Leadership Team
Shaun Luehring, President & CEO

Nicole Schmidt, Vice President & Chief Academic Officer

Nicole has worked in education for the past 10 years as teacher, middle school lead teacher, instructional coach, and director of curriculum and assessment. She is most proud of her six years in the classroom as an elementary school teacher, and considers herself a lifelong educator.
Nicole has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin and a M.S. in Educational Leadership from Alverno College – Milwaukee via the Burke Fellowship Program. Nicole currently holds a Wisconsin Lifetime Teaching License, Administrator (Principal) license and Director of Curriculum license. Nicole enjoys spending time with her husband, Ryan and children, Vera and Theo.
Renate Hougard, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Renate Hougard joined LUMIN Schools in 2006 when her employer, Northwest Lutheran School, became a LUMIN School. Since then, Renate has managed the financials for the steadily-growing network of schools. Now as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Renate manages a collective $12 million budget for all six schools and oversees the information technology, compliance, facilities and food service functions.
Renate grew up in Germany where she received her training in accounting. Early in her career, Renate's husband Don, a Lutheran pastor, received a call that resulted in the family moving to Canada. A subsequent call moved the Hougard family to Milwaukee in 1996 to serve at Benediction Lutheran Church where they still serve today—Don as pastor and Renate on the Board of Stewardship and as treasurer. Renate and her husband have three adult children.