
Funding
ALSS membership dues, endowment and other sources fund all current ministries and enable exploration of future ministries.
Values
above all, a relationship with Jesus Christ that permeates all aspects of the organization.
the variety of individuals and school settings that contribute to the diversity of Lutheran secondary education.
distinctively Lutheran secondary education that strives for high academic achievement and spiritual growth for God’s young people.
the process that enables school leaders to grow professionally in their service to Christ and others.
creative and visionary thinking that propels the ministry of our schools toward God-directed, clearly established goals.
the collegial spirit demonstrated through supporting and nurturing its members while mentoring present and future leaders.