Kurt Buchholz

Global CEO

Serving as CEO of Lutheran Hour Ministries since 2013, Kurt Buchholz brings a diverse background in international mission outreach and organizational leadership, along with a dedication for using today’s digital media resources to reach more people than ever before with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Leading a worldwide ministry team that today reaches individuals with the Gospel nearly 275 million times each week, Buchholz’s passion for the personal call and vocation of the laity leads to full engagement in boldly proclaiming Christ everywhere.

Buchholz reports to the Board of Directors for the International Lutheran Laymen’s League as LHM’s chief administrative and executive staff member; shapes and implements the ministry’s organizational policies; and spearheads the ministry’s bold global expansion plans by developing and executing global fund development strategies and cultivating the partnerships and relationships necessary for future phases of this initiative.

An accomplished leader who excels in strategic initiatives targeting international programs, constituent engagement, and internal management systems, he was instrumental in engaging the church in mission through his 20 years at LCMS World Mission and leading the Lutheran Malaria Initiative for Lutheran World Relief. Buchholz continues to draw on these strengths as he leads the global movement of LHM into its second century of ministry.

His passion for international missions began when he lived and worked in Taiwan in various leadership roles, including school start-up and management, and he and his wife Jenny served as missionaries there from 1993 until 2001.

A lifelong Lutheran, Buchholz is a graduate of Concordia University in Irvine, California, in the elementary education program and received his Director of Christian Education certification and a Master of Arts in organizational management from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Concordia College, New York, and was honored in 2022 by the Atlantic District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod as a “Witness in the Public Square” for providing exemplary witness in bringing Christian values to the public square through word and deed.

He and Jenny are blessed to be the parents of two faith-filled adult daughters, Linnéa and Rebekah.

Lara Heisohn-Sidorski

Global Chief Administrative Officer

Lara Heisohn-Sidorski serves as Global Chief Administrative Officer for Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM). In this position, she works in a collaborative effort with the other members of the executive and senior leadership teams to facilitate strategic planning, organizational success measurement, and systems coordination to optimize strategic initiatives in ministry. She oversees data analytics, project management, board governance support, information technology, finance, human resources, building and office management, and shared services.

She started her LHM career in 2008 within the United States ministries division before being promoted to manager of the executive office, associate director of the executive office & operations, and chief operating officer. Before coming to LHM, Heisohn-Sidorski was a technical editor at industrial control systems integrator Automation & Control Concepts and a graduate assistant in the English department at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

Heisohn-Sidorski earned a bachelor’s degree in English Composition from Truman State University, studied Art History and Italian Culture at the American University of Rome, and completed graduate coursework in English at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. She also earned a master’s degree in Nonprofit Administration from Lindenwood University in St. Louis, Missouri.

She and her husband, Curt, live in St. Louis and have two children.

Rev. Dr. Tony Cook

Global Chief Research & Innovation Officer

Rev. Dr. Anthony (Tony) Cook joined Lutheran Hour Ministries in 2016 and serves as Global Chief Research & Innovation Officer. Cook conducts program research, develops ministry philosophies, oversees the global leadership development process, and creates standard operating procedures for contextualization and ministry strategy and execution.

Cook brings nearly 30 years of ministry experience to LHM, including more than 25 years in curriculum design and development, distance curricula, educational technology, and leadership. His background includes serving as a parish pastor and consulting numerous Christian entities on curriculum design and development, distance learning, internet technologies, and sharing the Gospel through various forms of multimedia.

Cook served as Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, specializing in education, pastoral theology plus leadership, and postmodern studies, including courses on preaching to post moderns, post-liberal theology, and emerging Christianity. He also served as Concordia Seminary’s Director of Curriculum Design and Development. Cook received his Ph. D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Saint Louis University and an M.Div. from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

Sarah Willis

Chief Marketing & Engagement Officer

Sarah Willis joined Lutheran Hour Ministries in November 2025 and currently serves as Chief Marketing & Engagement Officer. In this role, she leads global marketing, communications, and engagement strategies, helping LHM expand its reach and deepen connections with audiences worldwide.

Prior to joining LHM, Willis was Founder and CEO of ESI Partners, a strategic consultancy where she guided organizations in accelerating growth through innovative marketing, communications, and customer experience initiatives. She also served as Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Sunworks, Inc., a publicly traded leader in sustainable energy solutions, where she directed national strategies across B2B and B2C divisions and chaired the ESG Advisory Committee.

Earlier in her career, Willis held senior leadership positions spanning the aerospace, defense, consumer goods, technology and renewable energy sectors. At National Technical Systems (NTS), she redefined the customer journey and elevated brand presence in technical markets. At Verify, she led global marketing efforts supporting aerospace and defense supply chains. She advanced cross-functional initiatives in healthcare technology at Quality Systems, Inc., expanded U.S. marketing for CDNetworks in cloud acceleration, and repositioned enterprise IT solutions at Internap through integrated campaigns.

Willis currently serves on the board of International Sanctuary, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering survivors of human trafficking. She is an accomplished strategist, consultant, and public speaker, with a career reflecting a passion for innovation, strategic growth, and meaningful impact in both business and community.

She has been active in the Lutheran Church her entire life and currently attends Christ Greenfield Lutheran Church in Gilbert, Arizona, where she serves on the chancel guild and the bell choir and is involved in a Bible study/fellowship small group.

A graduate of the W.A. Franke College of Business at Northern Arizona University, Willis holds a BSBA in Marketing and Statistics. She resides in Mesa, Arizona, with her husband, and together they are proud parents of two grown sons.

Cynthia Turner

Global Chief Financial Officer