Concordia presents honorary degrees at graduation

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Concordia University will recognize six individuals with honorary degrees and awards at its 109th commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 7, in the Walz Human Performance Complex arena. The degrees and awards celebrate the contributions and service of these individuals to the Concordia community and the world.

Col. Eric J. Teegerstrom of Firth will present the commencement address and will receive the Distinguished Service Award from Concordia during the ceremony. The Distinguished Service Award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated the use of God’s gifts in outstanding public service. Teegerstrom, a well-respected leader in the United States Army, has given 24 years of service to our country, executing extensive, commendable military service with dignity, integrity and dedication.

Five additional individuals will receive honorary degrees or awards during commencement. Those receiving honors are Roland A. Temme of Lincoln, the Doctor of Laws degree; Dr. David M. Hahn of Saratoga Springs, New York, the Doctor of Laws degree; Dr. Frederick H. Schamber of Murrysville, Pennsylvania, the Doctor of Letters degree; John C. Bobzin of Concordia, Missouri, the Master Educator Award; and Virginia Von Seggern of Orchard, the Crest of Christ Award.

Eric Teegerstrom

Col. Eric J. Teegerstrom earned a bachelor of arts degree in physical education from Concordia College in Seward in 1988. Teegerstrom then attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1989 to 1991 to complete Army ROTC and a history degree, and he was selected to serve as a regular army officer in 1992.

Throughout his time in the Army, Teegerstrom continued to advance his leadership and armed forces training, attending Armor School, Command and General Staff College and Joint Forces Staff College. Most recently, he earned a Master of Strategic Studies from United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 2015.

Early in his career, Teegerstrom was second in command over more than 250 soldiers who were the first to deploy to Bosnia in 1995 as part of the Dayton Peace Accords. He then commanded 129 soldiers through training rotations that earned their unit the prestigious “Draper Award,” identifying them as the most outstanding armor/cavalry unit in the division.

After gaining additional experience leading soldiers through demanding training, Teegerstrom became second in command of nearly 1,000 soldiers deployed to Iraq, making him responsible for his unit’s administration, logistics, maintenance and civil support functions. While in Iraq he was awarded the Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge.

After deployment, he was the officer in charge of the daily leadership and administration of a military school that supported more than 5,000 students each year.

Teegerstrom was later selected to command and deploy a military police battalion of 600 soldiers and 300 sailors. They operated the one military prison in the Greater Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Upon completion of his mission in Afghanistan, he was awarded a Bronze Star.

More recently and state-side, Teegerstrom was second in command of 1,500 soldiers in cavalry, aviation, military police and support units and served as the domestic operations officer for the State of Nebraska.

Currently, Teegerstrom is the commander of the 92nd Troop Command, as well as the deputy United States property and fiscal officer for the Nebraska National Guard. He provides direction, guidance and motivation to more than 1,600 soldiers.

Teegerstrom has professional and academic memberships in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, National Guard Association, Nebraska National Guard Officer Association, United States Cavalry Association and The Order of Saint George. He is also an active member of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Hickman, Nebraska.

Teegerstrom and his wife, Lynette, live near Firth with their two daughters, Lydia and Sydney.

Roland A. Temme

Roland A. Temme is founder, owner, chief executive officer and former president at TMCO Inc., which specializes in one-stop, concept-to-completion metal manufacturing services in Lincoln. Temme founded the company in 1974 after earning a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1969 and then working in business for several years.

Built on a foundation of quality and customer service, TMCO has grown to more than 200 employees, including many former refugees, who aim to exceed expectations in every interaction with clients. Temme is a strategic, engaging businessman who has built a highly skilled team in areas of assembly, metal fabrication, machining, power coating, tube fabrication and welding, to name a few.

In addition to providing strategic, long-term direction and guidance for his employees, Temme promotes, leads and contributes to community service activities.

Temme served as chairman of the board of elders and chairman of the board of evangelism at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was also the director of Vacation Bible School. He remains an active member of the choir.

Temme also serves generously in the Lincoln community. He was a member of the board of directors at Lincoln Lutheran Jr./Sr. High School and is on the board of trustees at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, board of directors of Junior Achievement and board of directors of the Lincoln Literacy Council. Temme is also a member of the Tocqueville Society for United Way, a donor to Lutheran Family Services and an organ student scholarship sponsor for Concordia University.

