Gift Announcements

As David Tiede reflected on his commitment to Augsburg, themes of faith, vocation, and service to the community surfaced repeatedly in his stories and observations. His leadership roles at Augsburg span more than two decades. From 2005 to 2010, he held Augsburg’s inaugural endowed position, the Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation, and served on the Board of Regents from 2010 to 2022, eventually becoming vice chair. 

David began his career teaching the New Testament at Luther Seminary and later served as its president for 18 years. He also served as interim president at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, and at Luther College in Decorah. As a fellow lifelong educator and scholar, he holds deep admiration for President Paul Pribbenow and his leadership. “It’s a real gift to have a leader who embodies the values that have long defined Augsburg,” David shared.

For David, Augsburg’s Lutheran roots continue to have a profound impact on an increasingly diverse and even secular landscape and student body. “Martin Luther wrote a wonderful treatise called The Freedom of a Christian that is a testimony to the fact that everyone has a calling,” he shared. “When we examine what that means in terms of an Augsburg education, it means being called in service of the world. How can we use our calling to better the lives of our neighbors and communities?” A religious background isn’t a prerequisite for finding one’s vocation. Instead, Augsburg’s mission is to equip all students to contribute meaningfully to the world. 

When David and his wife Muffy were presented with the opportunity to support the Promising Futures gala at the silver sponsorship level, the decision was an easy one. “I knew I wanted to invest in whatever was key to Augsburg’s soul. The more I reflected on what nurtured Augsburg’s enduring strength, I realized it was Paul,” David stated. 

Along with recognizing the incredible accomplishments of President Pribbenow, this event is also a celebration of Augsburg’s future. “We are going to have to go through another learning experience leading up to and following the gala,” David reflected. For him, the evening is not only about honoring one leader’s legacy but also about recognizing the strength of Augsburg’s community—students, alumni, and supporters who continue to advance its mission. “Let’s take a moment to celebrate the work that is already being done here.” 

With thoughtful, intentional stewardship, the vibrant members of the Augsburg community, and the values they uphold, will continue to serve as lodestones guiding Augsburg’s future.

Jeff Nodland ’77 and Becky Bjella-Nodland ’79 credit Augsburg with shaping the values, relationships, faith, and sense of purpose that continue to guide their lives. For them, Augsburg was more than a university—it was a place where mentors, peers, and experiences nurtured growth, inspired initiative, and instilled a commitment to community. These enduring experiences laid the foundation for their belief in access, mentorship, and ethical leadership, and ultimately for their desire to ensure future Auggies have the same opportunities to thrive. 

Jeff and Becky reflected on the professors, classmates, and experiences that had the greatest impact on them. Becky shared, “The encouragement and guidance I received from my professors as a musician had a profound impact on my growth and development.” Jeff echoed that sentiment, noting, “I was fortunate to be involved in many campus activities, and through those experiences we met many of our lifelong friends.”

Jeff earned degrees in both business and religion before obtaining his MBA from the University of St. Thomas. With the values and skills he cultivated at Augsburg, he went on to build a distinguished corporate career, serving in numerous corporate leadership positions, including as President and CEO of Kik Consumer Products until his retirement in 2019. Jeff now serves on five corporate boards worldwide. Becky earned her degree in music education along with a master’s degree in choral conducting.  She went on to teach in public schools for many years while also directing both adult and youth church choirs.

Even after Jeff’s career moved their family to Texas more than forty years ago, their connection to Augsburg continued to deepen and evolve. Jeff served on the Board of Regents from 2011 to 2023, including two years as board chair, and Becky contributed her time and expertise to the Music Advisory Council. Together, Jeff and Becky served as co-chairs of Augsburg’s All-Class Reunion in 2022, and they currently co-chair an advisory council for President Pribbenow. Beyond these formal roles, the bonds and values they formed on campus continue to guide their philanthropic vision.

These principles inspired Jeff and Becky to support initiatives that provide students with the direction, resources, and mentorship needed to grow as leaders. As part of the Promising Futures: Faithful and Relevant campaign, their gift establishes the Jeff Nodland ’77 and Becky Bjella-Nodland ’79 Endowed Directorship for the School of Business, fulfills a match to the Bonner Program, and strengthens the new Augsburg Family Scholars program. “I wouldn’t have been able to receive my education without scholarships,” Becky said. “Helping students reach their goals and turn their dreams into reality is incredibly meaningful.” For Jeff and Becky, contributing to these areas felt like a fitting way to pay forward the opportunities they once received. “I have worked with foster youth, and many of them don’t have a safety net to rely on once they turn 18.” Becky shared. Jeff added, “We are thrilled to support a program that is addressing this unmet need for students.” 

While their support demonstrates their deep commitment to access, they are equally focused on the leaders who shape the student experience. 

