Meet Our Staff
Being a Lutheran school professional is more than a job, it is a calling. ESM is blessed to have a dedicated staff of people that are committed to establishing Christ firmly at the center of life and connecting children and families to the grace freely offered by our loving Savior. All of our classroom educators are rostered and called to serve as Lutheran Church Missouri Synod teachers.
Below you will find a staff and faculty directory along with biographical information about our professional staff.
PRINCIPAL
Principal
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
Assistant Principal - Preschool
Assistant Principal and Preschool Director, Jennifer Ackmann, is a product of Emmanuel-...
Assistant Principal - Union Street and Athletic Director
Assistant Principal
Keri Latin is ESM's Assitant Principal and has her office at the Getz Road cam...
Administration
Secretary - Getz Rd Campus
Finance Manager

School Counselor
Admissions Director
Food Service Director
Assistant Principal - Union Street and Athletic Director
Administrative Assistant - Union St. Campus
Shepherd of the School
Preschool Teachers
Preschool Teacher, Getz Campus
Preschool Teacher, Union Campus
Preschool Teacher, Getz Campus
Preschool Teacher, Union Campus
Kindergarten
Teacher - Kindergarten
Jewell Labrash is a graduate of Taylor University with a BS in elementary education and...
Teacher - Kindergarten
First Grade
Teacher - Grade 1
Mary Smith is another proud graduate of Concordia University Chicago. With a BA in elem...
Teacher - Grade 1
First grade teacher, Bethann Wright, holds a BA in elementary education with a minor in...
Second Grade
Teacher - Grade 2
Teacher - Grade 2
Sarah Smith joined the ESM teaching staff in 2022. Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Sarah...
Third Grade
Teacher - Grade 3
Understanding that there is good-natured rivalry between graduates within the Concordia...
Teacher - Grade 3
After years of joyfully serving as teacher aide at ESM, Amy Konow turned her attention ...
Fourth Grade
Teacher - Grade 4
Teacher - Grade 4
As a mother of three, Susan Murphy brings her maternal instincts and nurturing nature t...
Fifth Grade
Teacher - Grade 5
When Joshua Eggold is not front and center in his fifth-grade classroom, he is likely t...
Teacher - Grade 5
Rachael Johnson is a native of Fort Wayne. She attended Bethlehem Lutheran Sc...
Sixth Grade
Teacher - Grade 4
Abby (Wietfeldt) McCoy joined the ESM family in 2021 as one of our 4th grade ...
Teacher - Grade 6
The youngest of six children in her family, Kathy Palmreuter grew up on a farm in Vassa...
Seventh Grade
Teacher - Grade 7
Teacher - Grade 7 / Spanish Teacher
Representing Concordia University Chicago, Rebekah Staub has a BA in secondary educatio...
Eighth Grade
Teacher - Grade 8 / MS Choir Director
With a BS in secondary education and a concentration in biology and instrumental music,...
PE, Art, Music & Technology
Teacher - Getz Rd Music
Pauline Benner serves in a variety of roles at ESM. She teaches elementary general...
Teacher - Union St Art, Finance Administrative Assistant
Casey Lee brings to ESM gifts in both education and administration. She is a grad...
Teacher - 4th & 5th Music
Stephanie Maxson graces our campuses with the sound of music! As St. Michael&rsqu...
Teacher - Physical Education
Kevin McGuigan is our PE teacher at the both campuses and boys varsity basketball ...
Teacher - Technology
Originally from Columbus, IN, Melissa Rush has been part of the ESM teaching staff sinc...
Teacher - Grade 8 / MS Choir Director
With a BS in secondary education and a concentration in biology and instrumental music,...
Resource
Resource Teacher - Union St. Campus
A Fort Wayne native, Lisa Heilman grew up attending St. Michael Lutheran Church and has...
Resource Teacher - Getz Rd Campus
Dana Hildebrand is a graduate of Concordia University-River Forest. She serves at...
Resource Teacher - Union St. Campus
Lisa Meeks graduated from Purdue University with a BA in elementary education. After se...
Resource Teacher - Union St. Campus
The 2019-2020 school year marks Kelly Steffen’s twenty-first year in the educatio...
Church Leadership
Asst. Pastor - Emmanuel
Pastor Dan Sheafer has served as associate pastor at Emmanuel since July 2016. He share...
Missional Pastor - St. Michael
Pastor Shawn is the son of a retired Air Force Chaplin. Shawn and his wife Anna met at ...
Senior Pastor - St. Michael
Rev. Dr. Dennis Goff was born in Columbus OH, the youngest of four children born to Lor...
Senior Pastor - Emmanuel
Pastor Eggold shares that "I love our church family. Preaching to, teaching, and c...