Board of Deacons

The Board of Deacons assists the pastors in all matters pertaining to the spiritual welfare of the Congregation, encouraging the Congregation in worship, partaking of the Sacraments, supporting whole life stewardship, and practicing Christian life.
Dan Mahn
Chairman

Dan is a life-long Lutheran and has been a member of St. Matthew since 2021. Dan has a wife, Marlene, and two adult sons. Dan lives in Kildeer and is currently employed as Digital Design Company’s CTO. Dan’s interests include computers, computer networking, coding, open source software, creation science, youth ministry, reading, music, nature photography and nutrition. Dan graduated from Milwaukee School of Engineering with a BS in Computer Science and Engineering, and is a member of Tau Beta Pi, IEEE and ACM.
Ron Behrens

Ron was confirmed at St. Matthew where he attended 1st through 8th grade. He has served on various committees and boards as did his parents, Florence and Erling. He is a retired Electrical Engineer (Valparaiso University) and a licensed Professional Engineer (Illinois). Employers included Kemper Insurance and Hartford Steam Boiler. He retired in 2023 as Sr. Director of Loss Control Services. He married DiAnn in the Historic Chapel, and they have two grown children and a granddaughter, all in Illinois. Ron's hobbies include fishing, gardening, and RV camping.    
Dwight Sawusch

A life-long Lutheran, Dwight joined St. Matthew in the 90s while dating his wife, Gloria. He and his wife live in Lakemoor and have 2 sons (Tyler and Jacob) and 1 grandson (Giovanni). He recently returned to the Board of Deacons after a 2 year hiatus. He graduated from Northern Illinois University with a BS in Computer Science and Finance and recently retired after 40 years with Allstate Insurance and Discover Financial Services. In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking, landscaping, reading and time with his family.
Ken Grooms
Ken grew up attending Calvary Lutheran Church in Wood Dale. He was the first youth acolyte there. He graduated from Southern Illinois University with a BS in Administrative Sciences. He served 6 years in Illinois Air National Guard. He owned Grooms Insurance Assoc. in Lake Zurich for 33 years before retiring. Ken is in his third year as a deacon here. He lives in Grayslake and has 2 grown children and  4 grandkids. He has attended St. Matthew since 2016, becoming a member shortly after. His hobbies are golf and grandkids.
Gary Midkiff

Gary is the Chairman of the the Stewardship Committee and Founder of the Northern Illinois District Lutheran Stewardship Network. Gary lectures and writes about American foreign policy and American history and publishes a political newsletter titled "The View From My Balcony". Gary's two main hobbies are cooking (he graduated from culinary school in France) and writing fiction - his novel "Busville" is available on Amazon. Gary graduated from the University of Chicago and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern.  Gary and his wife Carol live in Buffalo Grove. 
Todd Walther

Todd is a lifelong member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) and was baptized at Signal Hill Lutheran Church. Todd has served in several congregations, including Messiah Lutheran Church in Kenosha, where he was as an elder. Todd is a graduate of Southern Illinois University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Math Education. After many rewarding years of teaching, he is now retired and lives in Mundelein. Todd and his wife of 31 years are blessed with three wonderful daughters. When not spending time with his family, Todd enjoys home brewing beer, watching sports, and substitute teaching in nearby schools.
Keith W. Lambrecht
​
Keith has been a member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church since 2021 and a life-long Lutheran since being confirmed in 1967. Keith served as a Deacon at St. Matthew from 2024-25 and is now beginning a second 3-year term after a 1 year absence. Keith is married to his wife, Suzanne for 51 years and they live in Hawthorn Woods. They have four grandchildren. Keith retired in July, 2024 as Professor Emeritus in the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago. Keith enjoys riding bikes and is an avid golfer. He likes watching football, basketball, and golf and is a Green Bay Packers fan!
Michael Mulder

Michael’s history with St. Matthew began as a young child, attending church with his family for years. After being away from the church in his teenage and early adult years, he felt a calling to return and officially became a member of the congregation in 2024. His decision to return was driven by a desire for fellowship, community and ultimately to be married to his wife, Jackie, in January of 2025. Shortly after, Michael joined the board of Deacons as an opportunity to further serve the congregation. Michael is a commercial insurance agent, and currently lives in Wauconda. Outside of the church and work, he is an avid baseball enthusiast who can be found coaching youth baseball or listening to the Chicago Cubs on the radio.
Michael Herczeg
Glenn Wickboldt

Glenn grew up in the Lutheran faith attending Messiah Lutheran School, Luther North High School, and Concordia Colleges (Milwaukee, Fort Wayne, and River Forest).  Now retired, Glenn was employed as a laser programmer and operator. He married Laurie, whom he met in high school, and they will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this year. They have three adult sons, all who live nearby, and they enjoy spending time with their four grandchildren. Glenn enjoys a variety of sports including football, basketball, baseball, and golf.  He has been a member of St. Matthew for eighteen years, where he has served as a deacon and usher.
Dave Jahnke

Dave is a life-long Lutheran and long-time member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church and new to the Deacon role. Dave grew up in Lake County and attended Augustana College where he majored in Biology. Dave and his wife have been married for 23 years and live in Fox Lake. Dave’s career has been in the pharmaceutical industry, working for various healthcare companies (Abbott Laboratories, Hospira, Pfizer, among others) in various scientific, consulting, program management and commercial roles. Dave enjoys rooting for the Chicago sport teams as well as playing golf, doing DIY house projects and spending time with family and friends.