He has improved community experiences by providing funding for a caldron for the State Games of America in Lincoln, benches at Concordia University, additions to Lincoln Children’s Zoo, the Witherbee Neighborhood Sculpture in Lincoln and the Sunken Gardens Dome in Lincoln, among others.

Temme has been recognized with awards honoring the contributions made to his field: Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Manufacturer of the Year in 2015, Nebraska Representative in AOL’s “This Built America” series in 2014, the Douglas E. Parrott Faith in Action Award from Lutheran Family Services in 2013, a New Americans Task Force Honoree for exceptional work with refugees in 2012 and the LIBA Enterprising Gambler Award in 2011.

Temme lives with his wife, Hiroko, in Lincoln, and they have two children: David and Diane.

David M. Hahn

Dr. David M. Hahn is a warm and charismatic leader in Lutheran education, inspiring others by demonstrating Christian integrity and tireless servant leadership. He gives his teachers and coaches creative freedom to develop their programs for the benefit of students and seizes opportunities to work alongside them to make their jobs easier and more effective.

Hahn graduated from Concordia Teachers College, now Concordia University Chicago, in 1975 with a bachelor of arts in education. He earned a master of education in secondary education with a concentration in history from Towson University in 1979 while working as a teacher and coach at Baltimore Lutheran High School in Towson, Maryland, teaching history and social sciences and coaching basketball, tennis and baseball. Hahn also holds a doctorate in educational administration, earned in 1992 from the University of Minnesota.

In 1980, Hahn became the director of development at Suomi College in Hancock, Michigan, successfully directing a $2.5 million “CALL TO COMMITMENT” capital campaign.

From 1982 to 1987, Hahn was the Chief Executive Officer of Association for 17 Lutheran congregations and the executive director at Lutheran High School of Minneapolis in Edina, Minnesota. He grew enrollment to 250 students in grades 9-12, directed five successful development campaigns, eliminated past operating debt, enhanced salaries and facilities and balanced budgets.

Hahn recently retired from a 28-year commitment as the head of Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School and Long Island Lutheran Day School at St. Paul’s in suburban New York City. There he oversaw a series of capital campaigns that raised more than $30 million for campus development, programmatic enhancements and endowment growth; supervised construction for five buildings and an athletic field/stadium; and coordinated the Memorial Endowment Fund board in raising funds and managing assets of $8 million. Hahn also led summer programs, serving more than 4,000 students annually.

Hahn has received many honors, including the Christus Award for Excellence from The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Educator of the Year and Administrator of the Year awards from the Lutheran Schools Association in New York and the Virgil Anderson Award from the Association of Lutheran Development Executives (ALDE).

Hahn’s dedication to serving in the church and world comes through in his church and community involvement, serving as director, board member, speaker, consultant and trustee for various charitable and church organizations. He currently serves as the executive director of the Association of Lutheran Secondary Schools.

Hahn has been married for 40 years to his wife, Janet, also a called Lutheran teacher. They live in Saratoga Springs, New York, and have three grown daughters, Julie, Kristin and Allison, and three grandsons, Jackson, Declan and Beckett.

Frederick H. Schamber

Dr. Frederick H. Schamber graduated from Concordia Teachers College in Seward with a bachelor of science in secondary education in 1963. His undergraduate emphases in physical science and mathematics equipped him to earn a doctorate in nuclear physics from Iowa State University in 1970.

After graduating, Schamber served as a health physicist and instrumentation specialist for National Accelerator Laboratory until 1972. From 1972 to 1990, he built a career at Tracor Northern Inc., starting as a programmer, advancing to manager of the software group, serving as vice president of research and development and then expanding his experience as vice president and manager of the electron beam instruments division.

From 1990 to 1995, Schamber was technical director of the instruments division at RJ Lee Group. From 1995 to 2013, he was Chief Technology Officer at Aspex Corporation, formerly RJ Lee Instruments Ltd. As he neared retirement in early 2016, Schamber was the principal scientist for FEI Corporation (Aspex Group).

Schamber has 30 years of experience managing all facets of scientific instrument design and development. He is an expert in design and fabrication of electron-optical instruments, computer programming, spectroscopy instrumentation and data analysis algorithms, among others.

Schamber’s creativity and skills were recognized publicly through 11 publications, six patents and numerous internal and trade journal publications.

In addition to his scientific contributions, Schamber serves his community faithfully. He is a council member and the secretary of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Export, Pennsylvania. He also authors “Fish Hooks,” a weekly conversational bulletin insert on Christian, Lutheran topics coupled with discussion materials.

