Professor Duane Vance (education) grew up in Orange Park, Florida, and attended the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, where he earned a BS in secondary education in 2001. While Professor Vance’s career as an educator started then, his service in the public ministry began a few years later.

When he and his family moved to Illinois, Professor Vance received an emergency call to teach grades 3-8 at Jerusalem-Morton Grove. Accepting the call led him to enroll in ministry certification courses and to earn an MS in education with a leadership emphasis from MLC.

Prior to accepting the call to MLC, Professor Vance served as executive director at Illinois Lutheran Schools. His current role as a captain for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod School Accreditation body (WELSSA) and past experience as the district schools’ coordinator for the Southeastern Wisconsin District are a testament to his experience in education and administration.

Now he’s sharing his expertise with MLC students, teaching Adolescent Psychology and guiding the next generation of called workers as the secondary student teaching supervisor.

“The best part of preparing called workers is watching their love for their Savior and their love of sharing him come alive in their work,” he says. “It’s a true blessing to walk alongside these future called workers, witnessing their growth in faith and professional expertise.”