Major Jessica (Luebbe) Pan ’08 named Concordia Nebraska Alumnus of the Year

Major Jessica (Luebbe) Pan ’08 currently serves the Nebraska Army National Guard as surface maintenance manager in the Directorate of Logistics. She has a bachelor of arts in English and a bachelor of science in education from Concordia University, Nebraska.  

Pan enlisted as a private in the 867th Quartermaster Battalion of the Nebraska Army National Guard in 2001. She served as an administrative specialist and mail delivery clerk in battalion S1. She was promoted to sergeant and deployed to Al Asad, Iraq, with the 67th Area Support Group for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005. After Pan graduated from Concordia Nebraska, she took a three-year break from the Nebraska National Guard and went to Asia to teach, serving as a relationship builder through Teaching English as a Foreign Language with LCMS World Mission from 2008 to 2011.  

She commissioned through the State OCS program as a second lieutenant in 2013. In addition to her position as a uniformed military officer, she served as a civilian employee in the human resources office of the Nebraska Military Department for 12 years. In August 2024, Pan completed a two-year assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda, as bilateral affairs officer. Her previous military assignments include distribution platoon leader, squadron personnel officer, forward support company commander, deputy state training officer, deputy state partnership program director and platoon trainer for Officer Candidate School. 

“After I returned from the mission field, I applied to more than 20 teaching positions, and the placement office also sent my information to several schools. I only managed to land one interview, and ultimately I was not selected for the position. I then applied to one position with the National Guard, and I was selected for the job. At that point I decided to focus on my military career, and God has blessed my work.”

“I am quite new to my current position; we have a great team of logisticians and maintenance professionals that work to build the readiness of the Nebraska Army National Guard’s equipment,” she explained. “I have had many fulfilling roles during my 21-year career in the National Guard. Two former positions that stand out for me were my role as the Bilateral Affairs Officer in Rwanda and my time as Company Commander.” 

Day to day, Pan said she develops policies, sets priorities, advises leadership on readiness status of equipment, communicates and solve problems with subordinate leaders and makes decisions on funding materials based on priority. She also ensures that units have equipment ready to conduct their missions and makes decisions on organizational structure and personnel decisions in regards to employment and employee evaluations. She said she finds it incredibly fulfilling to serve both her state and the nation, serving soldiers and helping them to advance their careers and find fulfillment in their own work. 

Pan’s professional military education includes Adjutant General Basic Officer Leader Course, Postal Operations Course, the Sharp Foundation Course, Logistics Captains Career Course, Common Faculty Instructor Course, Platoon Trainer Qualification Course, Maneuver Tactics Foundation Cours and the Security Cooperation Organization Officer Course. She is currently enrolled at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. 

Pan describes Concordia Nebraska as “enduring, safe and steady.” She began at the university halfway through a school year and then took a year-and-a-half break from university life during her deployment.  

“Returning to Concordia after deploying to Iraq provided a return to normalcy and comfort for me that I needed at that time,” she said. “[I made] connections with classmates, connections with professors, connections with God during chapel and Wednesday evening praise service. Every semester, I found that my classes interconnected in unexpected ways; somehow I saw how physics could connect with literature, which connected with theology, which connected with education courses and on and on.” 

Her awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal (3rd award), Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (6th award), National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with ‘M’ Device, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Service Ribbon (with numeral 2), Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon (with numeral 2), the Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. 

Pan and her husband Patrick GR ‘15 reside in Lincoln, Nebraska with their three children: Violet, William and Winston. They attend Christ Lincoln and enjoy traveling together and playing games together. 

Pan said her one encouragement to students is to realize that God may call them to a different vocation than they might have expected.  

“After I returned from the mission field, I applied to more than 20 teaching positions, and the placement office also sent my information to several schools,” she said. “I only managed to land one interview, and ultimately I was not selected for the position. I then applied to one position with the National Guard, and I was selected for the job. At that point I decided to focus on my military career, and God has blessed my work.” 

During Homecoming and Alumni Reunion Weekend, Concordia University, Nebraska joyfully celebrates alumni and friends whose faith-filled service, leadership and achievements inspire the Concordia community and beyond.