For Jeff and Becky, philanthropy is about ensuring Augsburg remains a place where students are seen, supported, and prepared to lead. “It’s important to have good leadership at the top. The director sets the culture and the trajectory for the school,” Jeff said. “Establishing a role model that encourages critical thinking and ethical discourse will create future leaders who demonstrate thoughtfulness and integrity. Our world needs that.”

As the Nodlands envision the future, they look forward to seeing how Augsburg continues to grow and thrive. “My dad always said to leave a place better than you found it,” Becky reflected. “Whether we are helping students civically engage through the Bonner Program, supporting students with a foster care background, or setting students up for success in the business school, we are creating a place where they feel a sense of belonging and grow in confidence—so they can go out into the world and leave it better than they found it.”

For more than a quarter century, the steady rhythm of typing keys and the swift strokes of shorthand pens echoed through Augsburg’s Business Department under the guidance of one remarkable teacher: Miss Gertrude Lund. Over her 26 years at Augsburg—and 11 years prior in high schools and business colleges across Minnesota— including Minnesota Morris, near her hometown of Lake Lillian. Miss Lund shaped generations of students preparing for careers in business, office administration, and emerging fields of commerce.

Miss Lund began teaching during a very different era. “When I started teaching,” she once reflected, “there were more men than women in the business classroom.” World War II transformed that landscape, opening doors for women to step into office and management roles in unprecedented numbers. She watched this shift unfold in real time—seeing classrooms fill with women eager to master the skills that would launch their professional lives.

Throughout her career, she taught everything from beginning typing and shorthand to office management and principles of marketing. Students quickly learned that shorthand with Miss Lund meant only shorthand—no longhand allowed. Her crisp, efficient instruction demanded focus, but her high standards helped students develop confidence and precision, two qualities she believed were essential for success in any workplace.

Technology reshaped her teaching world as well. She began on manual typewriters—some with blank keys designed to discourage “peek typing”—and witnessed the gradual arrival of electric machines, no doubt, IBM Selectrics, and more advanced office equipment. Keeping pace with technological change, she believed, was one of the great responsibilities of a business educator. She embraced it with the same energy she brought to her classroom each day.

Gertrude Lund’s influence at Augsburg did not end with her retirement from the classroom. In her honor, her family established and continues to fund the Gertrude Lund Scholarship, extending her lifelong commitment to student learning into the present day. The scholarship supports students pursuing business and related fields—students who are navigating a rapidly changing professional landscape, much as Lund’s own students once did.

Beyond Augsburg, Miss Lund lived a life rich with curiosity and adventure. She was an active member of Delta Kappa Gamma, an educational society for women, and the Phi Chapter of Delta Pi, a business fraternity at the University of Minnesota. She attended meetings of the Natural History Society and especially loved evenings spent watching travel films. Travel, in fact, became one of her greatest joys. Her passport tells a story almost as full as her teaching career—Spain, Portugal, Italy, the British Isles, Scandinavia, Hawaii, and the far reaches of the Orient. With her retirement in 1976, she said with a smile,  “I love to travel, and now I’ll have more time for that—and everything else!”

A Legacy That Lives in Today’s Business Program

Although her classroom tools—manual typewriters, shorthand pads, and office machines—have long since evolved, the core of Miss Lund’s teaching endures at Augsburg today. Business students now study analytics, entrepreneurship, marketing strategy, and global management, but the foundation she championed remains unchanged: clarity, rigor, adaptability, and professionalism.

Just as Miss Lund pushed her students to master new technologies, Augsburg business faculty continue to prepare today’s students for rapidly changing markets and workplaces. Her insistence on precision lives on in courses that teach data fluency and communication. Her commitment to opening doors for women in business is reflected in Augsburg’s diverse and globally minded student body. And her belief in lifelong curiosity mirrors the mindset we encourage in every future manager, analyst, or entrepreneur who walks through our doors.

Most importantly, Miss Lund understood something timeless—that business is ultimately about people: how we communicate, how we lead, and how we show up in community. These are the very values Augsburg students carry with them into internships, careers, and graduate studies across the world.

An Enduring Augsburg Story

As Miss Lund stepped into retirement, Augsburg extended heartfelt gratitude for the hours, the days, and the years she devoted to her students. Today, that legacy continues through the Gertrude Lund Scholarship, supporting Augsburg students as they prepare for meaningful work and purposeful lives in a complex world. In classrooms and careers alike, the values Gertrude Lund embodied—adaptability, precision, curiosity, and care for students—remain a living part of Augsburg’s Business Department and the community it serves.

Thank you Gertrude Lund and family for this enduring legacy.

Mike and Karel Helgeson are the proud parents of Augsburg alumnus Erik Helgeson ’05. Born and raised in St. Cloud/Sartell,  he looked forward to moving to a bigger city for college. “He loved the urban environment of Augsburg,” Karel said. For Mike and Karel, accessibility was a motivating factor. “Erik lived with muscular dystrophy,” Mike shared. “We liked that the campus was compact and easy to get around, though Erik rarely gave those details a second thought,” he said.  

