College administrators and educators honored
By Dana Edson
The Alliance for Assemblies of God Higher Education presented its Distinguished Administrator and Distinguished Educator Awards during its biennial luncheon on Wednesday at the Rosen Centre.
Dr. Steven Fettke (Southeastern University), Dr. Rebecca Huechteman (Evangel University) and Dr. Glen Menzies (North Central University) received the Delta Alpha Distinguished Educator Award. Dr. Byron Klaus (Assemblies of God Theological Seminary) and Dr. Don Meyer (Valley Forge Christian College) received the Omicron Alpha Distinguished Administrator Award.
Fettke’s teaching career began at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. Since 1979, he has taught Bible classes at the university. For 17 years he was the first chairman of the Bible Department and then for two years the entire Religion Department. Fettke was also the founding chair of the Family Care Council, which is an oversight committee of parents of disabled children. He is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and serves in a sponsorship role at his son’s Adult Day Training Facility. Fettke completed a D.Min. at Columbia Theological Seminary.
Huechteman’s tenure at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, began in 1978 when she was a part-time teacher. In 1981, she began teaching on a full-time basis. As the Education Department chair (1995-2008) Huechteman developed new curricula, redesigned programs, initiated graduate programs and successfully completed several accreditation reviews. She has served as the chair of Independent Colleges and Universities Subcommittee since 2000. Huechteman received a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, Columbia.
In 1982, Menzies began his tenure as the dean of men at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Two years later, he took over the fledgling Data Processing Department. It wasn’t until 1988 that Menzies began his teaching career as an assistant professor being the “utility infielder” for the Pastoral Ministries Department. In 2002, he began serving as chair of North Central’s Pastoral Ministries Department. Since 2005, Menzies has chaired for the Department of Bible and Theology, primarily teaching in the areas of New Testament and Early Christian Literature. He completed a Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota.
Klaus has served as president of the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri, since 1999. He was also an administrator for 15 years and a faculty member for over 29 years at two institutions. Klaus began his administration and teaching career at Vanguard University in California, where he served as associate dean of Graduate Studies for five years (1985-1990). He received a D.Min. at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Since 1997, Meyer has served as president of Valley Forge Christian College in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Prior to his tenure he spent 21 years teaching and in administrative leadership at North Central Bible College (now University). While there, Meyer took part in the Institute for Education Management at Harvard University, established cooperative relationships with international colleges to provide students with studies abroad experience and served as the interim academic dean at Continental Theological Seminary in Brussels, Belgium. Meyer received a Ph.D. at University of Minnesota.