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Alumni Recognition

Alumni Awards

2026 Award Recipients

Concordia St. Paul recognizes the excellence of its alumni through the following honors: Alumni Distinguished Service Award, Educator of the Year and Service to the Church. This group of honorees will be recognized at a banquet on Friday, September 18, 2026.

Alumni Distinguished Service Award

The Alumni Distinguished Service Award allows Concordia University, St. Paul to recognize its alumni who are exceptionally accomplished in their fields of endeavor. This is our premier award and only those who meet all criteria will be considered.

  • Jerilyn Bates
    B.A. '91
  • Daniel Mueller Headshot
    Daniel Mueller
    B.B.A. '03
  • Paul Perseke Headshot
    Paul Perseke
    B.A. '88
  • Dan Wills Headshot
    Daniel Wills
    M.A. '12

Service to the Church Award

The Service to the Church award is conferred upon alumni who have modeled for others a life of dedicated service to God and humanity, for enlightened care of God’s creation, all within the context of the Christian Gospel; who have acknowledged and used the gifts from the Holy Spirit; loved God and their neighbor and is a witness of the Gospel.

  • Phil Johnson Headshot
    Phillip Johnson
    B.A. '82
  • Vue Lee Headshot
    Rev. Vue Lee
    B.A. '18, M.A. '25
  • Lonn Maly Headshot
    Lonn Maly
    B.A. '81
  • William Utech Headshot
    Rev. Dr. William Utech
    B.A. '81

Educator of the Year Award

The Educator of the Year award is conferred upon alumni of Concordia University, St. Paul who have demonstrated exemplary performance in creating communities of learning that positively engage students, family, and the community at large.

  • Chris Dennis
    Christopher Dennis
    B.A. '05, M.A. '08
  • Gary Fritz Headshot
    Gary Fritz
    B.A. '88
  • Karen Lee Headshot
    Karen Henschen Lee
    B.A. '86
  • Sam Seefeld Headshot
    Sam Seefeld
    B.A. '07

Nomination Process

Under the leadership of the Concordia University, St. Paul Alumni Association, nominations are gathered from alumni, staff, faculty, and friends of the university. Recipients are annually recognized for their achievements during Homecoming weekend.

​Nominations are now closed for 2026. Check back in 2027 for the next nomination opportunity.