CEO of Negwer Materials, Parent
Lutheran High School North Class of 1975

Scott Negwer (LHSN '75) played soccer at Lutheran North, but waited until his college years at Blackburn College to become a student leader, Resident Assistant, and peer group counselor. According to Scott, Lutheran North provided the building blocks for his successful college career, teaching him to think and formulate ideas. Studying economics at Blackburn provided some preparation, but the years of working in the family business were equally as important as he learned the business from the ground up. He is now President and Chief Executive Officer of that good-sized family business, Negwer Materials. He and his wife Jennifer are members of Atonement Lutheran Church. Their two daughters, Michelle and Lindsey, are alums of North and Curt is currently a student; all three have followed their dad’s lead and played soccer for North.

CEO and Co-owner of SSE, Parent
Lutheran High School South Class of 1966

F. Mark Kuhlmann (LHSS '66) was active in student council and served as the senior class president. While at South, he played JV baseball and basketball, and then varsity tennis and soccer. After graduating from Washington University with a degree in political science, he earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and then returned to St. Louis to practice law, initially with Stolar Partnership. He joined the McDonnell Douglas law division and eventually became General Counsel and Senior Vice President for McDonnell Douglas. He also served four years as president of their commercial information technology division.

After helping lead the merger with Boeing, Mark is now one of two owners and is co-CEO of SSE, a St. Louis firm that provides a wide range of information technology solutions and services. In addition to his corporate leadership, he feels: “I was encouraged to be of service and to be in ministry by my education at South; in my case that led me to many years of service on community and Lutheran boards.” Mark and his wife Barbara have two grown children, both graduates of Lutheran South, and currently attend St. Paul Lutheran Church in Des Peres.

Government & Business Professional, Parents
Lutheran High School North
Class of 1976 & 1976

Kevin Cross (LHSN '75) and Rhonda (LHSN '76) met at Lutheran North and are perpetuating a tradition with their two children. Kevin participated in football and track before heading first to Lincoln University and then to Arizona State where he studied business. He is now Inventory Manager for Save-a-Lot. Rhonda, was a cheerleader, member of the first girls’ track team, student council and a columnist for the Courier, attended Southeast Missouri State, studying marketing and home economics. She earned a Masters of Arts in Computer Resources/Information Technology Management from Webster University and now serves as an Information Technology Specialist for the Department of Defense. Their daughter attends North (and is a cheerleader) and their son will be coming soon. They appreciated the fact that their kids were connected with North through the academic fair, instrumental program and sports before they actually started as students. According to them, “The smaller classes and more focus on the students makes North even better than when we attended.” Kevin and Rhonda are members of Salem Lutheran Church in Black Jack.

Church Workers, Parents
Lutheran High School North
Class of 1974

Pastor Joel (LHSN '74) and Lori Vogelsmeier Christiansen (LHSN '74) feel that the commitment to ministry and the modeling of servant-hood of their Lutheran North teachers were critical in who they have become—Pastor of Webster Gardens Lutheran Church and Executive Director of the Lutheran Association of Special Education respectively.

While at Lutheran North, Lori was a member of the Student Council and the National Honor Society, the Girls’ Athletic Association, and participated in choral and musical productions. Joel played soccer and tennis, was in the band and the National Honor Society. Both went to Valparaiso University. Joel then continued to the Seminary in St. Louis, and while he vicared in Odessa, TX, Lori earned a masters in reading at the University of Texas.

Joel served two congregations in Oklahoma for 13 years before returning in 1995 to St. Louis to Webster Gardens; Lori taught remedial reading, special education and served as a special education consultant before joining LASE. Their daughter Rachel, who attends Valparaiso, graduated from Lutheran South in 2003, and their son is currently president of the National Honor Society at South.

Lawyer, Lutheran High School South
Class of 1993

Brent, a 1993 LHSS graduate, was an all-around student, playing JV basketball, baseball and football for four years, participating in musicals and plays, and serving as president of the National Honor Society. He earned a BA/BS in economics and English from Vanderbilt University and then earned his J.D. at the University of Missouri, Columbia in 2000. According to Brent, “many of my teachers at South taught in a style similar to my college professors, challenging me to think critically.” Brent practices general corporate law, including commercial real estate and mergers and acquisitions, with Blumfeld, Kaplan, and Sandweiss. Brent and his wife Ashley are members of Concordia, Kirkwood, and maintain close friendships with some of Brent’s South friends.