For Immediate Release
EAGAN, Minn. (January 5, 2017) – Lifeworks Services announced today the appointment of Jeffrey Brown as president and CEO.
Brown’s hiring is the result of a nationwide search that has taken place since Judy M. Lysne announced her plan to retire at the end of 2016 after 43 years with the organization, including the last 22 years as president and CEO.
Formerly a senior vice president with Chiquita Brands International, Brown transitioned to nonprofit management in 2011 after nearly two decades of successful corporate leadership.
In his most recent nonprofit role, Brown served as interim executive director for United Way of Washington County – East, where he helped establish a strategic plan and set the stage for the hiring of a permanent leader. Prior to that, he spent a year as executive director for Practice Greenhealth and was the president and CEO of Haiti Outreach from 2011-2013.
“It was our goal to ensure that the next CEO of Lifeworks was the perfect fit – both a strategic visionary and someone who feels a strong connection to the Lifeworks mission,” said Board Chair John Orner. “We’ve found exactly what we were looking for in Jeff Brown.”
In addition to his nonprofit and corporate leadership roles, Brown founded a consulting practice focused on providing strategic, operational, and managerial support to both nonprofit and for-profit organizations.
Originally from Ohio, Brown holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He and his wife Katherine, a Minnesota native, call Minneapolis home.
“I’m honored and humbled to be selected as the next president and CEO of Lifeworks,” Brown said. “Judy’s excellent leadership has been instrumental in making Lifeworks the great organization it is today. I look forward to working with the extremely talented Lifeworks team, and dedicated Board of Directors, to build on her accomplishments and, above all, further empower people with disabilities.”
Brown will join the Lifeworks team on January 9.
About Lifeworks Services
Lifeworks is a nonprofit organization founded in 1965 by parents of children with disabilities. Through Fiscal Support, Employment, and Day Services – as well as through partnerships with nearly 300 businesses – Lifeworks provides support to 2,500 individuals with disabilities and their families throughout the Twin Cities and greater Mankato area.
Media Contact
Tony Saputo-Swanson
651-365-3710 | tsaputo-swanson@lifeworks.org
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