On Saturday, October 1, 2022, close to 300 guests attended the Cleveland Lutheran High School Association’s annual OMNIA gala, again held at The Cleveland Museum of Art. 

OMNIA’s purpose is to gather together supporters and friends of the CLHSA and our schools, Lutheran East (Cleveland Heights) and Lutheran West (Rocky River). Proceeds from the event directly benefit the schools and students through tuition assistance and school initiatives. 

Guests enjoyed a live band, food and beverages, a silent auction, and remarks from school leadership regarding exciting upcoming initiatives at each school.

Superintendent & CEO Chris Steinmann '00 introduced two upcoming capital campaigns, Lutheran East’s Faith and Future and Lutheran West’s Forward in Faith. 

The Faith and Future campaign at Lutheran East will raise funds to implement important campus updates, namely the completion of the air conditioning system throughout the building and the re-facing of the building’s exterior. The exterior work will not only provide a modern and appealing aesthetic which will create more visibility and recognition of Lutheran East from Mayfield Road, but it will also provide new windows and more prominent exterior signage. CLHSA administration is now meeting with those interested in hearing more about the Faith and Future campaign and seeing the initial renderings – to request a meeting, please complete the short contact form at https://www.lutheraneast.org/faithandfuture.

At Lutheran West, the Forward in Faith capital campaign, which has been in a quiet phase for the past twelve months, will soon launch publicly. The goal of this large-scale campaign is to expand the programs and physical facilities at Lutheran West in order to serve more students with more opportunities. To accommodate the recent growth stemming from the addition of grades 6-8 at Lutheran West, coupled with anticipated further growth to 800 total students, the school requires facility expansion and improvement. Plans for campus expansion include the addition of classroom space, addition of more state-of-the-art science labs, expansion of the scene shop and dressing rooms in the Jochum Performing Arts Center, an enclosed courtyard with an outdoor learning space, and more. Administration encourages anyone who is interested in seeing the plans for Lutheran West’s campus expansion, and/or hearing more about the Forward in Faith campaign, to request a meeting by completing the short contact form at https://www.lutheranwest.com/forwardinfaith. Additionally, all are welcome to visit Lutheran West on Friday, October 14 at 6:00 PM to hear a campaign update and attend a demolition ceremony at the MedWest Building (adjacent to Lutheran West’s campus) to mark the onset of future campus expansion. This Forward in Faith campaign kickoff event will be held prior to a home football game (Lutheran West vs. Independence), which begins at 7:00 PM and includes post-game fireworks over Alumni Field. 

OMNIA would not have been possible without the generous donations and support of many contributors to the silent auction. To all those who contributed products, services, and their time, we thank you wholeheartedly. 

We would also like to thank all those who raised their paddles during the “Dollars for Scholars” portion of the evening. This segment centers around giving to student tuition assistance at both schools, so that more families can make a Christ-centered education a reality for their student(s).

In addition to celebrating and supporting the CLHSA’s schools and students, OMNIA marks the induction of new members into the school’s Distinguished Alumni programs. This year, thirteen new Distinguished Alumni were recognized: Mr. Jeffrey Black LW’82, Mr. John Blackburn LW’78, Dr. Lisa Chavers LE’77, Mr. Matthew Fish LW’91, Ms. Helen Forbes Fields J.D. LE’77, Mr. Bruce Glawe LW’71, Ms. Deborah McFadden LW’75, Mr. David McKee LE’68, Mrs. Ruth Pangrace LW’69, Mr. Brent Stehlik LW’95, Mr. Brian Upton LW’87, Mr. Mark Watson LW’86, and Mrs. Stacy Watson LW’88.

To read biographies for each new Distinguished Alumnus, visit the Distinguished Alumni pages of our school websites: Lutheran East at https://www.lutheraneast.org/distinguishedalumni; Lutheran West at https://www.lutheranwest.com/distinguishedalumni.

We’re pleased to share that the event raised important funds to support students, families, and programs at our schools. Thank you to all those who made a contribution, whether through ticket purchases, auction bidding, Dollars for Scholars, sponsorships, advertisements, or giving of their time and talents. Your gifts truly make a difference in the lives of our young people.

The CLHSA would especially like to thank the 2022 OMNIA Planning Committee: Charlene Coughlin LW’01 (Committee Chair and Lutheran West Operating Board Member), Debi Albrecht LW’85 (Lutheran West Alumni Director), Andrea (Waugh) Buskirk ‘06, Loretta Childs (Lutheran East Alumni Director) Joe Gray (CLHSA Assistant Superintendent), Regina Gray, Ashley Koza (CLHSA Director of Development), Rick Labus LE’61, Melinda Luecke LW’03 (OMNIA Coordinator), Jessica Miller (CLHSA Director of Communications & Marketing), Ruth Ninke ‘65, Judy Pflaum (Lutheran West Staff), and Miranda Pflaum LW’15.

