Patrick Thueson
Chief Executive Officer, Foundation Trustee
Patrick Thueson was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota in March 2020.
Prior to becoming CEO, Patrick held the position of LSS Chief Operating Officer and CFO, responsible for Services, Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Marketing & Communications, and Information Technology. Patrick has been with LSS of Minnesota since 2007. Before coming to the not-for-profit sector, Patrick held a variety of leadership roles with Coca-Cola Enterprises as part of their finance, operations, and marketing functions.
Patrick is a Thrivent / LECNA Fellow, a leadership program organized around vocation, calling, and visionary organizational leadership designed to equip the next generation of leaders of Lutheran organizations.
As CEO, Patrick is focused on continuing LSS’ strong position as a leader in growing innovative and effective social services in Minnesota. Patrick earned his business degree from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul.
Kyle Larsen
Chief Financial Officer | Children’s Home
Kyle Larsen became Chief Financial Officer of Children’s Home on February 21, 2022. He also serves as controller for LSS.
Larsen oversees financial operations of Children’s Home, including strategic planning, stewardship of financial resources, and integrity of internal controls and reporting systems.
Larsen has provided operational support to Children’s Home since 2012 when the organization teamed up with LSS as a partner in adoption through a management agreement, and later, as an affiliate organization. Larsen has also held a variety of management roles over his 19 years with LSS. Currently, as a controller, he leads the Accounting team for LSS and its affiliate organizations, providing timely and accurate financial statements and overseeing daily financial operations.
He received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a master’s degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration from Metropolitan State University. He is a certified professional accountant and served as a treasurer of Lutheran Campus Ministry for six years and is a current board member of the Lutheran Financial Managers Association.
Joe Khawaja
Chief Financial Officer | LSS
Joe Khawaja became Chief Financial Officer of LSS on February 14, 2022, and is responsible for Finance, Accounting, Information Technology, and Property Management.
Prior to this role, Khawaja has experience working in public, private, government, and non-profit sectors. he has been responsible for all aspects of financial management, including managing growth, overseeing mergers and acquisitions, and raising capital. Previously, he served as the chief financial officer for the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. Earlier in his career, Khawaja also held financial leadership roles with Federal Reserve Bank, Cargill Inc., and Aramark Corporation.
Khawaja received a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the City University in New York, a master’s degree of Business Administration in Finance from Capella University based in Minneapolis and executive certificates in Leadership from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. He is a frequent speaker at Finance summits and was named a 2020 CFO of the Year by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. He currently serves on the supervisory committee of the Affinity Plus Credit Union Board of Directors and is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors. He also provides leadership on Ascend, an Asian executive network promoting Asian Pan-American talent across the U.S.
Heidi Wiste
President
Heidi Wiste began working at Children’s Home in July 2000, after receiving her bachelor’s degree from Skidmore College and her master’s degree from New York University. For more than 20 years, Heidi has been committed to Children’s Home, where she has provided direct program, therapeutic and post-adoption services to foster and adopted children and families. Heidi became a manager in Foster Care Adoption at a critical development time to focus services on permanency journeys for waiting children in Minnesota and around the world. Heidi was instrumental in the integration of the Adoption Programs of Children’s Home and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and oversaw the Foster Care Adoption Programs, Infant and Pregnancy Services, and Innovative Post Adoption Services.
A lifelong learner, Heidi holds certificates in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health from the University of Minnesota, Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics from the Child Trauma Academy, and Executive Leadership in the Not-for-Profit sector from New York University. In addition to her professional experience, Heidi brings lived experience as an adoptee from South Korea through Children’s Home.
Board of Directors
Children’s Home and LSS maintain two separate boards of directors. The board of directors is responsible for the overall policy and direction of each organization. Board members demonstrate commitment to each organization’s mission and actively advocate for Children’s Home and LSS and their programs. Each director’s vision, dedication and generosity helps to make the work of Children’s Home and LSS possible.
