School Board

Chairman

John Huston currently serves at the U.S. Department of Education as Deputy General Counsel for Postsecondary Education and Competition. Prior to serving at the Department, John practiced law at Jones Day in Washington, D.C. He has also served as a senior advisor in the Office of Postsecondary Education at the Department of Education, a legislative director in higher education and school choice matters. and a senior policy advisor on the House Republican Policy Committee.

John holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center (cum laude) and a B.S. from Ball State University (cum laude). John and his wife, Lauren, have two boys with one at ILS. John has been a member of IELC since 2016.

Acting Headmaster (ex officio member)

In addition to teaching middle school math and science, 2nd grade, lower school Latin, at ILS over the past several years, Mr. Pautz is an enthusiastic classicist, having studied both Greece and Italy as a member of Ralston College's inaugural cohort for a Master's degree in the Humanities, which focused on the Western philosophical tradition and its foundational languages. Mr. Pautz and his wife are members of IELC.

Senior Pastor and ILS Superintendent

The Reverend Christopher S. Esget has served as Immanuel's Pastor since 2001. He is married to Kassie, and they have one son, James. He is the author of (Dis)Ordered: Lies about Human Nature and the Truth That Sets Us Free (Concordia Publishing House, 2023). In addition to his work at Immanuel, Pastor Esget serves as the Fifth Vice-President of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (East-Southeast Region; 2015 – present).

Previously, Pastor Esget served at Bethel Lutheran Church, DuQuoin, IL, where he was ordained in 1998. He attended Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, IN) where he earned the Master of Divinity degree and the Master of Sacred Theology degree. His STM thesis was a comparison of the doctrine of original sin in Patristic and contemporary Eastern Orthodox theology.

Associate Pastor and Assistant Superintendent (ex officio member)

A 2011 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he earned his bachelor's degree in German Language and Literature, Pastor Hoham served as a U.S. Army officer on active duty for five years. In 2015, he transitioned from active duty to attend Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree in 2019. Since then, he has served as a campus pastor and theology teacher at Concordia Lutheran High School (CLHS) in Fort Wayne. While at CLHS, he developed a new Biblical Greek course and taught courses in Church History, Apologetics, and Ethics, as well as conducting pastoral counseling. Pastor Hoham continues to serve as a Chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve, deploying to Iraq in 2022 as the chaplain in a military field hospital. Pastor Hoham and his wife, Lizzy, have four children who attend ILS.

Vice-Chair

Elizabeth Lewis serves as the Executive Director of the Blair House Foundation, where she helps to manage events and operations for the historic Blair House. Elizabeth has also worked as a real estate advisor and a legislative aid on Capitol Hill. Elizabeth serves as a board member for Children’s National Hospital. Elizabeth and her husband, Aaron, are long time members at IELC and have served in various leadership roles at the church for over 20 years. Their three girls all attended ILS, and their son is currently enrolled. Elizabeth holds a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College.

Secretary and Chairman of the Marketing and Engagement Subcommittee

Matthew Henderson holds a Bachelor of Music from Radford University and a Master of Art from Kent State University. He has been a Lutheran for sixteen years and a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church since 2021. Prior to joining Immanuel, he served at various times as Elder and Head Elder of Concordia Lutheran Church in Triangle, Virginia. He served as Southern District Circuit 9A lay delegate to the 2016 Synodical Convention and represented Concordia at the Southeastern District convention multiple times. He is currently Director of Proposals and Strategic Captures for a defense technology company headquartered in Alexandria.

Budget Coordinator

Originally from Wisconsin, Mr. Van Rooy is a military pilot in the United States Marine Corps, currently stationed at the Pentagon since 2024. He received a BA in German from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2011. Following flight training, Mr. Van Rooy flew the MV-22B Osprey for nine years in tours of duty in Southern California (2015-2019) and Okinawa, Japan (2020-2024). He has three daughters who currently attend ILS.

Jen has served the nation as an officer in the US Air Force for the last 27 years. She held numerous leadership positions on Air Force and Joint Staffs and is currently serving as a Reserve wing commander, leading over 1,100 Airmen supporting national security priorities. Over the years, she has served in a variety of volunteer roles from teaching Sunday School and coaching soccer and basketball to leading a local group of Blue Star Families while stationed overseas. In her spare time, she enjoys playing pickleball with her family.  With two alumni and a third child currently at ILS, Jen is committed to furthering the vision of Immanuel Lutheran School and ensuring a strong adherence to its ethos.

Chairman of the Financial Assistance Subcommittee

Manfred Wendt was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, before graduating from Trinity University in San Antonio. He brings significant non-profit experience, especially in fundraising and event planning. He is passionate about ensuring children have access to a quality Lutheran education.

President of IELC and ex officio member of the board