AUGUSTANA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Contemporary Worship Coordinator
Andrew Fort has been the Music Director of Augustana's Contemporary Service since 2013. He directs the choir, leads the band, and sometimes fills in as organist for the Classical Service. He studied music at USC and has been involved with Tucker Maxon School since 2004, where he currently teaches music.
Arlet Gremel is from Havana, Cuba. She moved to Miami at 12 years old. After graduating from FIU in Computer Science, she moved to the PNW for a fresh new start. Soon after, she met her wonderful husband Drew. In their free time, they enjoy books, walks around the park, art documentaries, and summer roadtrips. Arlet is passionate about dance, literature, flowers, nutrition, and philosophy. She was baptized at the end of 2022 and is excited to learn more about the faith and serve the Augustana family.
George Mitchell along with the Diana Ross band were guest artists at the 2016 White House Holiday Concert for PresidentObama and family. He has played at every conceivable venue worldwide with Miss Ross's ensemble. As band pianist, he performed with a 40-piece orchestra at the prestigious Symphonica in Rosso, at the Gelredome, Arnhem, Netherlands; at the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies in Oslo, Norway; and at a 2002 command performance in Hyde Park, London, for England's royal family. Not to mention private concerts for U.S. President Bill Clinton. African President Nelson Mandela, and Motown Founder Berry Gordy. Mitchell played piano at the famous Motown Records' 25th Year Anniversary TV broadcast, at VH1 Divas Live in 2000, at Super Concerts in Tai Pei and Tokyo with renowned opera singers Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo; and got soaked but played on during thunderstorms at Miss Ross' famous 1983 Live in Central Park mega concert before a massive crowd of 400,000 fans!
More recently, Mitchell was guest keyboardist on Wicked: The Musical at the Keller Auditorium. He joined Miss Ross' band numerous times on top-rated TV shows, including: Oprah, The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, the TODAY Show and others.
When not touring, Mitchell pursues his first love-playing jazz piano, Hammond B-3 organ and keyboards. He also is a highly sought-after studio musician and jazz piano instructor.
Jenny Schmidt has been a member of Augustana since 1999. She later joined the staff as "Gifts for Ministry Coordinator" - which involves helping members to best use their gifts and talents in service to Augustana and the greater Portland community. Jenny loves organizing events that build community and fulfill the mission to which we are called. As a volunteer herself, she sings with the Augustana contemporary band.
Jenny holds a BA in Psychology, English and Education from Duke University, and an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) from San Francisco State. She has worked as a high school and preschool teacher, has served as the president of several non-profits, and has written several ESL textbooks. She loves backpacking, singing and Zumba!
Kay joined Augustana in 2013 as a teenager new to Christianity. She joined the church staff as one of three Office Managers in 2023, helping out in the main church office with everything from scheduling meetings and taking phone calls to working on service bulletins and maintaining the sanctuary. She sought out work at Augustana out of a desire to find a job that's also a vocation, and serving the Church working around friends old and new has been a great opportunity for that.
Kay holds a BA in English and Studio Art from St. Olaf College, an ELCA affiliated school in the Midwest. She's happy to bring back her experiences there to Augustana, both to apply her education in theology and Lutheran traditions and live out the friendly, community-minded spirit there.
Her previous work has included academic archive and research assistance for a professor, and bookselling. She has also volunteered with Lift Every Voice Oregon, the Augustana Church Youth Group, and the Sanctuary Arts team.
Rachel Thompson was born and raised in Portland, OR, and has been attending Augustana since she was 8 years old. After high school, she attended Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA. During her time as a Scottie, she was involved in a variety of programming, including a student led social justice program with the Agnes Scott Center for Leadership and Service as a student activist and advocate for racial justice, and served as the New Student Orientation Director in 2019. She graduated cum laude and holds a BA in Neuroscience with a minor in Africana Studies.
After graduation in 2020, she was accepted into Teach for America in the Mississippi/Arkansas Greater Delta Region. She taught 4th grade math and science her first year, and 2nd grade self-contained her second year at Sanders Elementary School in Hollandale, MS. Following her return to Portland in 2022, she welcomed a beautiful son, Saheed, in November. She is looking forward to being back in her church community and to serving Augustana!
Job Titles:
- Retired Education Coordinator
Rebecca Dodson has been a member of Augustana Lutheran Church in Portland Oregon since 2006. She joined the staff as "Education Coordinator" in 2016. She holds a B.S in Business Administration from Portland State University, has worked at Intel Corporation, and ran her own marketing consulting business. She loves to spend time with her two grandchildren.
She retired from staff on November 20, 2022, due to health reasons. She still teaches Tai Chi via Zoom 3 days a week and leads the Women's Prayer and Study group on Monday mornings, also via Zoom. She plans to be an active member of Augustana as long as she can.
Rev. W. J. Mark Knutson has been Pastor of Augustana Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon since December 1995. Augustana is a growing multicultural congregation in the heart of the city, now in its 110th year. Since then, Augustana has grown from 243 members in 1995 to an 800-member congregation that is also home to several non-profits including the Community Alliance of Tenants, Familias en Accion, the Society for Haitian Arts, Culture and Social Support, Irvington Cooperative Preschool, the Well Arts Institute, and the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice.
Over the past 30 years, Pastor Knutson has served on many local and national boards and committees, and has keynoted and conducted workshops in a variety of settings. Mark completed in 2015 his term as Chair of the Northwest Health Foundation Board, and is past Chair of the Board of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and of Familias en Accion. He is on the Steering Committee for the Albina Ministerial Alliance Coalition for Justice and Police Reform. He was one of three statewide petitioners for the Freedom to Marry Ballot Initiative, and is an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow.
In the January 2012 issue of Portland Monthly magazine, Mark was named one of the 50 Most Influential Portlanders. The issue noted his "vigorous activism" against war and in favor of immigration reform and gay rights. His congregation shares his dedication to these and other social causes that put our Christian faith into action in our world.
Rev. Knutson was given the Heart of Sanctuary Award by the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice in 2015; named Ecumenist of the Year in 2009 by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon; Distinguished Pastor by Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley in 2009; the Fortenza Award by Desarrollo Integral de la Familia for service in the Latino community in 2014; the Drum Major for Justice Award in 2015 as a member of the AMA Police Reform Steering Committee; and one of the 50 Most Influential Portlanders by Portland Magazine in 2012. Prior to coming to Augustana, he served as the National Director of Youth Ministries in Chicago for the 5.3 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and has a M. Div. from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley. He is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry Program at Wesley Seminary in Washington, D. C.
Prior to his call to Augustana, Mark was Director for Youth Ministries for the 5.3 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) at its central offices in Chicago. He was Director of a 21-member national board of the Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO), Multicultural Advisory Committee, and Council of Synod Presidents. The LYO was a major force in lifting up young leaders of many cultural backgrounds to promote greater diversity in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Now over 100 years old, the organization represents 1 million high school students, adolescents, and young adults between the ages of 12-25. As Director of ELCA Youth Ministries, Mark coordinated hunger, justice, and peace education for youth throughout the United States and the Caribbean, and was a liaison to major youth service agencies throughout the United States as well as to the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.
Mark is married to Tamrah and they have a son, Brandon, a graduate of USC who lives and works in Los Angeles.
Job Titles:
- Classical Worship Coordinator, Organist, Choir Director