Ensuring excellent service is just one of the many goals Pete Kleinsteuber has as the new administrator at the Mid-Nebraska Lutheran Home in Newman Grove.
Kleinsteuber, who is originally from Florida, has worked as an administrator for nearly six years now.
He received a business degree from St. Petersburg College in Florida and later went on to receive a degree in sociology/gerontology, and history from Minot State University in North Dakota. He then received his master’s degree from Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa in business administration.
Kleinsteuber completed a practicum at Des Moines Area Community College in order to obtain his Nursing Home License.
Currently, he’s looking into obtaining his doctorate degree in psychology and gerontology.
Kleinsteuber is one of four adopted children. He has family located throughout Iowa and Florida.
His mother was originally from the Midwest and he grew up on an island surrounded by Midwestern people.
“It’s just always felt like home to me,” Kleinsteuber said.
And for the past 20 years, Pete has made the Midwest home.
Kleinsteuber is a commercial pilot and loves to spend his free time traveling.
At one point, Pete was a scuba diving instructor. He still enjoys underwater photography.
Kleinsteuber owned and bred horses during a time in his life and enjoys riding and draft horse events.
In his new role at Mid-Nebraska Lutheran Home, he intends to make various improvements to enrich the lives of residents.
“Currently, we’re working to change the art work in the home,” Kleinsteuber said. “We are doing something called ‘Bring Nebraska Inside,’ in which we hang up art work on the walls that encompasses the state, such as cattle, farms and pivots. These are items that residents are used to seeing and it’s what they want to see.”
Another focus is on a memory care unit in the facility, that the home is implementing, which aids those affected by dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
“I really want to focus on addressing community needs,” Kleinsteuber said. “We are working to help those who have recently lost Meals on Wheels in Albion. We are working to get volunteers to deliver the meals as well. We are a community, church based facility. Part of our mission is to reach out and do what we can to benefit residents throughout the surrounding communities.”
According to Pete, one of the best parts about working for a nonprofit is being able to focus on improving circumstances for residents and staff. He said while focus on profit is important in any business, he has the opportunity to turn that profit back into the facility and into the communities it serves.
“I love my job,” Kleinsteuber said. “We have a wonderful, hardworking staff who are all very enthusiastic about improvements we are trying to make.”
Kleinsteuber said his job requires a lot of responsibility, but it’s incredibly rewarding.
“I get to see a little bit of everything,” Kleinsteuber said. “This job makes you stop and realize that the simplest of things—like stopping to talk to a resident about their grandchildren or simply giving them a smile—is very important. I get to experience humanity up close every day.”
