1.24.23

Lutheran West Announces Next Head of School

Lutheran West is pleased to announce the hiring of Mr. Joel Bahr as the school’s next Head of School.

Mr. Bahr came to Lutheran West in 2021 as Vice Principal for Admissions & Enrollment after serving as Assistant Principal at Milwaukee Lutheran High School, a role he had held since 2016. After attending Concordia University Wisconsin and earning an education degree, Joel began his career in Lutheran education. After graduation, he remained at CUW and began working in the Admissions Office as an undergraduate admissions counselor. During his six years employed with CUW, Joel spent much of his time overseeing the recruitment and engagement by CUW with all Lutheran high schools throughout the country.

In searching for the next Head of School, the search committee was impressed with Mr. Bahr’s unwavering dedication to Lutheran education and his ability to champion Lutheran West’s faith-centric community. They noted that Mr. Bahr has demonstrated exceptional ability to build meaningful connections with students, families, faculty & staff, board members, alumni, and the Northeast Ohio community at large. Despite being at Lutheran West for a short time, he has been instrumental in implementation of the school’s strategic plan and ability to achieve and exceed enrollment goals. His interactions with colleagues are positive and uplifting, and the search committee is confident in his ability to provide strong leadership at Lutheran West.

Mr. Chris Steinmann ‘00, Superintendent & CEO of The Cleveland Lutheran High School Association, says, “We were blessed to have several highly qualified and impressive candidates for this important role. Joel Bahr became the clear choice to continue the mission and strategic plan of our school. We are excited to see God’s plan for Lutheran West unfold under his leadership.“

Mr. Bahr says, “My entire life has been surrounded by Lutheran education. I firmly believe in the eternal impact it has on students and their families. My family and I have been blessed to join the Lutheran West family last year and are excited to serve the Longhorn community moving forward. It is my prayer that the Lord continues to make His plan clear and richly bless Lutheran West and its mission.”

Mr. Bahr’s wife, Jade, is also a Lutheran educator and currently works as a tutoring specialist at Lutheran West. The couple has two children.

Mr. Bahr will assume the role of Head of School beginning in July 2023.