# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S87
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
tors of the Synod in carrying out their respective responsibilities
for oversight supervision management, and coordination of the
operations of the national office and acceding to the triennial
emphases adopted by the convention of the Synod. The Operations Team shall consist of the Chief Mission Officer, the
Chief Administrative Officer, and the Chief Financial Officer
and shall be convened by the Chief Administrative Officer.” The
Operations Team meets monthly along with selected subjectmatter experts to coordinate and support the ministries of the
Synod. This has resulted in better coordination of the ministry
initiatives, more efficient processes, and growing cross-unit support within the national office.
Administrative Team. Bylaw 3.5.1 establishes an Administrative Team, which “shall assist the President and the Board of
Directors of the Synod in carrying out their respective responsibilities for oversight, supervision, management, and coordination as set forth in the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions
of the Synod and according to the triennial emphases adopted
by conventions of the Synod. The Administrative Team shall
consist of the President, the First Vice-President, the Secretary,
the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Mission Officer, and the
Chief Administrative Officer and shall be under the leadership
of the President.”The Administrative Team meets monthly to
coordinate and support the ministries of the Synod. During
these meetings, the Chief Administrative Officer gives a summary of the actions and topics discussed by the Operations Team.
This ensures clear communication and coordination within the
Administrative Team.
Other Functional Areas. The Chief Administrative Officer
is responsible for several service units, which are composed of
dedicated individuals whose service to the Synod is more than
often measured in decades that in years of service. These areas include human resources, operations and event planning. A
brief overview of the responsibilities and activities follows.
Frank Simek, Chief Administrative Officer

R6.1 2

Convention, Conference,
and Event Planning
The Convention, Conference, and Event Planning Group
provides exemplary event planning services, including hotel negotiation, travel, housing, transportation, and conference needs
for all LCMS organizations, resulting in enormous cost savings
and more efficient event planning. The services are provided for
events across the country, including the Synod Convention, National Youth Gatherings, and a variety of organizational needs.
Since the 2016 LCMS Convention, this department has planned
or assisted with more than 900 offsite events, accommodating
an estimated 200,000 people. In addition, this department supported more than 15,000 meetings and activities at the International Center building during the same period.
Lynne Marvin, Senior Director, Events and Procurement

87

R6.1 3

Report of the Human
Resources Department
“Joy:fully Lutheran” service in support of ministry and
mission is the goal of the Department of Human Resources. We
are blessed with this amazing challenge as we deliver the core
human resources functions to the Synod and the corporate entities. The department is consummately focused on maintaining
a caring and supportive work environment so that over 650 employees, both domestic and internationally deployed, may give
their most effective service to the Lord.
The Department of Human Resources coordinates the development and administration of personnel policies, procedures,
and supporting systems within and between boards, commissions, departments, entities and agencies of the Synod. The last
triennium presented opportunity to concentrate on the delivery
of service to the corporate entities. The department played an
instrumental role in the restructuring of Corporate Synod’s service areas, which led to more efficient staffing levels. In response
to an initiative to foster better collaboration amongst the corporate entities, the department assisted with the analysis and
workforce planning that led to better alignment with business
processes and procedures.
In compliance with the Synod’s Board of Directors’ philosophy to be “good stewards of the dollars entrusted to us, pay
fair salaries, and reward performance in order to be able to attract, motivate, and retain employees,” the department worked
with Concordia Plan Services administrators to conduct a comprehensive review of the health care options. We analyzed and
selected health care options that provide comprehensive coverage in a cost-effective manner. Another area of success was recruiting executive-level talent with key hires, including the President of LCEF and the LCMS Chief Administrative Officer.
The Department of Human Resources is well positioned
to execute on the strategy for the next triennium. Our objectives
are: continue to create a learning culture with the specific goal to
develop leaders; create development, retention, and succession
plans; provide support and education for employees that assists
them in all stages of their vocational life cycle; and implement
a new Human Resources Information System that will lead to
more centralized HR services to the corporate entities. Accomplishment of these objectives will lead to enhanced services to
the boards, commissions, agencies, departments, and corporate
entities we support so that they can concentrate on their mission.
Val Rhoden-Kimbrough, Executive Director

R6.1 4

Operations Support
Services Department
At the direction of the LCMS Board of Directors, the
Service Departments under the Chief Administrative Officer
underwent external reviews to ensure these services were being
provided in the most efficient and cost-effective way. The overall
mission remains the same, and that is to provide services that
support the mission and ministry of the LCMS. The creation
2019 Convention Workbook