Finally, we’d like to extend a special thank you to the sponsors and advertisers of OMNIA 2022 (in alphabetical order): All Weather Heating & Cooling; Carey Construction Group; The Community West Foundation; Family Care Path; The Glidden House; Joshua & Caleb Leadership Center; Krill, Inc. (Presenting Sponsor); Lutheran Church Extension Fund; The Lutheran Scholarship Granting Organization of Ohio; Malloy Esposito Funeral Home, Crematory, & Celebration Center; Petros Homes; Pierstorf College Fund; Senney Enterprises; Shore Haven Lutheran Church; Stacy Watson, Realtor; Thrivent Financial - BeaconPoint; TWIST; Valparaiso University; Wegman Hessler.

Photo credit: Orville McEachron - fb.com/orvillemceachronphotography

In Its Inaugural Year, OMNIA 2021 a Success

For the past two years, the ever-changing status of the pandemic, along with its accompanying regulations and societal shifts, were a constant threat to forward motion that was the vision of OMNIA.

When it finally became apparent that we would be able to hold the in-person event, the focus became how to create an event that lived up to its name — its expansive, sweeping, unifying name. How can we best create a sense of OMNIA?

Amongst the crowd of 350 people in attendance at The Cleveland Museum of Art on Saturday, October 16, a sense of OMNIA was present. With student greeters from both Lutheran East and Lutheran West holding the doors for guests, large-format photos and quotes from students at both schools, a beautiful video highlighting the unchanged mission of the CLHSA and its schools, and friends, supporters, and guests joining us from across Northeast Ohio and across the country — not to mention the vast and striking spaciousness of the Art Museum itself — the event’s intention of “entirety” spilled over from our hearts to the heart of all those present. 

In truth, OMNIA also brings with it a sense of God’s kingdom and a celebration of the Christ-centered community of the CLHSA. God is all, He is entirety, He is the reason that our ministry exists.

If God is the reason our ministry exists, then His will coupled with the strength and resolve of our community of friends and donors are the reason our ministry grows and flourishes. At OMNIA, we were humbled to host 350 guests, who enjoyed a cocktail hour, silent auction, live auction hosted by Principals Mike Waugh ‘02 and Andrew Prusinski ‘02, live entertainment, dinner, dessert, and dancing -- all under the blue and red toned lighting that was selected as a subtle nod to our school colors.

The Distinguished Alumni Program recognizes alumni who have had significant success and/or notable impact in their professions and in their communities. At OMNIA, the CLHSA introduced the Distinguished Alumni Program with a hard copy booklet featuring 33 alumni spanning the long history of Lutheran East, Lutheran West, and the original downtown Lutheran High School. 

Since 2001, Lutheran High School East has maintained an Alumni Hall of Fame. From this point forward, Lutheran East’s Alumni Hall of Fame inductees will be members of the school’s Distinguished Alumni. From 2001 through 2011, a total of 19 alumni were inducted. In 2021, we recognized 2 new Distinguished Alumni from Lutheran East.

At Lutheran West, the Distinguished Alumni Program is the first recognition of its type. This year, 11 alumni were honored as inductees. In future years, 4-6 alumni will be inducted per year. 

At OMNIA, we were blessed to have 15 Distinguished Alumni join us in person: Cheryl Behm LW’71, Dr. Jean Cibula LW’83, Marcella Boyd Cox LE’72, Nathan Hessler LW’88, John P. Kellogg LE’69, Dr. Jessica Khouri LW’92, Richard Labus LE’61, Jan Morrison LW’73, Dr. John Raquet LW’85, Dr. Russell Raymond LE’71, Ewald Sems LE’62, Wally Senney LW’71, Judith (Luekens) Sherman-Macomber LW’60, Dr. Lynda Blackmon Smith LE’69, and Steven Strah LW’82. To read more about all of our distinguished alumni, visit LutheranEast.org/DistinguishedAlumni and LutheranWest.com/DistinguishedAlumni.

We’re pleased to share that the event raised significant funds to support students, families, and programs at our schools. Thank you to all those who made a contribution, whether through ticket purchases, auction bidding, Bids for Kids, sponsorships, or giving of their time and talents. Your gifts truly make a difference in the lives of our young people.

The CLHSA would especially like to thank the 2021 OMNIA Planning Committee: Charlene Coughlin LW’01 (Committee Chair), Debi Albrecht LW’85, Nancy Davis, Joe Gray, Regina Gray, Rick Labus LE’61, Diane McCarty LW’97, Ruth Ninke LW’65, and Stephanie Zehnder.