Sam Sipes, CEO of Lutheran Services Florida

Sam joined LSF as CEO in September 2007. At that time, LSF had several hundred employees and an annual budget of approximately $30 million. During his tenure, Sam led the agency’s tremendous growth to more than 2,500 employees and a budget of more than $400 million. Sam has a background in leadership roles in nonprofit organizations, as well as experience in child welfare, social services, mental health, and programs for senior citizens. Prior to joining LSF, Sam served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Lutheran Social Services of the South (LSSS) in Austin, Texas. Under his leadership LSSS became the largest provider of children’s residential services in Texas. Sam also was instrumental in expanding residential and non-residential services to senior citizens along with disaster response efforts across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. In 2005, Sam was among the key leaders that helped organize and manage the regional and national response to Hurricane Katrina. Sam has served on numerous boards including the Council on Accreditation of Child and Family Services, the Florida Coalition for Children, and Lutheran Services in America. He was a member of the Florida Faith-Based and Community-Based Advisory Council to identify ways to deliver services more effectively. Sam received both a Master of Science in Social Work and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin.