2021 Commencement Honorees

Concordia University Wisconsin is pleased to announce this year's Distinguished Alumnus, Christo Et Ecclesiae, and Faculty Laureate commencement honorees: Jamison Hardy (’96), John Stollenwerk, and Scott Van Ornum, respectively.


These prestigious awards are traditionally bestowed each year during spring commencement. Due to ongoing COVID-19 restraints, this year’s honorees will be recognized at a special chapel service on Friday, April 30 at 9:30 a.m. (CDT) in the Chapel of Christ Triumphant on the CUW campus. The service will be livestreamed and can be viewed at cuw.edu/chapelstream. We invite the entire Concordia community to join us in celebrating these very special individuals.

Jamison Hardy

Rev. Dr. Jamison Hardy (’96)

The Rev. Dr. Jamison Hardy is this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award, given in recognition to an alumnus or alumna who has consistently demonstrated faithful stewardship of his or her talents and has rendered notable service to the Church and to the university.

Hardy earned his Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education-Broad Field Social Sciences from Concordia University Wisconsin in 1996, and, in 2000, completed his Master of Divinity degree at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. He earned his master’s in public policy from Walden University in 2009, and his Doctorate in Business Administration from Walden in 2012.

Since graduating from CUW, Hardy has shown a love for education while also serving the Lord as a congregational pastor and a leader within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

Hardy has served as Bishop/President of the English District of the LCMS since 2015. He also serves as a parish pastor and recently accepted a call to Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hartland, Michigan. He had previously served his entire pastoral tenure in Pennsylvania; his first call out of seminary to Our Savior Lutheran Church in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

He has helped countless people “develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and in the world” in myriad ways for decades. He has served on the board of directors for organizations such as Concordia Lutheran Ministries, the Street Medicine Institute, and the Lutheran Federal Credit Union, as well as director of the Peters Township School Board. He is an advisor to the Board of Regents for Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor and is a former member of the CUAA Committee of Overseers.

Outside these responsibilities, he has also found time to coach his kids’ youth wrestling and football teams. Jamison and his wife, Wendy, live in Howell, Michigan. They have three children, Noah, Nathaniel, and Naomi. Noah currently attends CUW.

John Stollenwerk

John Stollenwerk

John Stollenwerk is this year’s recipient of the Christo Et Ecclesiae Award, given to an individual who has demonstrated a high and unusual interest in advancing Christian education by utilizing, in a special way, the talents with which the Lord has endowed him or her. His strong and enduring support of Lutheran and Catholic grade schools, high schools, and universities makes him a truly deserving recipient.

A native of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Stollenwerk rose to prominence as the owner, president, and CEO of the Allen-Edmonds Shoe Company, which he purchased in 1980. He put the company on a course of unprecedented success before stepping back and selling the majority of his shares in 2006. He has since leveraged his community influence for the benefit of Christian schools while also putting his personal financial resources to work to help all children receive a high-caliber, Christ-centered education.

In addition to his almost 20 years of service on the Concordia University Foundation Board, Stollenwerk’s family has an established scholarship endowment at Concordia, as well as at a number of other Christian universities.

He and his wife, JoEllen, are active in the Mequon community and at Lumin Christi Catholic Church.

Scott Van Ornum

Scott Van Ornum

Scott Van Ornum, PhD, is this year’s recipient of the Faculty Laureate Award. Each year the faculty of Concordia University Wisconsin elects one of its own to receive this award in recognition of exemplary dedication, service, teaching, and other contributions to the Concordia community. He is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and has been a member of the CUW faculty since 2010.

Van Ornum began his academic career at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry there in 1992. He completed his PhD in organic chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1998. During his 12-year, award-winning career in the pharmaceutical industry, he still had one eye turned toward an academic future, serving as adjunct professor at Wisconsin Lutheran College and part-time faculty at Milwaukee Area Technical College.

This mix of real-world experience and academic excellence has served Van Ornum well at Concordia. He has been a mainstay as a CUW “Top Ten Teacher” list, being recognized in the “Learning and Challenge in the Classroom” and “Faith and Mission in the Classroom” categories a combined ten times. Students have consistently cited his ability to make chemistry accessible, interesting, and meaningful while successfully connecting a Christian worldview to its study.

He serves on multiple school committees and is the Assistant Director for the Master of Product Development program. He pitches in on faculty advising for students, student move-in days, and other admissions activities. And if you’re extra lucky, you may catch him helping out at Karaoke Night.

Away from school, Van Ornum is an active member at Morning Star Lutheran Church in Jackson, Wisconsin, where he has served on the Support Board and assists with ushering and communion. He has also led several science and religion discussions with interested members. He and his wife, Shari, have been married for 26 years; they are parents to Lauren, who is currently a student in CUW’s nursing program.

— This story is written by Mike Zimmerman, corporate communications manager for Concordia University Wisconsin. He may be reached at michael.zimmerman@cuw.edu or 262-243-4380.

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