Roger W. Player

Chairman of the Board

Mark A. Wiewel

President/CEO

Kent D. Stegeman

 Secretary/Treasurer & CFO

David P. O'Brien, FICF

National Sales Director

     After six years as a member of the Western Catholic Union sales team, David P. O'Brien was named National Sales Director in May.

     Dave joined WCU in 2005 and quickly became one of the organization's most-productive agents. He has been in the insurance industry for nearly 30 years.  Dave established O'Brien Insurance Services in 1982, and grew that business into Senior Benefit Solutions in recent years.

     Dave brings a great deal of experience to this job, having operated an agency, recruited, and conducted many sales seminars.  He has taught continuing education classes for AD Banker in Advanced Life Cases, Ethics, Estate and Tax Planning, Annuities, and Wealth Transfer Techniques.

     His passion to help Des Moines-area charities motivated Dave to establish and grow WCU's Des Moines Branch 300. 

     Dave graduated from Upper Iowa University with a major in Marketing and a minor in Consumer Psychology.  Dave founded the first Men's Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9127 in Des Moines and holds the office as Chaplin, and is a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Greater Des Moines.    

     He and his wife, Vicki, live in Des Moines.  They are proud parents of one son, Travis, and one daughter, Deborah, and they spoil their two grandchildren rotten every chance they get.     

Steve L. Looten

Vice President-Fraternal

Steven L. Looten is the "fun guy" at the Western Catholic Union. Since his hiring in July 2007 he has overseen all fraternal and social activities of the WCU Branches.  Fun and games are nothing new to him, since Steve was a TV Sports Director in the Quincy area for nearly 20 years, where he got to cover many state championship teams, World Series games, the Masters golf tournament and the Rams' thrilling win in Super Bowl XXXIV.

Prior to joining WCU he was also an active real estate agent in Quincy. Steve has helped with fund drives at Quincy Notre Dame High School, Culver-Stockton College in Canton, MO, and Quincy YMCA and Adams County Red Cross. He served on the National Fraternal Advisory Board for the National Fraternal Congress of America, was a Board member of the Illinois Fraternal Alliance, served on the QND Hall of Fame Committee, and has volunteered at the Quincy Community Theater and has been a board member at the Quincy Museum. 

He recently produced the new Western Catholic Union video, as well as a DVD to celebrate "100 Years of Quincy Blue Devil Basketball." His wife Amy is the Executive Director of the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce, and is a vocalist for St. Peter Church. They have two sons in college , Steve, Jr. and Dan.

James R. Obert

Quincy, IL

James R. Obert, Sr. is employed by First Bankers Trust Company in Quincy, IL and holds the position of Vice President of Business Banking. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Quincy University.  This is his fifth term as WCU National Trustee and is currently serving as a member of the Executive Committee for WCU. Jim has been a WCU member since October, 1978.  He and his wife Karen have 5 girls and 2 boys.

Earle W. Ruhnke, Sr.

Tucson, AZ

Earle W. Ruhnke, Sr. retired from the Chicago Fire Department in 1998 after 37 years of service. He began his career as a firefighter in 1961 and was promoted to Fire Engineer in 1970.  He earned the rank of Lieutenant nine years later and was promoted to Captain in 1992, a position he held until his retirement in July 1998.  Earle joined North American Union, LaSalle Branch 15 where he served in the positions of Auditing Committee, Committee of Trustees, Executive Board and then President of NAU Division of WCU for six years.  He has been on the WCU Board of Trustees since October, 2000 and has been a member of NAU/WCU since 1956.  Earle and his wife Marie reside in Tucson, AZ.

Sherri L. Schaefer

Clover Bottom, MO

Sherri L. Schaefer is in her third term as a member of the WCU Board of Directors.  She has an Associate of Applied Science degree in Accounting, a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing, Completed a Strategic Marketing Course, and has a MBA from Lindenwood University. She is the Adult Education Coordinator at Four Rivers Career Center in Washington, MO. She is a member of St. Francis Br. 269 in Clover Bottom, MO and has been involved with the WCU in various capacities for the past 24 years. Sherri and her husband John were married on September 13, 1980. She is the oldest of seven children and her parents are Robert & Patricia Lause of Clover Bottom, MO.

Henry G. Schaper, Sr.

Oakville, MO

Henry G. Schaper, Sr. is retired from Union Electric Co, (Now AmerenUE) with 39 years service. After he retired from Union Electric, he spent three school years as a computer instructor at Good Shepherd Grade School in Hillsboro, MO. He served and retired from the Reserve Forces of the U.S. Military (U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Air Force Reserve and the Missouri Air National Guard) after 23 years of service. Henry has been a member of WCU since 1937 and currently serves as Vice President of WCU St. Louis IX Branch and President of the St. Louis District. In his spare time, Henry amazes children with his magic act!  Henry and his wife Barb were married on May 9, 1959, and is the father of 4 and grandfather of 17 grandchildren and two angels.