Boards
Diakon (from the Greek diaconia, meaning “one who serves”) was founded in January 2000 by the affiliation and later merger of Lutheran Services Northeast and Tressler Lutheran Services.
As a result of corporate restructuring and reorganizations in 2007 and 2014, the organization now consists of Diakon and subsidiaries Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries; Diakon Child, Family & Community Ministries; the Diakon Lutheran Fund; Diakon Lutheran Senior Living-Maryland, LLC; Diakon Medical Group LLC; and several non-controlled HUD entities. The president/CEO serves as the chief executive officer of Diakon, DLSM, DCFCM, DLF, DLSL-Md., and DMG. The parent entity, Diakon, has specific approval rights involving its subsidiaries and is charged with overall strategic vision. The key programmatic subsidiaries are:
- Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation, provides senior living services through nearly a dozen senior living communities.
- Diakon Child, Family & Community Ministries, a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation, provides a comprehensive range of social services for children, families, and adult individuals.
- Diakon Lutheran Fund, a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation, oversees investments and advanced fund-raising activities, income from which supports services and programs provided by Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries and Diakon Child, Family & Community Ministries.
- Diakon Lutheran Senior Living-Maryland LLC, a Maryland limited liability corporation, was created in the 2000s to provide specific programs such as Diakon Senior Living – Hagerstown related to state regulations.
Diakon
- Maurice H. Bobst, Jr., Real Estate & Investment Manager, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- Emried D. Cole, Jr., Esq., Vice-Chair, Seminary Official, Delaware-Maryland Synod
- Lawrence Delp, Chair, Bank Executive, Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod
- The Rev. Dr. A. Donald Main, Bishop Emeritus, Upper Susquehanna Synod
- Kenneth G. Mertz II, CFA, Financial Advisor, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- Ms. Susan T. Schellenberg, Retired Court Administrator, Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod
- Paul Horger, Esq., Board Member Emeritus, Attorney, Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod
- Peter Kern, Board Member Emeritus, Retired Hospital Executive, Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod
- Diane Batchik, National Security Professional, Delaware/Maryland Synod
- Jennifer Schlegel, College Professor, Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod
- Scott Habecker, President/CEO
Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries
- Jennifer Goldstein, M.D., FACP, Associate Chief Medical Officer & Medical Director, Patient Logistics and Care Transitions, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- Nels Hendrickson, Retired Business and Social Ministry Executive, Virginia Synod
- Douglas Hough, Ph.D., Associate Scientist, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Delaware-Maryland Synod
- Michael Lehman, P.E., Vice-Chair, Retired President/CEO, Manufacturing Company, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- The Rev. Dr. A. Donald Main, Chair, Bishop Emeritus, Upper Susquehanna Synod
- Ms. Susan T. Schellenberg, Retired Court Administrator, Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod
- Jennifer Schlegel, Ph.D., College Professor, Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod
- Carol Taylor, Retired Bank Executive, Delaware-Maryland Synod
- Scott Rehr, Financial Advisor, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- Scott Habecker, President/CEO
Diakon Child, Family & Community Ministries
- Maurice H. Bobst, Jr., Real Estate & Investment Manager, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- Emried D. Cole, Jr., Esq., Seminary Official, Delaware-Maryland Synod
- Ronald P. Dreese, Financial Advisor, Upper Susquehanna Synod
- Katrina Klettke-Straker, Chair, Nonprofit Chief Development Officer, Delaware-Maryland Synod
- Christopher Markley, Insurance Communications, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- Kenneth G. Mertz II, CFA, Financial Advisor, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- Laurie Saltzgiver, Esq., Vice-Chair, Attorney, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- The Rev. John Spangler, Clergy, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- Rebecca Young, Esq., Attorney, Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod
- Scott Habecker, President/CEO
Diakon Lutheran Fund
- Richard Barger, CPA, Chair, Retired Chief Financial Officer, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- Jeff Boland, CPA, Senior Living Services Consultant and Consultancy Department Head, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- Ted J. Herold, CPA, CGMA, Accounting Firm Principal, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- Michael Lehman, P.E., Vice-Chair, Retired President/CEO, Manufacturing Company, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- Peter Knudsen, Private Equity and Venture Capital Investor, Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod
- Katie Smarilli, Strategic Management Consultant Company President, Lower Susquehanna Synod
- The Rev. Chad Hebrink, Pastor, Upper Susquehanna Synod
- Scott Habecker, President/CEO
