2024 Celebrating Business luncheon recognizes students, award recipients

Concordia University, Nebraska hosted its annual Celebrating Business luncheon on April 19. The event honored several Concordia students as well as award recipients Jeanie Hecker and Stan Obermuller.  

The annual event is hosted by the Concordia University Business Club, which on Concordia’s campus manages the 10:31 coffee shop and is involved in both the annual Career and Graduate Fair and the Celebrating Business luncheon. In attendance this year were business partners of Concordia Nebraska, local businesses and student members of the business club.  

Dr. Curt Beck, one of Concordia’s business administration professors, presented awards to several outstanding students in the business department. These students included Aubrey Baumann of Chester, South Dakota, Sydni Watson of Giltner, Nebraska, and Chloe Wells of Seward, Nebraska.  

It's also so beautiful to see so many women in business at this luncheon, including many of my fellow peers and the past recipients of the outstanding woman in business award.

Jeanie Hecker received the “Outstanding Woman in Business” award at the luncheon. Hecker has lived in Seward since 1978 and worked in the insurance industry for over 40 years. She and her husband Mike have three daughters, Jill, Megan and Amy. Hecker has served at the Jones Insurance Agency, Inc. of Seward since 2007 and has since been designated as a Certified Insurance Counselor. She is also active in the Seward community as president of the Friends of the Seward Library organization, contributor to the Extravaganza Committee for the Seward Chamber of Commerce and member of the Seward PEO Chapter.  

Dr. Stan Obermuller ‘68 received the “Servant Leader in Business” award. Obermuller began his professional career as a teacher in Fort Wayne, Indiana, before returning to Concordia in 1984 as the first full-time employee in the business department. He spent over three decades as a professor at Concordia, developing the university’s business department and playing a role in its 2008 accreditation. Obermuller lives in Seward with his wife Elizabeth. They have four children and seven grandchildren.  

Diane Mendenhall gave the keynote address at the luncheon. Mendenhall is a graduate of the University of Kansas who serves as the president of Omaha, Neb.’s professional volleyball team, the Supernovas. She also served as Concordia’s head volleyball coach for four years. Mendenhall also travels locally and nationally, speaking on topics including empowerment and leadership.  

Olivia Dunklau is a senior marketing student from Scribner, Neb. who attended the event. She reflected on what the luncheon meant to her as a soon-to-be graduate as well as a woman in business. 

"The luncheon this year meant a lot to me as a senior because I got to watch all our work as business students be celebrated, as well as listen to an amazing speaker, honor our outstanding women in business, and recognize our servant leader award recipient," Dunklau said. 

"It's also so beautiful to see so many women in business at this luncheon," she added, "including many of my fellow peers and the past recipients of the outstanding woman in business award." 

Are you interested in studying business at Concordia? Learn more about the university’s many opportunities for business students by reading about undergraduate and graduate business programs, the business club and the annual business luncheon.