Church Council

Church Council recommendations are welcome all year-round. We typically consider recommendations and nominate Council members annually, in the Fall.

Church Council Recommendations Welcome Year-Round

Do you know someone who is open-minded and strategic? We’re looking for compassionate individuals to lead and guide St. Andrew’s by serving on the Church Council.  We accept recommendations all year long, although the formal recommendation process is in the early fall.  Our Church Council recommendation process for 2022-2023 closed on Sept. 23, 2022.

Copies of Board minutes are available to Members upon request to Christa Getchell using our Contact Us form. 

GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATION FORM

Church Council Roster: November 2022 – November 2023

To contact a member of the Church Council, please send an email to salccouncil@saintandrews.org.

Bill Hibbard – President

Bill and his wife Deb fell in love with St. Andrew’s after a visit in the summer of 2015 when the service and music inspired them to join the congregation that fall.  Bill and Deb have three adult children and recently moved to White Bear Lake.   During his 33 years at 3M, Bill held technical and business roles that relocated the family seven times.  During an assignment in Asia, Bill was the Human Resource Elder and later the President of the congregation at Tokyo Union Church.  Bill also served on the Board of MIT’s One Laptop per Child program that focused on bringing technology to the developing world.  Being a part of St. Andrew’s has enriched members of Bill’s extended family.  Earlier this year, Bill’s mother and step-father moved into St. Andrew’s Village where they have found a new spiritual home.   This summer Bill and Deb enjoyed walking in the footsteps of Martin Luther with 70 other St. Andrew’s Pilgrims.  Bill looks forward to using his spiritual and professional experiences to advance the global mission of St. Andrew’s.

Eric Swanson – Vice President 

Eric and his wife Sarah Meek were led to St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church 13 years ago, when they were searching for a confirmation program for their now adult daughter and son.  They immediately knew that they had found a spiritual home and have been inspired by St. Andrew’s mission to serve.  Eric has been a confirmation leader, served on the Men’s Ministry team, gone on Mission Jamaica with his son and he and Sarah volunteer for a variety of community organizations.  Eric received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and  worked in the non-profit and public sectors before entering private practice over 20 years ago.  His passions include his family, gardening, and the outdoors.

Scott Anderson – Secretary

Scott and his wife Sandy have been members of St. Andrews Lutheran Church since 1983. They have two adult sons Kevin and Eric, one of which is an active member at St. Andrews. Scott is a member of the St. Andrew’s Choir and 4 Givin Quartet. He has been active annually in Habitat for Humanity and participated in the church Strategic Planning Committee a few years ago. His hobbies are woodworking, fly-fishing, upland bird hunting and any outdoor activity with his family, friends and dogs. He has a Business Administration degree from Bethel University. He recently retired from 3M with 38 years of service. His many roles included disciplines in sales, technical, marketing, management and an executive in 3M’s Industrial Business. His career was centered on the customer experience. He is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and looks forward to using his business and leadership skills to support God’s work.

Barb Sheldon – Treasurer

Barb, her husband Jeff, daughter Meghan and son Sam have been members of St Andrews for 20 years.  Through the years Barb and family have volunteered at St Andrews by teaching Sunday School, helping with VBS and Confirmation programs, Thanksgiving basket program and most recently, the gardening team.  Barb is a graduate of Metropolitan State University and has been a commercial banker in the NE metro for over 35 years, currently at Alerus for 11 years.  Her focus is to work closely with businesses and to offer lending, deposit and retirement solutions.  Barb recently served as Chair of the White Bear Area Chamber in 2017/2018 and also serves on the Century College Foundation Board.

Pauline Allison

Pauline, her husband Tylor, and daughters Jasmine and An Li, joined St. Andrews four years ago.  Returning to the area after living in Southern California, they were seeking an accepting church home that provided opportunities for growth and service.  Pauline has been honored to have served on Pastor Amy’s internship committee and on the Corps of Discovery project.  The entire family participated in Mission Jamaica, returning just prior to the COVID shut down.  Pauline had a long career leading global businesses for 3M.  Recently retired, she is a volunteer mentor for Minneapolis Business Mentors and serves on the Cowles Council for Dance and the Performing Arts and the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Graduate Marketing Advisory Board.

Tommie Braddock

Tommie and his wife Julie have been members of St Andrew’s for more than ten years and serve as ushers at the contemporary service. They have two adult children, Brenton and Sabrina.  Tommie’s professional career spans 23 years working for Taylor Corporation where he is President of Venture Solutions. He serves on the Board of Directors for Tubman, a nonprofit dedicated to servicing victims of domestic violence, where he chairs the Nominating and Governance Committee.  He earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management from Saint Mary’s University. Tommie and Julie reside in Dellwood.

David Eisenbrandt

David and his wife Anita have been members of St Andrews since 2005.  They have 4 adult children who all passed through St Andrews Sunday school and confirmation.  David has served on the communion preparation team for over 6 years and can frequently be found filling in serving communion and other needs for the traditional services.  David is an Eagle scout and has been involved in scouting throughout his life including serving 7 years as Scoutmaster and adult leader for 2 National and 2 world jamborees.  Beyond his passion for scouting, David is an avid bicyclist and bicycle tourist – logging several long-distance tours annually. David received his degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and has spent his entire career in various manufacturing leadership positions.  He has recently retired from 3M as global director of manufacturing and supply chain after 27 years of service. 

