Katie Sayre ’80 received the 2015 Covenant Award at the 28th Annual Meeting of the Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations (GACAC) on Saturday, April 25.
Since 1991, the Covenant Award has been bestowed annually in recognition and celebration of the efforts of individuals who have made significant contributions in strengthening the presence of the College in the Church and the presence of the Church in the College. Past recipients include former Gustavus Presidents John Kendall (1991) and Dennis Johnson (2003), former religion professors Robert Esbjornson (1992) and Ron Christenson (1997), former Senior Pastor at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis Paul Youngdahl ’59 (2000), and Bishop of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod in the ELCA Jon V. Anderson (2011).
Sayre is being celebrated for her contributions to the life and growth of both Gustavus and the Church, most notably through her board level leadership, passion for Gustavus Church Relations, and philanthropic vision and commitment. She served on the GACAC Board of Directors from 2005 to 2011, serving one year as secretary and two years as vice president. Since 2012, she has chaired the GACAC Nominating Committee. During her time on the GACAC Board of Directors, Sayre played a key role in leading the board into long range planning for the Association, the launch of the Three Crowns Ambassador Program, and the establishment of the Covenant Award Endowment Fund.
Sayre was born and raised in Bloomington, Minn., and currently lives in Eden Prairie. She graduated magna cum laude from Gustavus in 1980 with a double major in religion and psychology, and was inducted into the Guild of St. Ansgar for her extracurricular involvement and leadership. Sayre was married for 29 years to Steve Sayre ’80, until his death in 2010 from lymphoma. Katie and Steve have two children, David and Carolyn. As a family they have established the Steve Sayre Scholarship Endowment Fund at Gustavus, to support students with academic promise, integrity, and community and church engagement.
Sayre has devoted her professional career to health care administration, serving in various executive leadership roles. She is Senior Vice President of Health Plan Operations and Government Programs for HealthPartners in Minneapolis—the largest consumer governed, non-profit health care system in the nation, serving more than 1.5 million members nationwide.
Since graduation, Sayre has actively supported Gustavus, participating in various planning, philanthropy, and mentoring initiatives, as well as supporting her husband Steve as a 30-year class agent. An active member of her community and church, she has served in leadership roles at several Lutheran congregations. She is currently a member of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. Currently, Sayre and her golden retriever Stella are a registered therapy dog team with North Star Therapy Animals. She and Stella are frequent volunteers, including working with children as a Reading Education Assistance Dog team at local libraries.
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