Schumann Is New President of Lutheran Services in America

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- On May 1, Jill Schumann became president and chief executive officer of the largest health and human service network in the United States -- Lutheran Services in America (LSA). LSA is an alliance of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and their nearly 300 social ministry organizations, providing $6.9 billion in services in nearly 3,000 communities each year.
Schumann said she intends to plan her direction by talking with the heads of each of the social ministry organizations and officials from both church bodies "to hear what it is that they need and want from LSA and how we can add value. Listening as well as acting will be an important part of shaping that vision," she said.
One of those agency heads is the woman Schumann succeeded. Joanne Negstad retired after five years as LSA president in St. Paul, Minn., and became the chief executive officer of Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota, Sioux Falls.N
"Jill Schumann is a gifted visionary who comes to this position of national leadership with great passion, experience and ability," said Negstad. "She will bring the mission of LSA to new heights."
Those involved in Lutheran social ministry are interested in "what brings us together as 'Lutheran' services in America ... the Lutheran nature of this work and ministry," Schumann said. That's of particular interest when staff and clients of Lutheran social ministry organizations may not be Lutheran or even Christian, she said.
"LSA will be building a national identity -- something that is fairly concrete and something that each of our member organizations, congregations and other expressions of the church can be part of," said Schumann. "LSA can take leadership in developing that national recognition for Lutheran social ministry -- faith active in love," she said.
Lutheran social ministry organizations have formed networks around the specific services they offer, such as the LSA Disabilities Network, LSA Long Term Care Network, Lutheran Adoption Network and Lutheran Counseling Coalition. Schumann sees LSA as "a supporter and a convener" of such networks.
"I would like to see us look at expanding networks," she said, by organizing pilot projects, such as "think-action tanks -- folks who are interested in solving a common problem or in exploring something" for a week or a weekend. LSA could do more with the Internet to convene interested people, said Schumann, and to connect people to resources across the organization.
"There's just a wealth of talent" that social ministry organizations can share with each other -- from program resources to practical administrative experience, Schumann said. "LSA could act as a kind of banker. People can make deposits with us and make withdrawals," she said.
"We could broker people, so that we can get the benefits of the expertise that lots of people have," said Schumann, "connecting people, connecting the social ministry organizations to leverage their strengths."
Public policy will continue to be an important aspect of LSA's work, "not only because of the interest in Washington around the whole question of faith-based initiatives but also because so many of the services which our folks are providing are really struggling in terms of both regulations and reimbursement," said Schumann.
Leadership development is another area of emphasis for LSA, noting a need to identify and cultivate staff, administrators and board members for the agencies, said Schumann.
"Leadership needs to be skilled not only in good business practice -- understanding the very complex delivery environment -- but also in being mission faithful," she said. Leaders must be able to find that balance and to find other people able to find that balance, she said.
Born in Pittsburgh, Schumann, 47, earned a bachelor's degree in education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pa., and a master's in business administration from Mount St. Mary's College, Emmitsburg, Md. She has done additional postgraduate work at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., in history and alcohol studies.
Schumann was director of outpatient services, Center for Addictive Illnesses, Morristown, N.J.; substance abuse program developer, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pa.; director and vice president, Craig and Associates, York, Pa.; executive and vice president for planning and marketing, Tressler Lutheran Services, Mechanicsburg, Pa.; and executive vice president, Kairos Health Systems, Mechanicsburg. She served 18 months as LSA director of member services in St. Paul before she was named LSA president.
Schumann is a member of Christ Lutheran Church, Gettysburg. She is married to the Rev. Mark W. Oldenburg, chaplain and professor of liturgics, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, a seminary of the ELCA.

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