Joshua Ladd 

Joshua and Sarah Ladd were newlyweds when they moved to Minnesota from Ohio. The two were busy their first year looking for the right church with strong emotional and spiritual support. They decided on St. Andrew’s after connecting with Erin Morris, former Deacon and a member of their outreach team. St. Andrew’s has blessed the Ladds by walking with them as they prepared to become a forever family for their adopted sons Michael and Jacob. The church was also a critical support as they confronted the challenges of infertility. Now, our community celebrates God’s faithfulness as the Ladds welcomed the birth of their daughter Coraline earlier this year. When Joshua is not changing diapers, cooking, or playing Nintendo with the kids, he enjoys running, mountain biking, drawing, and theatre. In his professional time, he is a staff attorney with the Minnesota Disability Law Center. He represents children with special needs in disputes with their school district. He has a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and a joint degree in Law and Urban and Regional Planning from Michigan State University. They live in the vibrant west side neighborhood of St. Paul.

Sara Meslow

Sara was a member of St. Andrew’s from 1994 – 1999 and came back “home” to St. Andrew’s in 2013.  Sara is the Executive Director at Camp Odayin – a nonprofit organization serving children with heart disease. Prior to her work with Camp Odayin she was a Social Worker in the Forest Lake School District.  She holds undergraduate degrees in Social Work & Communication from Concordia College, Moorhead MN, and a graduate degree in Youth Development Leadership from the University of Minnesota.  At St. Andrew’s, she sings in the choir, and has served on the Foundation Board, Strategic Planning Team and the Capital Campaign Advanced Commitment Committee. Sara lives in Lake Elmo with her husband and daughter.

Beth Ostrem

Beth, her husband Jim, and their two kids, Josh and Sara, became members of St. Andrews in 2002. Beth and Jim were attracted to St. Andrew’s by the preaching, the music and the children’s programming. Over the years, Beth taught Sunday school and led a small group for confirmation. After participating in a Mission Jamaica trip in 2015, the entire family became more involved in church, and Beth volunteered to write new job descriptions for each of the positions at St. Andrews. Last summer Beth and her family celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation by going on the two week tour of Germany led by Brian Norsman and Michael Carlson. Beth has over 20 years of experience in human resources. She has led the HR function in several organizations and worked with numerous Boards of Directors across the country. Beth is looking forward to using her professional experience to benefit St. Andrew’s and is excited to see what the future holds for our church. Beth lives in Lino Lakes with her family and two dogs.

Sharon Pfeiffer

Sharon has been a member of St. Andrew’s for 8 years. In addition to the preaching and the music ministries, she was drawn to the many volunteer and personal growth opportunities in the church.  Sharon currently serves on the Foundation Board and volunteers in a variety of ways including serving the CRC as a van driver and was a Hugo Homeless Shelter renovator.  She has regularly attended several Bible studies and is delighted that her faith journey includes having traveled with the St. Andrew’s Israel Pilgrimage in 2019.  Now retired, Sharon’s professional career spanned 34 years with Wells Fargo MN in various capacities including that of Community Bank President for the north and east TC Metro area.  Her professional passions centered around leadership and team member development.  Sharon has a big heart for service and looks forward to leveraging her personal and professional experience to help St. Andrew’s successfully continue its mission.  She lives in Woodbury with her spouse Kris and two dogs Cleo and Dolly.

Heidi Vlasak

Heidi and her husband Scott have been members of St. Andrew’s for 26 years, drawn by the preaching, music and variety of ministries.  Heidi is a Senior Quality Manager in Europe/Middle East/Africa at Boston Scientific, based here in Minnesota.  An international role builds on 30 years’ experience in medical product development and quality, and 15 years’ involvement in BSC’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.  She has a passion for STEM engagement for girls, was a founding member of BSC’s STEM Education Council and created sustained corporate/community and school partnerships, also serving on the Project Lead the Way Community Board.  Heidi has sung in St. Andrew’s Choir for 22 years.  After years of teaching Confirmation and volunteering in Youth Ministry with now-adult children Sarah and Ben, she now serves on the Systemic Team of Inclusion Ministry.

Annika Winke – Student Representative 

Annika Winke lives in North Oaks and attends 9th Grade at Mahtomedi High School.  She is a member of the volleyball, tennis, and ski teams, and the Fellowship of Christians Club at her school.  In her spare time she enjoys watching sunsets, baking, crafts, volunteering, Bible journaling, reading, her pets, hanging out with friends and listening to music.  Annika lives with her parents, Brian and Mara, Grandma, and her younger brother Finn.  Her active involvement at St. Andrews includes 9th grade Confirmation, being a weekly volunteer as Sunday School teacher, kitchen volunteer for Nagwa, VBS teacher and “volunteering for wherever Per tells me to go.”