Parents and Family Council
The Luther College Parents and Family Council is a group of volunteers who work together to strengthen ties among parents and families, and to better support Luther College students.
The Council meets twice a year and serves as both an advisory and support group, offering feedback to administrators and finding opportunities to gather with and support parents of current and prospective students.
Questions? Or want to contact members of the Parents and Family Council? Email parents@luther.edu and your message will be forwarded to your representatives or the appropriate office.
Shannon and Ryan Anderson
Oregon, Wis.
Ryan and Shannon Anderson are proud parents of Luther alum Blake (Class of 2024) and current senior Rose (Class of 2027). Blake majored in biology with a minor in chemistry. He was a member of the men’s swim and dive team, studied abroad in Tanzania, and completed an internship at West Side Dental in Decorah. Rose is pursuing a biology major with a Spanish minor. She is a member of the women’s soccer team and has really enjoyed her Luther eperience.
Ryan is the Senior Director of Instructional Design for the University of Wisconsin System’s Extended Campus. His team works with faculty across the state to create online degree completion programs. Prior to joining UWEX, Ryan led the e-learning design team for Epic. Ryan and Shannon met early in their careers as K-12 educators. Ryan earned a bachelor’s in Secondary English Education and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ryan is active in his home church through singing, serving on the church council, and he is co-organizer of the lefse making team.
A career K-12 educator, Shannon is currently the Director of Student Services for the Oregon School District. She has previously served as a high school teacher, associate principal, and principal. She also is an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Edgewood College. She earned her bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College and her master’s and doctorate degrees in Educational Leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Ryan and Shannon strongly believe a liberal arts education provides young adults with the best opportunity to successfully navigate our complex, diverse, and changing society. They also thoroughly enjoy the Decorah community–the restaurants, the Vesterheim, the shops, the trails, Nordic Fest, and they are also always up for a visit to the Whippy Dip or the Sugar Bowl! As a family, they have visited many of the national parks. They recently located Ryan’s family farms in Norway.
Their children selected Luther because of the strong sense of community provided on campus, the outstanding learning opportunities, and the dedicated and supportive faculty, coaches, and staff. Go Norse!
Shelley ’99 and Adam ’00 Bumpus
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Shelley ’99 and Adam ’00 are parents of Megan, a senior student majoring in elementary education and minoring in music. She is a violinist in the Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra. They also have a younger child, Ivy, who is a junior at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids.
Shelley studied elementary education at Luther and is now a preschool teacher in the three year old classroom at Trinity Lane Preschool in Cedar Rapids.
Adam studied Physics at Luther and later earned an MBA from University of Iowa. Adam is an engineering manager for an aviation software team. He is also involved in Scouts BSA as a scoutmaster.
Andrew and Dannelle Gay
Sun Prairie, Wis.
Andy and Dannelle are the proud parents of Noel Gay, who started taking college courses at the age of nine at the University of Wisconsin, graduated high school at 16, and is loving their experience at Luther. A total cat person (who is missing their striped tabby Hazel), Noel is keeping busy with classes and involvement in the Student Activities Council, PALS, Chess Club, and PRIDE Club. They came to Luther with a strong interest in Astrophysics and Psychology but has recently fallen in love with English. It looks like we may have another writer in the family!
Andy graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a degree in Radio/TV/Film, and from Madison College with a degree in Marketing. After 31 years of working in television broadcasting, he works for Exact Sciences in Madison, WI as a Senior Maintenance Technician. He enjoys camping, cook-outs, DIY projects, and playing with the dog & three cats. Andy especially likes traveling and spending time with Dannelle and Noel.
Dannelle is an Award Winning Travel TV Host and Published Author who goes by the moniker The Traveling Cheeseshead. (You saw that we are from Wisconsin, right?) If she is not on the road or in the air, she is at home sipping coffee with her trusty Australian Shepherd, Tazuna by her side. As a travel writer, she has had the privilege of discovering captivating places and cultures from around the world, down to the quaintest Midwest towns.
They have always been active participants in their child’s education and are eagerly looking forward to their involvement at Luther. Their family maintains long-standing ties to Luther, even though neither of them are alums.
Betsy and Steve McElroy
Carmichael, Calif.
Betsy and Steve are the parents of Kyle, a senior, and Evan, a recent graduate. Kyle’s major is International Studies focusing on Latin America with a minor in Spanish. He plays the double bass in the Symphony Orchestra, participates in Model UN, and is Vice President of the Student Activities Council (SAC). Kyle studied in Honduras, Guatemala and Costa Rica. Kyle’s major is International Studies focusing on Latin America with a minor in Spanish. He plays the double bass in the Symphony Orchestra, participates in Model UN, and is Vice President of the Student Activities Council (SAC). Evan double majored in History and Anthropology and ran on the Cross Country team during her Freshman and Sophomore years, played trombone in Concert Band and Symphony, and studied in Nottingham, England her junior year.
