Joseph Falese Brings a Lifetime of Student-Centered Leadership to His New Role as LSTC Board Secretary
For Joseph Falese, joining the Board of Directors at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago isn’t just an opportunity—it’s a calling. A seasoned higher education leader with over four decades of experience at Lewis University, Falese has dedicated his life to supporting students, stewarding mission-driven institutions, and building communities of care and purpose. Now, as the newly elected Secretary of the Board and Chair of LSTC’s Governance Committee, he brings that same passion for service to theological education.
Falese’s path to LSTC is rooted in both personal transformation and deep professional alignment. Raised Catholic, he became part of the Lutheran Church after marrying a Lutheran pastor’s daughter and raising their two daughters in the Lutheran tradition. About ten years ago, following the passing of his parents, Falese formally joined Bethany Lutheran Church in Lemont and currently serves on the church council. “I felt a call to serve the broader church,” he reflects. “After I retired in 2021, I knew I wanted to stay busy—but on my own terms. This opportunity at LSTC, sparked in part by encouragement from a longtime friend of mine, Bishop Yehiel Curry, felt like a natural and meaningful next step.”
That “next step” builds on an extraordinary 42-year tenure at Lewis University, where Falese served in various roles—from Director of Housing to Vice President for Student Affairs, and finally as a leader in Advancement and Alumni Relations. “Whether you’re forming students for ministry or for professional life, it’s all about guiding people to discover who they are, what they value, and how they want to serve,” he says. “That’s what makes LSTC’s mission resonate so deeply with me.”
As Board Secretary, Falese has quickly embraced the responsibilities and learning curve of his new role. “It’s been a bit of a baptism by fire,” he notes with good humor, “but it’s also given me a broader and deeper perspective of where LSTC is now and where it’s headed,” he says. “I’m honored to serve, and I’m committed to listening as much as I can. There’s such a wide and beautiful variety of perspectives on the board, and I think that listening is going to be very, very important.”
For Falese, the concept of vocation—a recurring theme in his own life—has become even more central in this season. “Vocation, to me, is about service. It’s not just a job. It’s a calling to do something that makes a difference in your community and in people’s lives,” he explains. He credits his parents, his father-in-law, and the Christian Brothers at Lewis University with instilling in him a lifelong ethic of care, humility, and purpose.
His passion for student support, in particular, runs deep. “I’ve always believed that when we create spaces where students feel seen, supported, and challenged, they thrive,” he says, noting that this is a principle just as true for future pastors and deacons as it is for undergraduates. He sees LSTC’s Project Starling—an innovative digital learning platform launching in Fall 2025—as a key part of that work. “Meeting students where they are is essential. Project Starling is a major opportunity to expand access and deliver theological education in a way that’s relevant for today’s world.”
Falese is also deeply attuned to the broader challenges facing theological education today—from declining church attendance to financial sustainability. “But with those challenges come opportunities,” he says, noting that the key is to stay connected to our mission, to remain nimble, and to “never stop asking: How do we best serve our students and our community at large?”
That sense of service also extends to Falese’s outlook on leadership and legacy. One of the most moving moments in his career came while watching new Lewis University students walk through the same campus gateway they would later exit as graduates. “It brought a tear to my eye,” he recalls. “That’s why we do what we do: to prepare students, to care for them, to help them become leaders who will go out and make the world a better place.”
His advice for LSTC students and future leaders? “Pursue your calling with passion and purpose—and never forget to pay it forward,” he says, asking students to stay connected. And, as Falese says, always remember: “your degree is worth more now than it’s ever been.”