LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. — Lutheran Services in America honored its members Lutheran Services Florida Health Systems, We Raise Foundation in Illinois and Ted Goins of Lutheran Services Carolinas for exceptional work and leadership today during its 2023 Leadership Awards ceremony. The three award winners were each presented with an award crystal at CEO Summit 2023, an annual gathering of Lutheran social ministry leaders that cultivates the sharing of innovative ideas and solutions to the biggest issues facing the health and human services sector, near Phoenix.
This year marks the third annual ceremony to honor distinguished organizations that reflect the Lutheran Services in America network’s core values of seeking innovative solutions to transform the lives of people and lifting up the diversity of people, communities and ideas.
“Our 2023 award recipients set the standard for what it means to advance innovation and address society’s greatest challenges to transform lives — our very mission as Lutheran social ministry organizations,” said Charlotte Haberaecker, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America. “Lutheran Services Florida Health Systems, We Raise Foundation and Ted Goins demonstrate the incredible work that occurs every day in our network to empower people, communities and Lutheran social ministry leaders, and we’re thrilled to recognize them for their achievements.”
Lutheran Services Florida Health Systems received the Innovator Award, which recognizes organizations that pioneer new solutions and practices to solve complex issues that extend beyond their own mission to strengthen the Lutheran social ministry network. Lutheran Services Florida Health Systems expanded an enhanced Certified Recovery Peer Specialist (CPRS) training program that addresses the region’s shortage of paraprofessionals with the skills and competencies to work with people at risk for behavioral health disorders — the first of its kind in Florida that has trained more than 300 people.
“It has always been our priority to promote a culture of innovation at Lutheran Services Florida Health Systems and across Florida to achieve a substantial impact across our state,” said Dr. Christine Cauffield, president and CEO of Lutheran Services Florida Health Systems. “We appreciate being recognized for our work by Lutheran Services in America and our social ministry peers and are truly humbled and honored to receive this award.”
Lutheran Services in America awarded We Raise Foundation with the Micah Award, which recognizes organizations that exhibit outstanding leadership in addressing justice, mercy and equity and exemplifies the spirit of Micah 6:8, “Act justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” We Raise Foundation used its resources to guide Lutheran Services in America member organizations on how to apply diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives through the newly created Reimagining Diversity Collaborative, which brings members together to explore race and inclusion in a safe setting.
“At We Raise, we live by the concept that ‘generosity multiplied’ can have a sizeable impact in our communities,” said Paul Miles, president and CEO of We Raise Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Lutheran Services in America to expand this concept with our fellow social sector leaders to build stronger communities free from inequity and injustice.”
Ted Goins, president and CEO of Lutheran Services Carolinas, received the Paragon Award: the Ken Daly Award for Excellence in Mentorship, which recognizes a leader with an exceptional gift for spotting potential in people and who generously provides guidance, coaching and experience to lift up the next group of leaders. Goins listened, offered advice and connected with Lutheran social ministry leaders who were experiencing similar challenges. Through his generosity of time and mentorship and willingness to connect CEOs with other leaders, Goins helped his peers to see that they are not alone in navigating these challenges and has provided motivation and encouragement to pursue their goals.
“I am humbled and honored to receive an award that bears the name of a man who I greatly admire for his unique ability to draw out the best abilities in leaders,” said Goins. “I had the good fortune to start my career in a Lutheran social ministry organization and spend most of my career there. At every step strong mentors internally and from across Lutheran Services in America have lifted me up. It seems our unspoken creed has been ‘when one succeeds, we all succeed.’ I can only hope to help lift others as I have been lifted.”
Nearly a dozen other Lutheran Services in America members were nominated for 2023 Leadership Awards. The other nominees for the awards are:
- Amelia Fox of Lutheran Services Florida
- David Trost of St. John’s United (Montana)
- Sally Montgomery of Mosaic (headquartered in Nebraska)
- enCircle (Virginia)
- Knute Nelson (headquartered in Minnesota)
- Lutheran Senior Services (headquartered in Missouri)
- Lutheran Social Services of Indiana
- Lutheran Social Services of Southern California
- Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (Arizona)
- Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat (Arizona)
- Upbring (Texas)
About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is a national network of 300 health and human services organizations that reaches one in 50 people in the United States each year. Recognized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s top nonprofit organizations, the Lutheran Services in America network operates with more than $23 billion in combined annual revenue. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Lutheran Services in America leads innovative collaborations with its member organizations and partners in philanthropy, academia, healthcare and business to address the most critical challenges in our communities and empower people to lead their best lives.
To learn more, visit lutheranservices.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