Betsy and Steve live in Sacramento, CA, after living in Iowa City, Iowa for ten years. Betsy is a priest in the Episcopal Church serving in Lodi, CA. Steve is the Chief of Neonatology at the University of California, Davis Children’s Hospital and runs a biomedical research laboratory studying injury and repair of the premature intestine. One of our greatest joys is watching our kids participate in their various athletic and musical activities. The McElroys love traveling together and finding new places to explore, especially outdoors while wearing hiking boots!
We were first introduced to Luther through the Dorian Summer Festivals. Kyle knew he would attend Luther after his first Dorian experience in 7th grade. Both Evan and Kyle were drawn to Luther through their emphasis on the student experience, community, and the opportunity to explore multiple interests. Despite living many miles away, we are confident that our kids have the support to thrive in college and are thrilled to be part of the Luther family.
Kari ’93 and Troy ’91 Nelson
Farmington, Mich.
Kari and Troy Nelson are the proud parents of Ryan Nelson (Class of 2027). Ryan is a Law and Values major, a member of the Cross Country team, and is looking forward to studying abroad and taking advantage of the many intramural sports Luther offers. Ryan chose Luther because the Law and Values major encompasses areas of study that interest him and the welcoming feeling he received when he visited campus.
Ryan’s two sisters graduated from Luther, Haley ‘19 and Hannah ‘21. Haley is a 2nd grade teacher in Washington, Iowa and Hannah is a CPA and auditor with Deloitte in Minneapolis. They were both involved with the choirs and enjoyed studying abroad during their time at Luther.
Kari and Troy are also Luther alumni and enjoy experiencing Luther through the eyes and minds of their children as they bring new insight to the Luther liberal arts experience. Kari played in the orchestra and Troy sang in Nordic Choir and both enjoyed traveling abroad during their time at Luther.
Kari graduated from Luther in 1993 with a degree in psychobiology. After working for 6 years in the healthcare industry after graduation, she was a stay-at-home mom and then re-entered the workforce in 2013. Kari is employed at Seedlings Braille Books for Children and currently serves as the Production Manager. Seedlings Braille Books for Children is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the opportunity for literacy and education by providing high quality, free and low cost braille books for children.
Troy graduated from Luther in 1991 with his music education degree and was a teacher, high school assistant principal and principal before retiring in 2022. He is currently the Internship and Program Coordinator for the ACHIEVE program at Oakland University in Rochester, MI. He has served in church music for the last 30 years and is currently the director of the Hope Choir at Hope Lutheran Church in Farmington Hills. He has a M.Ed. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership, an Ed.S. in Leadership and is pursuing his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at Oakland University.
Kari and Troy are getting used to being empty nesters and enjoy working in the yard, home improvement projects, reading and traveling–a favorite spot is Michigan’s beautiful west coast and Lake Michigan. They are always looking for reasons to visit Decorah and are excited to have four more years of reasons to enjoy all that Luther and Decorah have to offer.
Sara ’94 and Chris ’94 Shockey
Freeport, Ill.
Sara and Chris are parents to Maddux Shockey (Class of 2027) who is majoring in Environmental Policy and Political Science and is a member of the Luther Baseball team.
Sara and Chris are both Luther grads (Class of 1994). Sara majored in elementary education and was a member of the Tau Delta Gamma sorority. Chris majored in Health / Physical Education and was a 4-year member of the Cross Country and Track & Field teams.
Sara is in her 33nd year as an educator in the Freeport School District (Home of the Pretzels). During this time, she has been a teacher, coach, and is in her 17th year as a school counselor.
Chris currently serves as the Assistant Regional Superintendent at the Regional Office of Education #8. Prior to his role at the Regional Office of Education, Chris was a middle school teacher and coach for five years and then a building principal, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, and a regional administrator for 25 years.
In addition to Maddux, Sara and Chris have two sons; Payton (Luther Class of 2023) who was a four-year member of Luther’s Men’s Soccer Team and currently works in St. Paul, MN at Securian Financial as an actuary. Carter graduated from the University of Iowa (2024) majoring in Sport & Recreation Management, was a four-year member of the Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band, and currently works in Iowa City, IA for the University of Iowa Center for Advancement.
Lisa Aldrich ’91 (student Megan), Lakeville, MN
Cristina ’97 and J.R.’99 Deeds
West Des Moines, IA
Cristina and J.R. are the parents of Jamie, a music performance major who plays trombone in Concert Band, Jazz Orchestra, Driftless Jazz Collective and several small groups. Cristina and J.R. met at Luther as members of the Concert Band and fell in love during the band’s 1997 Japan tour. The Deeds also have an older daughter, Abby, who graduated with a industrial design major and played piccolo in the marching band at Iowa State University.
