Contact Us

Daina (Hollnagel) Bond ’93

Gift Management Coordinator

• Office: Loyalty Hall 105
• Phone: 563-387-1516
• E-mail: bondda01@luther.edu

Daina manages the processing of charitable donations received by the college. She is responsible for gift entry, including pledges, online giving, corporate and matching gifts, and special non-routine gifts such as stock, real estate, and bequests, and ensures accurate recording and reconciliation of gifts.

Daina graduated from Luther with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology.

Megan Buckingham

Director of Alumni and Engagement

• Office: Loyalty Hall 204
• Phone: 563-387-1180
• E-mail: megan.buckingham@luther.edu

Megan leads the team responsible for keeping alumni, families, and friends connected to and actively engaged with Luther College. She oversees Luther’s major alumni and family programming, including Homecoming, reunions, family weekend, events and initiatives, alumni & friend communications, and volunteer and engagement.

Megan is active in the Decorah community, serving as a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission. She lives in Decorah, with her spouse, Brian, who is a member of Luther’s biology faculty.

Michelle Cotant

Database Records Coordinator

• Office: Loyalty Hall Second Floor
• Phone: 563-387-1865
• E-mail: cotami01@luther.edu

Michelle is responsible for maintaining accurate constituent information and updates in the database, as well as updates for the Luther magazine. She also manages gift receipts and gift acknowledgement letters.

Chris Frana

Director of Advancement Services and Systems Administrator

• Office: Loyalty Hall 202
• Phone: 563-387-1523
• E-mail: franachr@luther.edu

Chris serves as the division’s systems administrator, managing the overall design, administration, maintenance, and support of the Advancement Office’s CRM platform. She works collaboratively to support the division’s leadership team and campus partners to provide overall management of the CRM functionality to include data integrity, document management, reporting and interpretation, communications support, event management, user training, and system integrations.

Krista Holland

Interim Assistant Director of Engagement

• Office: Loyalty Hall 103
• Phone: 563-387-1523
• E-mail: hollkr01@luther.edu

Shelley Hurst

Events and Stewardship Manager

• Office: Loyalty Hall First Floor
• Phone: 563-387-1164
• E-mail: shelley.hurst@luther.edu

Shelley provides a variety of event planning and programmatic support in the areas of annual giving, engagement, stewardship, campaigns, and special events.

Shelley earned a bachelor’s degree in education in 2005 and a master’s in public administration in 2014 from Drake University. She is involved on campus as the staff advisor for the PALS Organization. In the community, Shelley is a member of Decorah Rotary After Hours and Decorah FEC (Family, Educator, and Community Organization). Shelley resides in Decorah with her husband, Brad, and daughter, Holly, where they enjoy cheering on both the Decorah Vikings and Luther Norse.

Jeanie Lovell

Senior Director of Foundation and Government Relations

• Office: Loyalty Hall 214
• Phone: 563-387-1512
• E-mail: lovellje@luther.edu

Jeanie oversees all aspects of corporate and foundation grant-seeking for Luther and works with faculty and staff to write proposals and secure funding for projects and initiatives of all kinds. Jeanie is also the founder and director of Women, Faith, and Finance, Luther’s collaborative women’s philanthropy initiative.

Jeanie earned a master’s degree in Philanthropy and Development at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, and a bachelor’s degree in communication and English from Central College. Jeanie is an active member of AFP and ALDE and maintains certification as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).

Jenna Mockler-Gjerde ’06

Associate Director of Annual Giving & Campaigns

• Office: Loyalty Hall 214
• Phone: 563-387-1517
• E-mail: mockje01@luther.edu

Meleah Numedahl

Assistant Director of Annual Giving

• Office: Loyalty Hall 208
• Phone: 563-387-1024
• E-mail: numeme01@luther.edu

Meleah is a member of the annual giving team responsible for managing Giving Day and One Team Day, as well as supporting other annual fundraising projects. She also works closely with Steph Tomlin and Rachel Vsetecka on the Advancement Office’s connection to students on campus.

Meleah, her husband Scott (’00), and son Milo live in Decorah.

Andrew Peter ’14

Director of Principal and Major Gifts

• Office: Loyalty Hall 212
• Phone: 563-379-8848
• E-mail: petean06@luther.edu

Andrew manages Luther’s major, planned, and principal gift program and leads a team responsible for building relationships and inviting gifts to the College in support of institutional priorities and strategic initiatives. He travels nationwide to build relationships and invite gifts from alumni, parents, and friends of the College.

Andrew graduated from Luther in 2014 and is currently a student in the Philanthropy and Nonprofit Development MA program at the University of Northern Iowa.

Megan Rachuy ’17

Assistant Director of Advancement Communications

• Office: Loyalty Hall 212
• Phone: 563-387-1513
• E-mail: rachme01@luther.edu

Megan manages the creative engagement and fundraising communication efforts that strengthen alumni and donor relations at Luther. She graduated from Luther in 2017 and enjoys a good flat white coffee.

