Allan Schmidt, Residential Manager at Dinsdale
Allan Schmidt came to Epworth Village in December of 2002 after serving as a pastor in Chadron. He said his plans were to, “stay at Epworth through the winter. Obviously my plans changed.”
What changed was Schmidt’s increased passion to help the boys and young men at Epworth find a light in themselves. He said his career, “has personified being God’s representative for others. . . It is so rewarding being able to see the changes that occur.”
While he said it is awesome to see the changes that occur within each child Epworth serves, Schmidt said, “There is a lot of self-introspection too. You grow a lot and learn to deal with your own feelings when working with the kids as well.”
The man that thought he would only be at Epworth for a short time has grown in his career path as well. Schmidt is now the Residential Manager at Dinsdale Residential Treatment Center. He comes to this position with six years of commitment to the agency under his belt as well as a Masters in Divinity from Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colo.
He credited his predecessor, Michelle Lemke, for helping him get to this point in his professional career. “Michelle has done with me what she has done with so many other people. She has given me the greatest gift that anyone could give. She has instructed me, enlightened me and empowered me to be me! I have grown in ways that I never dreamed possible. I have been challenged and as a result I have challenged others to look down deep inside because that’s where the richest part of life exists.”
As Residential Manager, Schmidt said, “I look forward to deepening relationships with the staff and getting to know more about the backgrounds of our clients as I am involved in their treatment in a different way.”
Schmidt oversees 12 staff and 12 children at the RTC level, the highest level of structure Epworth provides in the residential treatment portion of their program. Schmidt said this structure is important so that clients can deeply focus on the issues that brought them to the agency.
Schmidt believes wholeheartedly in the dedication of his staff, “We have people who have the best interest of the kids at heart. They are willing to go the extra mile for the kids. Each brings a different gift to the table and that is what makes the program work so well.”
“Epworth truly makes a positive impact on people’s lives, both the clients and their parents. We are here for the kids and we are not going away.”
Outside of his career, Schmidt enjoys spending time with his wife Brenda and their children and grandchild. He also likes reading, watching movies, playing golf and working on home remodeling projects.