A long-time pillar of Metro Lutheran Ministry will be recognized and a dialog on faith continued at 7:30 p.., May 30 when MLM sponsors the Dykman Lecture Series.

Named in honor of former board president and perennial MLM leader Loyd W. Dykman, the address will feature Jill Schumann, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America, who will comment on efforts by MLM and organizations nationwide to serve the poor, homeless, elderly and those with disabilities.

Dykman, an Overland Park resident who turns 80 May 29, served 12 years on the MLM Board of Directors, most of those years as president. Both he and his family have been instrumental in the success of the agency. His daughter, Cathy Dykman Cunard, served on the board until this year and remains active as chair of the Major Gifts team.

Schumann, MBA, serves as the president and chief executive officer of Lutheran Services in America. LSA is an alliance of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and their 300 health and human service organizations. Lutheran social ministry organizations form one of the largest nonprofit networks in the country, serving one in 50 Americans each year.

Prior to her work with LSA, Schumann launched Kairos Health Systems a nonprofit post acute care alliance and served in executive roles with non-profit and for-profit organizations. Schumann leads regional and national task forces and project groups, and serves on the boards of directors of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, the Council on Accreditation, the Roundtable of National Faith-Based Health and Human Service Organizations. She is the current chair of the board of directors of the National Human Service Assembly. Over the past five years, she was named by the NonProfit Times one of the Top 50 leaders of power and influence in the United States.

Dykman joined the Board of Directors of Metro Lutheran Ministry in 1974. His volunteer resume includes nearly every major effort undertaken by the organization, including the MLM Foundation Board. As a member of MLM's Board of Directors, Loyd served as its President from 1976 through 1985.
The Dykman Lecture Series was initiated in the late 1980s as a way to honor Loyd's dedication, bringing prominent speakers on issues of Social Justice to the Kansas City community.

The May 30 lecture will be at Atonement Lutheran Church, 9948 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, KS. Seating is limited so for additional information call (816) 891-0027. Admission is free and free-will offerings will be accepted.