Dave Fenoglietto

An Adams man has risen to national prominence in the world of faith-based non-profits.

Lutheran Services in America has named Dave Fenoglietto, CEO and president at Lutheran SeniorLife, as the organization’s national board chair.

“[I’ll be] driving advocacy, new policy development, innovation for the members that are part of Lutheran Services in America, helping them do things together as we work to connect across the country,” said the Adams Township resident. “We’re going through a lot of fundraising for our providers, helping to enable them to receive gifts and grant so they can change how they offer services to persons in need.”

LSA is one of the largest health care and human services networks in the country, working with hundreds of organizations across the country, including Lutheran SeniorLife.

“I think it is a unique opportunity for a Butler County program to have one of its members ... at Lutheran SeniorLife to be blessed and honored to serve a national organization of 300 members,” Fenoglietto said. “We serve one in 50 Americans.”

He will continue to serve as president and CEO of Lutheran SeniorLife, a faith-based, not-for-profit social ministry organization that provides senior living communities and care options as well as health, wellness and social services.

A practicing Catholic, Fenoglietto is in a unique position to work with both Catholics and Lutherans toward their goals in times of crisis or on long-term projects for those in need across the country.

“I think as a person that grew up in the Catholic Church, I went to eight grades of Catholic school, and now I am a Catholic running a Lutheran organization,” Fenoglietto said. “So it gives me the opportunity to work in a multidenominational way serving not only Catholics and Lutherans but also Presbyterians, Methodists and others in a faith-based environment. And I think that’s really the thread.”

As the Lutheran and Catholic churches continue to talk about ways to salve decades of tension and discord, their charities have been working together to address the needs of those across the country and the world.

“I think the Lutherans and Catholics work together in a number of different areas,” Fenoglietto said. “Diaster relief is one area that Catholic Charities across the country and Lutheran Services in America works together. For ourselves at Lutheran Senior Life, we have a program called the Life Program, which is in Butler, Life Butler, and in a couple of different areas we have a Catholic order of nuns that are enrolled in the program. And we work closely with them.”