Matt Dery, a sports radio broadcaster turned teacher, joins the podcast for a conversation about how he took a non-traditional path to becoming an educator and the ways he was able to connect with and bring a different perspective to his students and parents in the classroom. He talks about some of the approaches he used in getting on his students …

Rebecca Friedrichs, author of Standing up to Goliath, has spent her career fighting within the school system to protect her students and parents from the darkness and grief that the teachers' unions have caused. Friedrichs wrote an editorial that was featured in her local newspaper. That piece started the wheels in motion in challenging the union a…

Rev. Joel Kaiser, Associate Pastor at St. Lorenz Lutheran Church in Frankenmuth, MI, talks with Richard Schumacher on the role he plays in welcoming new students and families to their Lutheran school. With enrollment increasing during the pandemic, a wonderful opportunity presented itself to evangelize to these new students and families. Kaiser is …

Dr. Danisha Keating joins the podcast and shares her story about growing up in an environment of abuse within a foster care environment. From homelessness and taking care of her siblings, to earning her Ph.D. Dr. Keating tells her story to help other children who are in foster care as well as foster parents. A research psychologist, Dr. Keating’s t…

LSEM’s Dr. Tracie Salgado and Richard Schumacher are joined by Dr. Tanya Calendo, Principal at Christ Greenfield Lutheran School in Gilbert, AZ and Angie Schiller, Principal at Yuma Lutheran School in Yuma, AZ. In their conversation they talk about how each principal made their respective schools so large and successful. Each has a larger vision fo…

A frequent contributor to the podcast, Travis Grulke, Superintendent of Schools for the Michigan District, is also a frequent conference speaker where he provides education and training on a variety of topics including the difference between balance and harmony in our lives, what it means to be a Lutheran educator, decision making and the seven hab…

Kyle Chuhran is the Elementary Education Coordinator at Concordia University Ann Arbor and Act Money Coaching. In this podcast we talk finances and help our teachers better use their God-given resources. He loves teaching and helps students become teachers and ultimately get placed in their student teaching positions. Seeing his students grow acade…

While the sun was rising behind Doug Grove, the Head of School at Concordia International School in Hanoi, Vietnam, we were recording our first international podcast the evening before. In this engaging conversation, Doug talks about his path to accepting the call to work internationally. Always interested in learning and experiencing new things, D…

Dr. Kim Marxhausen, a frequent contributor to the podcast and a teacher in the honors program at the University of Nebraska, shares her insights with special education educators and in this episode covers the topic of learned helplessness. Learned helplessness occurs as a result of a set of circumstances that students face, including trauma, that c…

Karin Freeland, a life coach, speaker and author, joins the podcast for an inspiring conversation with LSEM’s new Director of Special Education, Dr. Tracie Salgado. Karin, a self-proclaimed recovered corporate workaholic, talks about the challenges teachers face in and out of their classrooms and what they can do to create the best version of thems…

In this podcast, we introduce Dr. Tracie Salgado — LSEM’s new Director of Special Education. Dr. Salgado has taught for over 25 years, both here and internationally in New Zealand, China and Mexico. She knew she wanted to become a teacher at a young age when she playeed the role with her siblings and friends growing up. She talks about the importan…

Ted Neitzke makes a return visit to the podcast and shares his insights on developing good leaders in our educators and helping teachers embrace the idea of being a leader and how administrators can support them in their roles. Neitzke has an extensive background in education and leadership. The former teacher, principal and superintendent is curre…

Dr. Julian Petzold, president of Lion Safety Consulting, joins the podcast to talk about safety in our schools, churches and buildings. He sheds light on the many things school administrators may not think of, but need to consider in today’s educational environment. After 28 years in education he earned his doctorate degree and did his research in …

Trip Rodgers is the Education Executive with the Central Illinois District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. In this role he specializes in education and congregational life and talks today about trauma and trauma response in our schools. During the discussion, Trip discusses how the pandemic has affected students both socially and academicall…

Stacy McGhee, President and CEO of LSEM, and Nicole Legalley, LSEM's new Philanthropy Specialist, join the podcast to talk about the ministry's 150th Anniversary celebration over the course of 2023 and the exciting future that God has planned for LSEM as they look to serve even more children across the country as well as the world.…