For more than 40 years, Schamber developed Bible studies, taught teen and adult Bible classes, assisted in worship services and sang in the choir. He also served on congregation councils for approximately 20 years for Lutheran congregations in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

With his wife, Julie, Schamber is active in Lutheran Marriage Encounter (LME), a pan-Lutheran organization that provides a weekend experience to strengthen Christian marriages. They have organized and presented 53 weekends since 2000. They served as national presenting couple coordinators for seven years and are currently serving as presenting couple coordinators for District 1 of LME.

The couple recently returned from a medical mission trip to Potenau, Haiti, as part of Good Shepherd Foundation, through which they helped with logistics and worked with children.

Schamber lives in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Julie. They have three children: Pamela, Kimberly and Douglas.

John C. Bobzin

John C. Bobzin has exemplified excellence in teaching, leading and caring for students since graduating with a bachelor of science in education and a Lutheran Teacher Diploma from Concordia Teachers College in Seward in 1965. He is also a 1961 graduate of Concordia High School in Seward.

Bobzin began his first teaching call in 1965 at Zion Lutheran School in Lyons, Illinois, where he also served as principal from 1967 to 1970. While serving there, he attended Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Illinois, where he pursued coursework in education administration.

He then was called as teacher, principal and Director of Christian Education at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and School in Yonkers, New York, and served there until 1974 when he was called to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School in Pomona, California, as teacher and principal. In 1983 he accepted the call to be the founding principal of Grace Lutheran School in Modesto, California.

Bobzin began teaching on the secondary level in 1986, serving as the coordinator of congregational relations and religion instructor at Faith Lutheran High School in Laverne, California. In 1990 he began pursuing a Master of Science degree from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri. He completed his master’s degree in 1992.

He was called to Saint Paul Lutheran High School in Concordia, Missouri, in 1991 to serve as coordinator of communications and religion instructor. Today he serves as instructor in sociology and religion, and he is dean of faculty. He is also an adjunct instructor at Concordia University.

Bobzin maintains a professional membership in the Lutheran Education Association. He teaches adult Bible class at Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Concordia and has served in various other capacities at the church.

From 2006 to 2015 Bobzin was the commissioned minister representative to the Board of Directors of the Missouri District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and he has served on convention floor committees for LCMS Missouri District conventions and at the synodical convention. He is a past member of the Chamber of Commerce in Concordia.

Bobzin lives in Concordia, Missouri, with his wife, Sharon. They have four children: Jodi Colwell, Amy Woods, Rebecca Ryals and John T. Bobzin.

Virginia Von Seggern

Virginia Von Seggern, the former national president of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) and a professional in health care for more than 40 years, has dedicated her life to serving others and leading endeavors to proclaim the Gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Von Seggern’s involvement in the church started with volunteer opportunities at her church and local and zone positions within the LWML. She held various offices with the LWML Nebraska North District before serving as president from 1986 to 1990.

As the vice president of mission education for the LWML from 1995 to 1999, Von Seggern inspired other LWML leaders to make a difference in the church and world. From 1999 to 2003, Von Seggern was the national president of the LWML, and she continues to serve the district as parliamentarian and in other roles as needed.

During her time as national president, Von Seggern encouraged women of all ages in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to develop the organization into an improved, open and caring structure. Mission, mites and mentoring were her key areas of focus. She continues to encourage women to expand their vision, be flexible and continually hold the core structure of the LWML in the forefront of their activities.

Von Seggern remains active in church and mission activities in local, regional and national organizations. She served as an elected member on the LCMS Board for World Missions from 2004 to 2010. She also serves as chair of the Lutheran Bible Translators board of directors and is a member of the Lutheran Hour Ministries President’s Council, the LCMS Nebraska District board of directors and the Lutheran Ministry Foundation of the LCMS Nebraska District.

Von Seggern graduated from Bryan Memorial School of Nursing in Lincoln in 1960. She served as a registered nurse for more than 30 years and dedicated 10 years of professional service to Avera Creighton Hospital as director of marketing and public relations until 2007. Von Seggern has belonged to the American Red Cross in Nebraska and many other nursing organizations.

Von Seggern and her husband, Burnell, live in rural Nebraska near Orchard where they are currently members at St. Paul Lutheran Church. They are the parents of three grown children, David Von Seggern, Kay Von Seggern Hincker (deceased) and Susan Von Seggern Krutsinger, and grandparents of seven grandchildren. They own and operate a farming business in Knox County and have resided on the family farm for more than 50 years.