Erik was determined never to let his limitations define his life. While earning his communications degree, he poured his energy into reviving the Augsburg radio station, KAUG. “He worked to gain support from the administration to restart the radio station, moved operations to the student center and managed the students who staffed it 24 hours a day,” Mike said. 

Another meaningful experience for Erik was his time on the debate team, where he had the opportunity to travel for competition. “Communication professor Bob Groven and English professor Deb Redmond were really influential figures in Erik’s life,” Karel said. “They were a great source of support and inspiration for Erik.”

After graduation, Erik continued to pursue his creative curiosity. He  formed his own music production company, played guitar and managed a band with fellow Auggies and later was involved in film production. He carried this passion until his passing in 2022 at 39, leaving behind a legacy marked by perseverance, leadership, and heart.

In 2025, Mike and Karel made a gift of $500,000 to create an endowment in Erik’s name that will support Augsburg Family Scholars, a program that assists students who have spent time in the U.S. foster care system. “This program made me recall a couple of books I read about children in the foster care system,” Karel shared. “After learning about all the hardships these kids went through and hearing about Augsburg’s unique program, we thought it was a great opportunity to support students who are overcoming challenges and not letting their circumstances define the trajectory of their lives.”

Mike and Karel amplified the impact of their gift through a match made possible by the generosity of the late Julian Foss ’30.

“We also wanted to give back to the place that gave Erik so much opportunity,” Mike added. Through their transformative gift, Erik’s unyielding determination and spirit continue to impact the Augsburg community by opening doors for students who are building their own successful lives.

Small, consistent acts of generosity have a powerful and lasting impact. That’s why we invite you to become a Sustainer: someone who makes a monthly gift that provides reliable support for Augsburg students, faculty, and programs.

Set up your recurring gift today!

Why does monthly giving matter?

Your ongoing generosity ensures stability for our students today and every month of the year. You can decide how much you give and what you’d like to support, whether you support scholarships, research, campus programs, athletics teams, or other parts of campus. Your gift will help provide the support students need to stay in school, earn their degrees, and find a sense of belonging and purpose.

As a Sustainer, you’re directly impacting students working hard to build their futures.

Monthly giving is simple and convenient:

• Choose an amount that fits your budget
  
• Set up your gift to recur monthly via checking account, debit, or credit card
  
• Update or cancel anytime

Becoming a Sustainer is easy—and impactful. In a time where there is much uncertainty, your monthly gift offers steady support. Join today and make a difference every month of the year.

Questions? Contact giving@augsburg.edu

Steve ’64 and Becky ’65 Nielsen chose to attend Augsburg for different reasons. Steve, raised on a sharecropping family farm in rural Minnesota, needed a school where he could work to cover his expenses and find a job. “We were quite poor, and I knew my parents wouldn’t be able to help me,” Steve said. “Augsburg was a Lutheran institution in the heart of Minneapolis. Back then, many kids from rural communities would go to Minneapolis for college.”Becky was set on attending the University of Minnesota but was convinced by her family to give Augsburg a chance. “My father was friends with Dr. Christensen, who said he would appreciate it if I came to Augsburg, even if it was just for one semester.” Becky reflected, “I’m so glad I did!”. 

In his sophomore year, Steve met Becky through a mutual friend on the football team. “Once I met Steve, the party was over,” Becky laughed. Becky attended Augsburg for two years, and Steve graduated in 1964 with a physical education degree and a minor in biology.

Steve saw Augsburg’s Lutheran values in action throughout his four years on campus. “At the start of our freshman year I received a semester’s worth of meal tickets, but I ran out of them halfway through the term,” Steve shared. “ When my football coach, Edor Nelson learned about my situation he stepped in to help. He set me up with a job at the United Parcel Service on Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis”.  “And later, I found work changing tires at a Goodyear tire store on Lake Street through my roommate’s father.” Steve worked continuously through his college years at a variety of jobs, during both school terms and summers. His Augsburg community was always there by creating a network for employment. They supported me.” 

One of Steve’s most impactful courses was a philosophy class taught by Dr. Bill Halverson. “I appreciate the critical thinking skills I developed in his class,” Steve shared. “He taught us not just facts and information but how to think. Analyzing issues and considering multiple perspectives are skills that have served me well in my career and life.” “I concur with that.” Becky chimed in. “Whenever there is a problem, Steve is always thinking about how to solve it.”

Steve and Becky moved back to Minnesota following their retirement and have maintained their connection to Augsburg through philanthropy, a love of Auggie Athletics, and life-long college friends. Reflecting on their support, the Nielsens emphasized the importance of unrestricted giving.“Why would I feel I have a better idea of what is needed here at Augsburg than the administration? I have faith that leadership knows where the greatest needs are,” Steve said. “I give Augsburg a lot of credit for making it possible to work my way through school and earn a few bucks in life. It feels good to give back to the place that provided me with such a valuable education.”  Becky smiled, “It is the right thing to do.”