Meet the SOLLC Team

Laila Barr earned degrees from The University of Iowa (BLS, 1999) and Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (M.Div., 2007). She began serving Shepherd of the Lake in 2015, first as Pastor of Lifelong Learning, then as Executive Pastor, and now as Lead Pastor. Laila is passionate about the transformational power of God's unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness. When she’s not pastoring, Laila’s favorite place is with her family. Together they enjoy skiing and snowboarding, traveling, good food, and adventures.

Jonathan Rundman graduated from Luther Seminary, was ordained here at SOLLC, and began serving as Pastor of Worship and Music in the summer of 2022. Before becoming a pastor, Jonathan spent 30 years as a freelance musician, writing songs, recording albums, and touring the US and Europe playing concerts. Jonathan and his wife Dawn have two children who attend St. Olaf College. When he’s not writing, playing, recording, or arranging songs, you can find Jonathan shopping in record stores, eating ice cream, and swimming in lakes.

Mollie Hamre graduated from Luther Seminary in December 2023 with a Master of Divinity in Word and Sacrament and received a Bachelor of Arts from Augustana University in 2020. Mollie’s experience in the world of ministry has always been focused on people. From leading youth programs to serving as a discernment coordinator for prospective seminarians at Luther Seminary, Mollie’s passion has always been about building relationships and trusting that God is here, working through each one of us. When not working, Mollie can be found playing board games, rock climbing, or exploring coffee shops and breweries with their husband, Derek, and dog, Olive.

Lacey Skoglund grew up in Bloomington and graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in History. She has lived in Prior Lake since 2011. Lacey and her family began attending worship online in 2020 and knew quickly that SOLLC would be their church home. She joined the SOLLC staff shortly after and now serves as Business Administrator. She is currently pursuing her Master of Accountancy and expects to complete the program in summer 2027. Outside of work and school, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, knitting, and cheering on Minnesota, Iowa State, and Prior Lake sports.

Kari Unruh has worked at Shepherd of the Lake for over 20 years, starting in the role of Living Water Coordinator and has been the Office Manager since 2013. She is a true community connector and has a passion for helping people and solving problems. Kari and her husband, Ken, love music and cooking and have so much fun spending time with their adult children and their dog, Boomer.

Ann Janisch has always dreamed of building her own preschool and when she walked into Shepherd’s Flock she realized that her vision for a preschool was already right here. She began working as the Director of Shepherd’s Flock in 2020 and is very passionate about play-based learning. Ann has a BA in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Ann lives in Savage with her husband, three children, and their dog, Dallas. She enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, jigsaw puzzles, and cheering on her children.

Becca Richardson holds a BA in Communication and Spanish, and a MA in Education. She is a licensed Teacher and School Administrator. As the Children’s Ministry Director, Becca is passionate about making Shepherd of the Lake’s children and family programming a safe and inclusive place for all families and building community through joyful shared experiences. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, kayaking, petting all the dogs and visiting her favorite place, Lake Superior, with her husband and two children.

Eric Foerster graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Youth Studies and Spanish. Prior to becoming the Director of Student Ministries at Shepherd of the Lake, Eric worked at a residential treatment center and in youth ministry. Eric and his paw-tner in crime, Gizmo, can often be seen playing frisbee on the Shepherd of the Lake campus. Eric and his amazing wife, Mikayla, live in Savage and enjoy adventuring around Minnesota and road tripping to see family in Kansas.

Leah Toppen holds a BA from Luther College and a Master of Arts in Education from Hamline University. She has taught K-12 instrumental music in WI and MN for more than twelve years, and began performing piano, trumpet, and organ for congregations at just twelve years old.

Leah’s lifelong love of music led her to her current role as Music Director at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church, where she performs on organ, and directs multiple ensembles across the church’s vibrant music ministry. Beyond SOLLC, she performs regularly with PentaSonix, a Twin Cities brass quintet, as well as the Delano Community Band.

When she’s not making music, Leah can be found golfing, paddleboarding, and taking full advantage of the Twin Cities arts scene – attending concerts whenever possible or cheering at MNUFC and Timberwolves games.

David J. Russ, Technical Director of SOLLC, is a musician and a sound engineer, who’s been performing since the age of 15. He started at SOLLC nine years ago as the drummer, transitioning to sound production in 2019. On Sundays, you can find him in the Heritage room mixing audio for the live stream. In addition to his work for SOLLC, he performs with Dan Israel, ABBAsolutely Fab, and ELnO. When he's not on stage or mixing sound, he likes to write music that appeals to a select few and watch episodic television with Jenny, his wife of 16 years, and their cat Burton.

Melanie Cole earned degrees from Seattle Pacific University, Portland Seminary, and Bethel Seminary (D.Min., 2025). Melanie has served families and young adults in ministry & higher education for the last twenty years. She is passionate about supporting and caring for underrepresented people groups and people impacted by trauma. She enjoys spending time with her husband and three children exploring the great outdoors. When not with family or working, you can find her cuddled up on a chair with a non-fiction book in hand.

John Holt began his career in the social work field before discerning a call to ministry. John has a background in community organizing, outreach, and social justice. John is currently finishing his Master's in Clinical Social Work focused on counseling. John, his wife, and daughter love to travel, explore new restaurants and spoil their dog, Toby. John’s other loves include music, sports and BBQ.

Shannon Hoffmann has over 20 years of branding, marketing and communications experience with both big corporations and small businesses. Shannon’s passion for branding, storytelling, and connecting with community brought her to the role of Community Engagement & Events Director. When she’s not at SOLLC, Shannon can be found paddleboarding, hiking, reading, or decorating something! Shannon lives in Prior Lake with her husband and their two children.

Karen has spent her career working in a variety of marketing roles bringing fresh perspectives and ideas on how to reach, connect and develop relationships with a range of audiences. She is a native of Michigan, but is no stranger to Minnesota. With strong family ties to the area, she moved to the Twin Cities and raised two children.

Laurie Schafroth shares her creative and analytical mind in her role as Systems and High School Ministry Coordinator. She has a strong passion for art, including its ability to heal and bring peace to one’s life. She has an eye for detail and loves sharing her gifts to improve spaces and process functionalities. Laurie is driven by her personal mission to be a part of something meaningful and impactful and her roles at SOLLC allow her to do just that. Laurie lives in Prior Lake with her husband and three boys who keep her busy!

Gizmo grew up in Kansas City with our Student Ministry Director, Eric Foerster. Prior to coming to Minnesota, Gizmo discovered a love for his frisbee and realized that he can make all of the friends in the world by getting others to play with him. At Shepherd of the Lake, Gizmo spends time with staff, occasionally gets pets from our preschool friends, and helps lead the occasional Living Water small group. He is a beacon of emotional regulation for staff! In his spare time, Gizmo enjoys sleeping, drinking Ruff Chata, days on Lake Minnetonka with family, and carrying his frisbee everywhere he goes.