Farewell to two champions on the LCSNW Board of Directors

by | Dec 30, 2024 | Staff Spotlight

 

​Photo: Lisa Kraft (left), David Duea and Amina Suchoski.

The end of 2024 also ends a combined 15 years of service to the Lutheran Community Services Northwest Board of Directors for a pair of dedicated Board members, Lisa Kraft and Amina Suchoski.

Lisa makes her home in Eagle, Idaho, just outside Boise. She served nine years as the LCSNW Board member representing the Northwest Intermountain Synod of the ELCA Lutheran church. She works as a Thrivent office professional alongside her husband Todd, a financial advisor.

“Lisa is our first three-term Board Member after we adjusted the bylaws to allow for an additional three-year term,” said LCSNW CEO David Duea. “Lisa has been a strong voice for our Idaho operations. She has been a steady member of the Finance Committee and has enjoyed selecting some of our college scholarship recipients. Lisa will be deeply missed.”

Amina is a Seattle resident who served six years in an at-large capacity, one of six at-large positions on the 12-member LCSNW Board. A long-time health care and benefits executive, Amina is currently the Principal at HMA (Health Management Associates) in Seattle.

“Amina served two terms and was a reliable voice telling us where the health care sector was headed,” David said. “She is an expert in the field and helped chart our strategic direction.”

Lisa’s ties to LCSNW reach back to 1989, when she moved to Boise and joined a Lutheran church that supplied office space for the agency. Becoming a member of the LCSNW Board in 2015 was a natural progression for Lisa. “I was happy to make a deeper commitment to an organization that I believe in and have supported through volunteering and donations for over 30 years.”

Lisa’s advice to the individual who takes her seat on the Board: “Rejoice in the lovely people you will meet who provide the services of LCSNW.”

As for Amina, her exit from the LCSNW Board is only a partial departure. She is a charter Board Member for The Lutheran Collaborative (TLC), a national organization founded in 2024 that aims to harness the influence of social service providers around the U.S., starting with LCSNW and Lutheran Services Florida.

“We will miss Amina on the LCSNW Board but are excited that she will remain on The Lutheran Collaborative Board,” David said. 

LCSNW leadership plans to fill both open Board positions in early 2025. Please stay tuned for the introduction of new names and faces in the new year!