LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 46

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46

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

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 CAO
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 CAO is responsible for several
service units which are comprised of dedicated individuals whose
service to the Synod is more often measured in decades than in
years of service. These areas include human resources, operations
and event planning. A brief overview of their responsibilities and
activities follows.
Frank K. Simek, Chief Administrative Officer
R5.1.1

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 national and
international events, including Synod conventions, Youth Gatherings, and a variety of organizational needs. Since the 2019 LCMS
convention, this department has deftly renegotiated for hundreds of
meetings and the cancellation and rescheduling of the 2022 Synod
convention due to COVID-19 as well as planned and assisted with
nearly 1,000 off-site events, accommodating an estimated 200,000
people.

to evolve, the department remained up to date on new and changing safety protocols and managed the process and communication
when employees tested positive for COVID-19 positive or were exposed. In June 2021, we coordinated the safe return of employees to
the International Center (IC). While we are thankful COVID-19 appears to be reaching its end stages as a pandemic, we continue to be
mindful of its impact on our most valued resources, our employees.
The HR department was successful in carrying out a number of
accomplishments this triennium, starting with the acquisition of a
new human resources information system. This HR system allowed
our department to better coordinate efforts and deliver comprehensive services amongst our cohort of entities at the IC while providing significant cost savings.
From a recruiting standpoint, we have seen a number of employees retire in the last couple of years, which has created opportunities
for new talents and voices in the organization. I specifically call attention to the successful long-term recruiting efforts to select a new
Chief Financial Officer in January 2021 and Executive Director of
Communications in January 2023.
A restructuring of HR service delivery with IC entities has allowed the Synod HR department to redirect more targeted services
to our missionaries around the world, with a specific focus on recruiting and talent development. This endeavor will continue to
blossom over the coming years.
Lastly, I am proud of our team’s efforts to create a best-in-class
onboarding program to ensure employees are properly enculturated
into the organization, enhancing engagement and long-term retention.
The Department of Human Resources is well-positioned to execute the strategy for the next triennium. Our objectives include
the following: create a learning culture with the specific goal of developing leaders; enhance engagement as long-tenured employees
retire and new talent is hired; and provide support and education
for employees that assists them in all stages of their vocational life
cycle. Accomplishing these objectives will lead to enhanced service delivery to the boards, commissions, agencies, departments,
and corporate entities we support so that they can focus on their
mission.
Nathan D. Thomas, Executive Director

Lynne C. Marvin, Senior Director,
Event Planning and Procurement
R5.1.3
R5.1.2

Human Resources
The LCMS Department of Human Resources holds Galatians
5:13, “Through love serve one another,” as the pillar of its values.
With that mindset, we are able to provide consummate Human Resources (HR) services to over 330 employees, both domestically
and internationally deployed, so that all may succeed in furthering
the Church’s mission to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ around
the world. This is a wonderful opportunity and an immense challenge for which we are grateful to serve.
Like so many around the world, the normal operations of our
work were turned upside down in March 2020 with the COVID-19
pandemic. At a moment’s notice, our department coordinated with
senior leadership to ensure all employees could confidently and
safely work in a remote environment. As the pandemic continued
2023 Convention Workbook

Operations Support Services
The overall mission of Operations Support Services (OSS) is
to provide core services that support the mission and ministry of
the LCMS. The following service units make up OSS: Operations
Service Coordination, Technology Application Group, Information Technology Desktop and Infrastructure Support Services, Mail
and Print Services, Reception and Meeting Services, and Facilities
Management Services. In addition, the LCMS Technology Steering
Committee (TSC), which is chaired by the Executive Director of
Operations Support Services, reviews projects to assess their benefit to the organization and helps prioritize them. The chair of the
TSC will then present those recommendations as necessary to the
Operations Team for final approval. Other functions of the TSC include advising on proposed policy changes or additions and fostering positive communications throughout the organization.