Mary Lynn (Swenson) Rettig ’79

Senior Development Officer

• Office: Cedar Rapids Regional Office
• Phone: 319-573-0357
• E-mail: mary.rettig@luther.edu

Mary Lynn travels in central and southern Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, and southern California to build relationships and invite gifts from alumni, parents, and friends of the College.

Mary Lynn is a 1979 graduate of Luther College. While a student, she worked at Preus Library, an experience that led her to the University of Iowa where she earned an MLS in Library Science and PhD in Higher Education. She and her husband, David, reside in the Amana Colonies where they own a winery and are active in various community organizations. She is also a member of the Iowa City Noon Rotary, serving on the Scholarship Committee.

Elaine Riley

Director of Prospect Strategy and Research

• Office: Omaha Regional Office
• Phone: 563-387-1514
• E-mail: elaine.riley@luther.edu

Elaine manages Luther’s prospect strategy and research program. She partners with fundraising staff to assist with the management of prospects through the fundraising lifecycle while also working to expand and maximize fundraising results.

Allie Scott

Director of Annual Giving and Campaigns

• Office: Loyalty Hall 206
• Phone: 563-387-1100
• E-mail: allie.scott@luther.edu

Allie manages Luther’s annual giving program and sets the strategy for raising annual unrestricted and restricted gifts to the College. She leads a team that, through collaborative partnerships across the department and across campus, is responsible for increasing annual giving revenue, broadening the base of support, and strengthening leadership gifts.

Allie is involved in the Decorah community as Trustee for the Decorah Public Library and as a violinist in the Oneota Valley Community Orchestra. An ordained United Methodist minister, she regularly preaches at area churches and has been published in several books, including “But Those are MY Toys!,” a chapter on teaching children about generosity in the book When Kids ask Hard Questions (Chalice Press, 2019).

Elijah Solheim

Advancement Office Operations Coordinator

• Office: Loyalty Hall Second Floor
• Phone: 563-387-1509
• E-mail: esolheim@luther.edu

Elijah manages functions related to mass and segmented fundraising, stewardship, program, and event communications across platforms. Elijah is responsible for creating efficient systems and processes to streamline office operations and handles a variety of specialized administrative operations including implementing, coordinating, and monitoring complex mailings and projects, supporting budget management systems, tracking volunteers, and maintaining Advancement-related webpages.

Kelly Sorenson

Director of Planned Giving and Major Gift Operations

• Office: Loyalty Hall 209
• Phone: 563-387-1066
• E-mail: kelly.sorenson@luther.edu

Kelly leads and manages Luther’s planned giving program. She works alongside the team of Development Officers in building relationships and securing philanthropic support through bequest intentions, charitable gift annuities, trusts, and other gift planning vehicles from alumni, parents, and friends of the College.

Kelly earned a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree and an Organizational Communication and Inclusive Leadership Certificate from the University of Northern Iowa. She holds the Certified Gift Planning Associate (CGPA) and Certified Gift Planning Professional (CGPP) designations.

Samantha Spilde

Development Officer

• Office: Loyalty Hall 211
• Phone: 563-387-1511
• E-mail: spilsa01@luther.edu

Samantha travels in northern Iowa, Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Illinois, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida to build relationships and invite gifts from alumni, parents, and friends of the College.

Along with her work at Luther, Samantha is involved in the Decorah community serving on the Nordic Fest Board of Directors and is active in Decorah Rotary After Hours and 100 Women Who Care. Samantha graduated from Davidson College in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in English. Samantha resides in Decorah with her husband Daniel where they enjoy hiking and biking Decorah’s many outdoor trails.

Steph Tomlin ’09

Associate Director of Engagement

• Office: Loyalty Hall 106
• Phone: 563-387-1084
• E-mail: steph@luther.edu

Steph is a member of the Engagement team responsible for organizing Reunion committees for Signature Reunion programs, as well as implementing student engagement strategies to help foster relationships with young alumni.

Steph is a 2009 Luther graduate, and lives in Decorah where you can often find her riding a bike, or walking the many trails in the area.

Rachel (Schutte) Vsetecka ’09

Director of Donor Relations

• Office: Loyalty Hall 210
• Phone: 563-387-1286
• E-mail: vsetra01@luther.edu

Rachel leads the college’s donor relations efforts, overseeing the President’s Council donor recognition program and spearheading special events and stewardship initiatives. She partners closely with campus departments to ensure meaningful engagement with donors, fostering continued philanthropic support, and highlighting the impact of their contributions.

In addition to her role at Luther, Rachel serves as the Treasurer of the Regional Health Services of Howard County Foundation Board. She graduated from Luther in 2009 with a degree in management and resides in Decorah with her husband, Rod, and their two children.

Heather (Buckner) Wilensky ’06

Development Officer

• Office: Iowa City Regional Office
• Phone: 563-387-1518
• E-mail: buckhe01@luther.edu

Heather travels in eastern Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky to build relationships and invite gifts from alumni, parents, and friends of the College.

Heather is a graduate from Luther with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and English with a writing emphasis. She then completed her master’s in public administration at American University. Heather, and her husband, Joe, reside in Coralville, Iowa.