Change happens where systems meet people. Amelia Fox, chief strategy officer and chief of staff at Lutheran Services Florida, operates in that space every day, turning strategy into steadier families and stronger communities.
Fox has helped steer an organization-wide lift that deepened core services while sharpening execution. The team expanded child and family programs, strengthened behavioral health and built business intelligence tools that track performance in real time. Fox led the building and expansion of the advancement department and the communications & marketing department, aligning storytelling, revenue and advocacy so the work reaches farther with clarity and purpose. That momentum set the stage for The Lutheran Collaborative, a national entity created to advance innovation across faith-based human services and to support a select group of Lutheran agencies through shared strategy, capacity building and coordinated action. The effort has included a strategic planning engagement with a sister agency in Seattle, Washington. Success is measured in stories of stability and in trust earned with families and partners everywhere statewide.
Passion endures when leaders stay close to the work. Fox keeps energy high by spending time in the field with colleagues and the people served. Listening to frontline insight helps her remove barriers and re-center decisions on dignity. She invests in learning too, joining the Outthinker Strategy Network and convening peers to test ideas that turn intent into measurable outcomes. “Status quo is not OK” shapes her approach to ensure work is effective, efficient and worthy.
A Titan 100 Honoree, Fox defines accomplishment through durable structures and trusted relationships. Over the past year she led initiatives that knit partners together across programs so families encounter less friction and more timely support. Results show up in simpler access, better coordination and stories of progress that keep integrity at the center. To sustain momentum, she has adopted an even more intentional approach to forward motion with purpose, pressing ahead when others hesitate. That same resolve animates The Lutheran Collaborative’s growth as it equips agencies to serve communities with effectiveness and care.
Leadership, for Fox, has required stillness in motion. The year reinforced the practice of pausing, reflecting and choosing deliberately. That stance brings clearer judgment, steadier teams and decisions guided by the values of dignity, impact and integrity. Calm in how she moves, candid in what she asks and consistent in what she models, Fox keeps people at the center while expecting programs to perform.
Cultivating the next generation is part of that charge. Fox mentors emerging executives through Mentoring Monday and regional nonprofit events, pairing encouragement with accountability. She measures progress not in titles but in ripples: when a mentee gains confidence, when a leader pays mentorship forward, when collaboration emerges where silos once stood. The throughline across her work stays simple and demanding: Elevate people by strengthening the supports around them. That is how an organization grows, how communities heal and how mission endures.
