CEOs of Lutheran Health and Human Service Organizations are Prepared, Stay Longer than Average
June 8, 2007 – Baltimore, MD – Almost 60 percent of CEOs of Lutheran health and human service organizations in the United States have been in their position more than six years. Thats higher than a 2006 national study of 1,000 nonprofit organizations, which found that 50 percent of CEOs have been in their positions five years or more. In the recent study of Lutheran CEOs, nearly 40 percent have been in their position more than 10 years.
The CEOs are leaders of organizations that are members of Lutheran Services in America, an alliance of the two major Lutheran denominations in the United States and their nearly 300 health and human service organizations. One of the largest nonprofits in the US, LSA touches more than six million people each year one in 50 Americans through health care, housing, childrens services, and support for persons with disabilities and those who are aging.
According to the survey, CEOs are also well prepared for their positions. More than 60 percent of CEOs said they had been a CEO or senior executive at another Lutheran social ministry organization prior to their current role. Sixty-eight percent of CEOs surveyed said they hold a doctorate or masters degree. This number is also higher than the national average. The 2006 CompassPoint and Meyer Foundation survey found that 62 percent of CEOs had a doctorate or masters degree.
The survey also found that an overwhelming majority of CEOs reported their religious affiliation as Lutheran. Clearly there is a strong intersection between faith and work among CEOs in the Lutheran system, says Jill Schumann, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America.
In a related study, LSA found that 71 percent of CEOs are male and 29 percent female.
LSA conducted the survey of CEOs in March, part of its annual scan of CEO compensation, activities and background. The compensation information is gathered as a resource to boards of directors of member organizations as they consider compensation packages.
More than 50 percent of LSA member organization CEOs responded to the survey. Where possible without duplicating responses, information from the 2006 survey was combined with 2007 responses for a total sample of 198, or two-thirds of the LSA member organizations.