This month we say goodbye to two of LifeSmart Youth’s long-time Board members, Jeff Wilson and Dr. Denis Ward. While with us, they put in hours of hard work and dedication to help our agency grow and provide more Indiana youth with our programming.
They will be greatly missed, but we are happy for them to enjoy new adventures and more time with their families. They will always be considered a part of the LSY family as their legacy impacts LSY for years to come!
Jeff Wilson
Director of Finance, Audit Services, Eli Lilly and Company
Jeff served on the LSY Board for nine years on the Executive and Audit and Finance Committees, and as Board President from 2015–2017.
What brought you to join the LifeSmart board?
Recognizing there is a great unmet need in our community, I wanted to support an organization that helped children succeed by teaching them life skills. As a father at that time to two girls and now also a son, I wanted to help my children grow up in an environment where respect, responsibility, and kindness are shared.
How does LifeSmart’s mission speak to you?
It is a powerful statement on how impactful our programming can be to children in a world with so many negative and destructive messages. We have an incredible opportunity to make a significant difference in children’s lives with our evidence-based programming delivered by award-winning Health Educators.
What will you miss most about serving as a board member?
I will miss the teamwork and diversity our board and staff brought to the organization. We have an incredible opportunity to impact the lives of thousands of children in Indiana and this is a great privilege. I’ve especially enjoyed observing our staff grow and remain focused on addressing the greatest needs for our youth.
What does it mean to you to live life smart?
Being curious, seeking to understand how to make good choices, demonstrating these behaviors, and sharing these learnings with others.
Dr. Denis Ward
Former Health & Physical Education Teacher, School Administrator, and School Superintendent
Denis was a Board member for 12 years and served as the Chair of the Program & Evaluation Committee.
What brought you to join the LifeSmart board?
I was the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction/Personnel at Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation. I watched multiple sessions of LifeSmart Youth instruction and became very interested in the organization’s vision and mission. I decided that this organization was aligned to my personal vision for educating youth in health education. As a former Health and Physical Education teacher, I was excited to be able to help promote and support the organization and its staff with their goals.
How does LifeSmart’s mission speak to you?
Helping youth make informed, medically accurate, and smart decisions about their personal health is a very worthy mission to me.
What was your best memory of working with LifeSmart?
Being able to bring LifeSmart Youth’s programs into a school system and providing a full-time staff member (employed by LSY), to deliver those programs. Due to this programing we witnessed our teen pregnancy rates decline from double digits to almost non-existence.
What does it mean to you to live life smart?
To live a healthy life by making informed decisions based on medically accurate information, and regarding one’s personal relationships.