LSI CEO Renee Hardman Steps Down July 1 for Senate Democratic Role

Lutheran Services in Iowa is headed for a leadership change. President and CEO Renee Hardman announced she will step down effective July 1 to focus on her family and her political work in the Iowa Senate, where she serves as assistant leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Hardman has led the faith-based nonprofit since January 2024, overseeing 400 employees and a nearly $30 million operating budget. The organization provides social service programming across all of Iowa's 99 counties, including child welfare, older adult support, disability services, and refugee and immigration assistance.

From City Council to State Senate

Hardman has spent much of her career in public service. She served as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa from 2017 to 2022 and held a seat on the West Des Moines City Council from 2018 until this year.

She made history as the first Black woman elected to both the West Des Moines City Council and the Iowa Senate. Hardman won a special election in December 2025 to fill the District 16 seat left vacant by the death of Senator Claire Celsi on October 6, 2025. The district covers parts of West Des Moines, Clive, and Windsor Heights.

Financial Turnaround and Expanded Reach

During her tenure, Lutheran Services celebrated its 160th year of operation in 2025 and raised more than $260,000 through community events. The organization also opened its Global Greenhouse, a program aimed at immigrant and refugee farmers, and earned several local awards for its community work.

Board chair Mike Schmidt, a pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Des Moines, credited Hardman with improving the organization's financial footing. He said Lutheran Services had previously operated at a loss because it spread itself too thin across its many statewide programs.