Lutheran Social Services Of Southern California

MANAGEMENT

CEO/Executive Director

Dr. LaSharnda Beckwith

CEO/Executive Director Experience

Throughout her career, Dr. Beckwith has established community impact that works across private, public and corporate sectors. At LSSSC, Beckwith leads a diverse team of 180+ employees across 18 offices in six counties, to improve conditions for underserved and marginalized communities. During the pandemic, Dr. Beckwith brought organization-wide collaboration to a massive project of converting 70 programs providing critical services to online/hybrid delivery while also addressing the heightened COVID trauma for the most vulnerable. In her early career, she fast-tracked to becoming one of the highest-level executives in the Army and Airforce Exchange Services serving as a Vice President in the predominately male-led military structure. Using her business acumen and leadership skills she has held many recent positions in higher-level academia including two Orange County Universities; Hope International University in Fullerton and California Southern University in Costa Mesa. She is well known for bringing leadership training and profitable results with a sought-after specialty in building consensus and resolving conflicts. An inspirational speaker and author for decades, she has also been known for implementing diversity and inclusion strategies long before today’s heightened public awareness. Dr. Beckwith holds dual Doctoral degrees in Business Administration and Philosophy in Strategic Leadership and Organizational Management from California Southern and Capella universities respectively. She holds lifetime professional certifications in the area of strategy from the University of Michigan and in leadership from both the Center of Creative Leadership and the Wharton School of Business. She also holds a Master of Business Administration with Distinction from Embry-Riddle University and a Master of Arts in Business Management from Webster University.

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