Cristina studied music education at Luther and taught elementary and middle school band for many years. A French hornist, she maintains a private lesson studio, is a regular member of several concert bands and brass quintets, and frequently called for freelance engagements.
J.R. spent two years at Luther before transferring to Iowa State to earn a degree in electrical engineering. He is a partner at Resource Consulting Engineers, a firm specializing in mechanical and electrical engineering for institutional buildings.
Cristina and J.R. look back fondly on their Luther liberal arts education and are thrilled to see Jamie thrive at Luther.
Diana and Ryan FlanneryWashington, IA
Ryan and Diana Flannery are the parents of Kate, class of 2029. Kate is their youngest of 4 and is having an excellent college experience at Luther! She is swimming for Luther swim and dive and plays French horn in the Symphonic band. Her 3 siblings have all gone to Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. Kate knew she wanted to go in a new direction, but was struggling to find the right school. Her sister Gwen suggested she look at Luther and it all clicked! She met with the band director and swim coach and was told she absolutely could be in music and be an athlete. The culture at Luther is a very supportive one between students no matter which activities they are a part of. Kate has found her classes to be interesting and challenging and feels supported in her academics. She is currently thinking about majoring in Psychology and minoring in Counseling.
Ryan and Diana live in Washington, IA – about 3 hours directly south of Decorah. Ryan is a family medicine physician at Washington County Hospital and Clinics and is the Chief Medical Information Officer for them as well. Diana is a nurse and has enjoyed a variety of jobs throughout her career, the most recent as an elementary school nurse. As a family, they have all enjoyed being a part of the community theater where Ryan currently serves on the board. The kids all grew up on the swim team through our Y and they all were in band and choir through high school. So, continuing those things in college was important! Traveling to explore new places and to visit family has always been a priority for the Flannerys, and living in a small community has given them much to be a part of and be proud of!
Ryan and Diana have really enjoyed being a part of the Luther family already. In fact, the whole family has! Everyone has made a trip or two to campus and we all are proud to sport our new Luther gear!
Coreen Frank ’97 (student Tyler), Coralville, IA
Allison and Jeff Heil (student Nathan), New Glarus, WI
Daneal and Matt JohnsonDes Moines, IA
Joy Paffenroth ’97 (student Molly) Sherwood, WI
Michael and Ellen Rock
Minneapolis, MN
Michael and Ellen are the proud parents of Percy Rock (’29), who intends to major in Computer Science and is a member of the Luther Bowling team. Outside of his academic and athletic commitments, Percy likes listening to music, has
dabbled in theater both behind the scenes and on stage, and is known for assisting friends and family with their technology needs. When not at Luther, Percy spends time working at several bowling alleys in Minneapolis. Percy is the youngest of three. His older sister, Emma, currently resides and works in Washington, DC, while his older brother, Cap, is a senior at Grinnell College.
Ellen practiced adolescent medicine and then became an at-home parent. She attended Carleton College and Mayo Medical School. In her free time, Ellen enjoys reading, scuba diving, cooking, traveling, and maintaining connections with friends.
Michael practices emergency medicine and has held a variety of physician leadership roles. He attended St. Lawrence University and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Michael’s hobbies include alpine skiing, scuba diving, cooking, traveling, and spending time with their cats, Perry and Pepper.
Michael and Ellen were excited to join the Luther College community, noting that they found everyone to be extremely welcoming. They hope their collective experience navigating higher education—both personally and with their three children—will be valuable to current and future parents within the Luther family.
Michelle LeGros and Jay Stracke
Minneapolis, MN
Michelle and Jay are parents of Cato Stracke (’29). Cato is interested in Biology and Environmental Science as possible majors. She plays clarinet in the Symphonic Band and is enjoying getting involved in the Luther and Decorah communities. In her free time, she enjoys crafting (knitting, cross-stitch, painting, carving, …) and spending time in nature. Cato chose Luther because of the commitment to liberal arts, the welcoming community and opportunities to participate in study away programs.
Michelle and Jay live in Minneapolis and are thrilled to be members of the Luther
community. Their family includes a sports loving high school senior (Henry) and two
pups (Odin and Luna). Michelle is a St Olaf graduate and has an MBA from the University of MN. She is ‘retired’ from her corporate marketing career and currently runs a consulting practice. Jay graduated from the University of Oklahoma and has an MBA from George Mason University. After a career focused on medical technology and
healthcare economics, Jay is recently retired and pursuing interests in landscape design and Japanese gardening.
The LeGros-Stracke family loves exploring Decorah and being on campus for band concerts and family events. Since they love to travel (6 continents down – 1 to go!), they look forward to visiting Cato wherever her Luther studies bring her.
If you would like to be considered for Luther’s Parent and Family Council to represent the Class of 2030, please fill out this form and we will be in touch!
Contact Information
Advancement Office
Loyalty Hall
Luther College
700 College Drive
Decorah, Iowa 52101
Phone: 563-387-1861
Fax: 563-387-1322