In this episode of the VVK Podcast, host Craig Fahle speaks with Rachel Alternative of the Alternative Foundation about her work in support of neighborhood improvement projects in Detroit. Then, Devon O'Reilly of the Detroit Regional Chamber discusses the upcoming Mackinac Policy Conference, and his work as the director of the influential "Leadersh…

Most of us don’t really think about our garbage, as long as it’s picked up on time at the curb each week…but the industry itself is actually pretty fascinating. Many cities used to have in house garbage service, but more an more communities have outsourced waste collection…and there are some very large companies that control a big slice of that bus…

In this special Valentine’s Day episode, we’re talking all about love. Host Evann Webb sat down with VVK’s VP of Creative Production John Heiple and his wife Angie, VVK’s Senior Executive Consultant Annmarie Erickson and her husband Paul, VVK friends Marc and Sharon Berke, and her own boyfriend, Robert Thomas, to discuss dating, marriage, and all t…

Today's guest on the program is New York Times bestselling author Dan Charnas, author of Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm. Detroit native J Dilla was a record producer, drummer, rapper and songwriter who died of a rare blood disease at the age of 32. Despite his short life, his impact on hip …

Today's episode includes two more interviews conducted at this year's Detroit Policy Conference. Guests today include Matt Elliott, president of Bank of American - Michigan, and the chair of this year's upcoming Mackinac Policy Conference. Craig and Matt discuss BofA's philanthropic efforts in Detroit, and also what Matt hopes will come from this y…

Our guests this week on the VVK Podcast are Bud Denker, President at Penske, and the Chair of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix sponsored by Lear, and Melanie Markowicz, Executive Director of the Greektown Neighborhood Partnership. The Grand Prix moves to downtown Detroit this year, and Greektown is getting ready for some major upgrades, including n…

Today's VVK podcast guests are the leaders of VVK PR+Creative. Founders Jamie Kaye Walters, Mike Sherman and Peter Van Dyke talk about the company's founding, the challenges and rewards of starting a new business, and what it takes to make a partnership work. We also welcome new VVK Podcast co-host Evann Webb to the program!…

In honor of Veterans day, we invited two distinguished vets to join us to discuss the importance of the holiday, and what we should consider as we try to ensure veterans get the opportunities they need to ensure success after the military. Today's guests are Ryan Friedrichs, who served in the U.S. Army, and State Representative Joe Tate, who served…

Don Tuski, President of The College of Creative Studies recently appeared on WDET's "Culture Shift" program to discuss the recent "Cumulus Detroit: Design for Adaptation" conference that CCS hosted recently. The conversation focused on the important international conference, why CCS and Detroit were chosen to host, and what role design will play in…

Our guests for the VVK podcast this week are Chanell Scott Contreras, executive director of ProsperUs, and Racheal Allen, COO of the Marygrove Conservancy. Both women are working to improve the climate for entrepreneurship in Detroit, especially among women of color. Chanell helps them get the capital they need to get started, while Rachel helps th…

Today, we get a bit introspective on what it takes to make a good talk show segment. More specifically, what makes for a "good" guest for a program? Is it polish? Expertise? Bombast? Perhaps a little of all of the above? Our guests today have a lot to say about it, and they should know. Jamie Kaye Walters is the COO / Head of Marketing and Talent f…

Our guest today is Barb McQuade, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. She is currently a law professor at the University of Michigan Law School, the host of the popular "Sisters in Law" podcast, and a regular contributor to MSNBC. We talk about her career trajectory, her work in media, and her rising influence and popularity. …

Craig's guest this week is Chris Moyer, Senior Director of Communications for Visit Detroit, aka the Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau. He also worked at the Detroit Regional Chamber, and has some experience in helping to create the annual Mackinac Policy Conference. The two discuss the challenges of juggling multiple events crammed into a bus…

Craig's guests for the latest VVK Podcast are New Detroit CEO Mike Rafferty, and Rebecca Irby, New Detroit's Director of Programs and Services. New Detroit was formed in response to civil unrest in 1967 that uncovered a host of entrenched social and community ills. At the request of then Michigan Governor George Romney and Detroit Mayor Jerome Cava…

Craig's guest is Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter. The longtime County Commissioner and former Mayor of Ferndale took over as County Executive in August of 2019, just two weeks after the death of longtime Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. Coulter is the first Democrat to hold the position, to which he was reelected handily in 2020.…

