Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) is excited to welcome its new Chief Development Officer, Terri Speirs. At LSI, Speirs will direct all philanthropy and church relations activities to support the organization’s mission, vision, and values. Speirs joined team LSI on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
Speirs brings vast nonprofit experience with local, statewide, nationwide, and international agencies including IMPACT Community Action Partnership, Mind & Spirit Counseling Center, Children & Families of Iowa, Des Moines Area Religious Council, and 17 years with Lutheran World Relief based in New York City and Baltimore. These experiences were formative to Speirs’ understanding of critical issues such as food security, mental health, foster care, domestic violence services, refugee assistance, maternal healthcare, global education, coffee farming, and more.
“I am honored to serve the community through this key role with an organization I’ve long admired. Joining the LSI team is an opportunity I accept with both humility and confidence,” said Speirs. “I am passionate about addressing complex social needs with practical solutions. I can’t wait to collaborate with stakeholders to tell the stories, increase the support, and boost the brand of LSI.”
In 2011, Speirs earned an M.F.A. in creative writing from Antioch University in Los Angeles and a B.A. from the University of South Dakota, majoring in political science and criminal justice. Additional training includes leadership studies at St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul and Dale Carnegie in Minneapolis. She has taught composition at the Des Moines Area Community College and written for Living Lutheran Magazine and the Des Moines Business Record. A lifelong learner, Speirs is committed to her own work of learning difficult topics in history and processing current events.
“I am excited to have Terri join the LSI family and know that she brings the skills and fund development acumen that will lead to our continued success,” said Renee Hardman, LSI’s President and CEO.
Speirs enjoys collaborating with diverse stakeholders – donors, volunteers, congregations, foundations, businesses, colleagues – who care about the greater good of vulnerable communities.
Speirs has two adult children and lives in Des Moines with her husband Bob, Associate Pastor at Luther Memorial Church.
