Lutheran Social Services of New England Announces New Leadership Team

WORCESTER, Mass., Feb. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Lutheran Social Services of New England, one of the largest nonprofits in the region, announced the hiring of a leadership team to provide a fresh direction for the 142 year-old organization. 

Angela Bovill, elected LSS president and CEO last year, completed her executive team with the hiring of a Vice President of Business Development in January, a new role in the organization.

"We now have a top notch executive team that is highly innovative," said Bovill in a radio interview Tuesday on WATD's "Sweeney & Malone" show. "Some of the solutions we're looking for are bridges between the for-profit space and the non-profit space. So we took a non-traditional approach and recruited from places outside of the social services sector, from for-profits and the healthcare industry. We've built an amazing team that really 'gets' integrated services."

"Together we're creating a strategy to serve individuals in a more holistic way," says Bovill. "We want to move people forward in all aspects of their lives – employment, education, health – so they not only survive, but thrive."

LSS has nearly sixty programs in New England that provide services to children and families, older adults, the disabled and new Americans. It employs around 1,400 people in the region.

The Worcester-based nonprofit announced four top executives recruited by Bovill during the past nine months: Dana Ramish, Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer; Jodie Justofin, Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Communications; Candace Cramer, Chief Development Officer; and Michael Alden, Vice President of Business Development.

Dana Ramish joined LSS in June, 2013. He previously held senior leadership positions in hospitals and health systems, including CareGroup and Forbes Health System, and recently served as President and CEO of Sophia Snow Place, a senior living community in Boston. Ramish said he is most inspired when he is "on site in one of our programs, seeing the fire of our mission alive in our staff. They are truly helping transform the lives of those we serve."

Jodie Justofin came to LSS in July, bringing over twenty years of experience in strategic marketing and communications. She had held senior executive posts in healthcare marketing at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Saints Medical Center in Lowell, and UMass Memorial Medical Center. "The LSS client-centered care model breaks the mold of traditional, program-focused social services," she explained. "With a passion for health and wellness, I'm excited to contribute to this compelling work by helping people connect with the resources they need to thrive."

Candace Cramer became Chief Development Officer at LSS in December. Previously she was Managing Director of CNC Nonprofit Consulting, providing strategic counsel, planning and fund development services to national and regional nonprofits. Prior to CNC, she served as National Director of Individual Gifts for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. In the private sector, she was Chief Financial Officer and Director of H.R. for Benefit Designs, Inc. and a Senior Manager with Deloitte & Touche. Working with donors and volunteers, Cramer said, "Seeing their dedication and desire to empower our clients is very meaningful to me. They are inspiring people."

Michael Alden joined LSS last month. He had been a manager in the restructuring practice of Grant Thornton LLP in New York City and, before that, at the Ernst & Young accounting firm in Boston. As the new Vice President of Business Development at LSS, Alden said he values the "opportunity to develop new corporate and community partnerships, to better serve our clients."

CONTACT: Todd Domke, [email protected] 781.562.0600 or Jodie Justofin [email protected] 774.243.3920

SOURCE Lutheran Social Services of New England