Craig's guest is Ambassador Žygimantas Pavilionis, a member of the Lithuanian Parliament, and the former Lithuanian Ambassador to the U.S. and Mexico. We caught up with the Ambassador at the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Mackinac Policy Conference, where he was raising funds for the defense of Ukraine, and trying to raise awareness of the impor…

The very first episode of the new VVK Podcast with Craig Fahle! Craig's guest for this inaugural edition is Cindy Pasky, CEO of Detroit based Strategic Staffing Solutions! The two caught up at the Grand Hotel for the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Mackinac Policy Conference. The wide ranging discussion focused on everything from civility, to COV…

Reverend Dr. Ryan Peterson, Vice President of Concordia University of Ann Arbor joins our podcast to discuss his responsibilities and how he landed in his role of Vice President. In this episode he recalls stories of what led him into the world of ministry, how he lives and breathes both Concordia University of Ann Arbor and Wisconsin’s mission and…

Ted Neitzke is CEO of Cesa 6, an influential and innovative education service agency based in Oshkosh, WI. His background consists of a life-long dedication to children; serving on all levels from middle school teacher to superintendent. Ted, who is also the mayor of Port Washington, WI, joins the podcast and talks about the ability for us all to b…

Dr. Chris Cody and Travis Grulke, education executives with the South Wisconsin and Michigan Districts, respectively, chat on the podcast about their districts' responses to COVID during these past two school years. They share how their schools and teachers have adapted to new ways of teaching that have included both virtual and in-person classroom…

Dr. Rebecca Schmidt returns to the Lutheran Education Podcast and shares how things have changed in Lutheran education over the past year. Dr. Schmidt talks about how schools have continued to keep their focus on God and the needs of their students in the midst of the pandemic.

Aaron Rohde, a third/fourth grade teacher at Trinity Lutheran School in Reed City, MI, joins the podcast to discussed brain-based education. In the second half of the episode he shares news about the release of his upcoming record, Rooted to Grow — a collection of original songs written and recorded by Rohde over the course of his career as a teach…

Inclusion means a lot of things to a lot of different people. In this podcast, Dr. Kara Bratton, LSEM's Special Education Director, discusses how it relates to students with special learning needs. She talks about how these students are valued in the classroom and how their presence is felt by their teachers and peers.…

Dr. John Brandt, Executive Director at Valley Lutheran High School in Saginaw, MI, joins the podcast for an entertaining conversation with host and former student, Richard Schumacher. The two share stories as Brandt reflects on his rewarding and successful career in teaching, coaching and school administration.…

In this episode Brett Hardecopf, Principal of St. John Lutheran Church and School in Elk River, MN, and his wife, Heather, share their personal insights for how church workers can deal with personal crisis.

Matthew Bergholt, manager of online support and services for the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, joins the podcast to talk about the use of online learning technologies in these times and how we can apply what we're using today when we return to the classroom.

Lutheran Special Education Ministry's Kara Bratton and Rich Schumacher talk about the current state of special education and how the pandemic and school closures are affecting their services to children and families.

Recorded prior to the Coronavirus outbreak that has disrupted the traditional school year across the entire country, Joel Landskroener, the executive director at Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer, MN and the Genesis Virtual Academy and, Kim Ross, Director of the Genesis Virtual Academy, join the podcast in what has turned out to be a very timely …

DJ Schult, Assistant to the President of the North Wisconsin District, joins Rich Schumacher on the podcast to talk about his efforts in developing stronger relationships with the schools within his district and creating better opportunities to share and provide ideas to help teachers and administrators with professional development in an ever-chan…

This is part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Kim Marxhausen, a former Lutheran school teacher and current LSEM speaker. We continue the conversation around parents and self-regulation. In this episode we take a closer look at the essential interaction that needs to take place in order for a child to develop.…

Dr. Kim Marxhausen, a former Lutheran school teacher and current LSEM speaker, returns to the podcast to talk about parents and self-regulation and its importance to learning. She'll discuss how students can take care of their own learning, behavior and emotions by appropriately activating, controlling and evaluating them.…

Tom Wrege, principal at Zion Lutheran School, Walburg, TX, joins the podcast to talk about how to run effective meetings. With 35 years in ministry and 20 as a principal, he’s participated in all types of meetings with fellow leaders, teachers and parents. He’s seen the good and the bad and this podcast is for anyone in a leadership role looking fo…