The people who steward our mission.
Mill Neck Center for the Deaf is governed by the Board of Trustees of Lutheran Friends of the Deaf, with three subsidiary boards overseeing our school, services, and foundation — and led day-to-day by an executive team whose passion for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community is matched only by the breadth of their expertise.
Four boards. One mission.
The Mill Neck Center for the Deaf is governed by four interconnected boards. The Lutheran Friends of the Deaf Board of Trustees serves as the governing body of our 501(c)(3) nonprofit — and three subsidiary boards provide focused governance for Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf, Mill Neck Services, and Mill Neck Foundation.
Together, these boards bring together pastors, executives, educators, physicians, advocates, and civic leaders — each contributing extensive knowledge, dedicated experience, and unwavering commitment to the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. They set strategic direction, exercise fiduciary oversight, and hold our organizations accountable to the values we have stewarded since 1947.
Leadership grounded in faith and service.
Rev. Dr. David Benke
Rev. Dr. Benke brings to the chairmanship of Lutheran Friends of the Deaf a lifetime of pastoral leadership in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and an enduring commitment to the principles on which our nonprofit was founded in 1947.
Under his guidance, the LFD Board has continued to strengthen the governance, financial stewardship, and strategic direction of Mill Neck Center for the Deaf — ensuring that the work begun by a small group of pastors more than seventy-five years ago continues to grow and serve the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. Rev. Dr. Benke also serves as Vice Chairperson of the Mill Neck Services Board.
The Governing Board.
Three boards. Three missions. One family.
Each subsidiary organization is governed by its own board, providing focused oversight of programs, finances, and outcomes within its specific mission.
The School Board.
The Services Board.
The Foundation Board.
The team that brings the mission to life.
Our executive leadership oversees the day-to-day operations of every organization within Mill Neck Center for the Deaf — translating Board direction into the programs, services, and care our community depends on.
Mill Neck Services
MNMSD
Resources Officer
Stewardship is not a posture. It is a practice.
Every trustee on every one of our boards accepts a fiduciary responsibility — a duty of loyalty, a duty of care, and a duty of obedience to the mission set forth by our founders. They do not draw compensation from the organization. They give their time, expertise, and counsel as an act of service.
Our boards meet regularly to review financial performance, strategic priorities, program outcomes, and the long-term sustainability of the work we do. They engage with our executive team not as overseers from a distance, but as partners who know that good governance is what makes the rest possible.
This is what we have inherited from 1947. This is what we will pass forward.
Three pillars of trustee responsibility.
Duty of Loyalty
Trustees act in the best interests of Mill Neck Center for the Deaf and the community we serve — not their own interests, and not those of any outside party. Conflicts of interest are disclosed, reviewed, and managed transparently.
Duty of Care
Trustees attend meetings prepared, ask informed questions, exercise judgment in good faith, and ensure that the organization operates with sound financial, programmatic, and operational practices.
Duty of Obedience
Trustees ensure that the organization remains faithful to its founding mission, complies with all applicable laws and regulations, and uses its tax-exempt status only for the charitable purposes for which it was granted.
Questions for our Board or Executive team?
Whether you are a prospective partner, donor, family member, journalist, or someone who simply wants to learn more about our governance — we welcome the conversation.