about us

Board Members
Rev. Vernon Gunderman – Chair
Retired Pastor – Concordia Lutheran Church, Kirkwood

Jim Dankenbring – Vice Chair
Partner – Spencer, Fane, Britt & Browne LLP

Julie Claus – Secretary and Treasurer
COO – Transtria

Staff
Debbie Nash
Executive DirectorDebbie brings a wealth of volunteer management experience to Send Me St. Louis.  Most recently, Debbie served as the director of recruitment and volunteer resources at Wyman. Previous positions related to the direction and coordination of volunteers at the St. Louis Science Center, the St. Louis Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Teen Parent Day in St. Charles. 

Debbie’s expertise related to non-profits and volunteering is augmented by certifications and professional affiliations. Debbie has served as the former chair of The United Way of Greater St. Louis Volunteer Center Certification Committee and past Vice President on the Council Volunteer Directors, now the MVMA. Debbie graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology.

Leslie Kluge
Health Care Volunteerism & Communications ManagerLeslie brings a strong background in volunteerism, human resources and recruiting to Send Me St. Louis. Some of her experiences include recruiting and placing MD’s and RN’s, six years of small business consulting, business ownership, and 20 years of diverse volunteering experiences including building houses in Juarez, Mexico. She has served on the boards of  several community organizations.   

MJ Wurdeman
St. Louis Social Service Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator, Missouri District, Lutheran Church Missouri SynodMJ has served a Texas congregation as Director of Outreach  and has worked in the health and human services field with disaster recovery, home repair for low income residents and 211 information and referral systems.  MJ is a lifelong volunteer and has developed volunteer programs.  She has trained and supervised volunteers in a number of settings.  MJ is a consecrated deaconess trained through the Lutheran Deaconess Association.