Staff
Bryon Hansen, Pastor
Bryon Hansen is an ordained pastor in the ELCA. Before arriving at First in March 2024. He served congregations in Idaho, Northern California, the Oregon Coast, Portland, and Seattle. Bryon is a native of the Pacific Northwest, having grown up in Puyallup. Pastor Hansen received his BA from Western Washington University in Bellingham, a Master of Divinity from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, and a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. He is married to Britt Olson, a priest in the Episcopal church. They live in Northeast Seattle with their ever lovable pets Linus the cat, and Sally the tenderhearted Labrador.
Dean Hard, Deacon Emeritus
Dean Hard was born and raised at Alki in West Seattle. He joined the First Lutheran Church choir as a high school student in 1955. After graduating from West Seattle High School, he attended Pacific Lutheran University. From 1970-1980, he was a teaching assistant, drama coach, and assistant activity coordinator at West Seattle High School. In 1974, Dean was appointed Choirmaster at First Lutheran Church; and attended the English Choral Studies Program, Clare College, Cambridge University, UK for three summers. He directed many drama productions in our Performing Arts Program, here and throughout the Pacific Northwest, his signature work being the Christmas opera Amahl and the Night Visitors, by Gian Carlo Menotti. On March 1, 1992, he was consecrated Parish Deacon, serving for 27 years. He retired as Deacon on July 31, 2019. Dean continues to serve faithfully as Deacon Emeritus, Choirmaster, Historian, and Sacristan.
Casey Blake, Parish Administrator
Casey’s first job in high school was as evening receptionist down the street at Holy Rosary Church. So FLCWS brings her career full circle. In the meantime, she has been assistant to one of the academic deans at Seattle University, membership/customer service manager at Central Coop Grocery on Capitol Hill, bookkeeper for several local general contractors, and these days, also rounds out her day as inventory specialist at Junction True Value. She enjoys desktop publishing and graphic design, event planning, and keeping things running smoothly. Casey lives right around the corner (in the house she grew up in), so she never gets snow days.