Annie Malone CEO Keisha Lee to Depart Dec. 31
Nonprofit boards in St. Louis can use months of advance notice to plan a structured CEO succession.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in People
Keisha Lee, president and CEO of Annie Malone Children & Family Services in St. Louis, will conclude her executive tenure on Dec. 31, 2026, and move into strategic consulting and leadership development. Lee gave the board advance notice in August to allow time for succession planning.
Why it matters
For St. Louis nonprofit operators, a planned CEO transition with months of notice is a case study in executive continuity. The advance notice gives the board room to run succession planning rather than scramble, which bears on how boards of similar organizations should structure leadership handoffs.
Lee's tenure spans 11 years, beginning with her 2015 board seat and including five years as CEO since 2021. The organization, founded in 1888, reports audits without findings during her tenure and accreditation running through 2030.
The players
Annie Malone Children & Family Services
A St. Louis nonprofit founded in 1888 that provides family services, immunizations, and dental care to underserved communities.
Keisha Lee
President and CEO of Annie Malone since 2021, with an 11-year tenure that includes earlier board service beginning in 2015.
The details
Lee joined Annie Malone's board of directors in 2015 and became president and CEO in 2021. She notified the board of her departure in August 2026, giving the organization advance time to plan for succession and executive continuity. Her exit is set for Dec. 31, 2026, and she will move into strategic consulting and leadership development. During her tenure the organization expanded access to immunizations and dental care in underserved areas and mobilized two semi-truckloads of supplies after the 2025 St. Louis tornado.
Timeline
2015: Lee joins Annie Malone's board of directors.
2021: Lee becomes president and CEO.
August 2026: Lee notifies the board of her upcoming departure.
Dec. 31, 2026: Lee's executive tenure concludes.
Market Landscape
Founded in 1888, Annie Malone is one of St. Louis's longest-running family service organizations, and its leadership transition arrives with accreditation secured through 2030. The timing places a CEO handoff inside a stable accreditation window, which is the condition most nonprofit boards prefer when changing top executives.
Nonprofit boards in St. Louis should treat a CEO departure announced months ahead as a chance to run a structured succession process. Operators should map their own interim leadership and executive continuity plans well before any exit date.
The takeaway
Advance notice of roughly four months gives a nonprofit board the time it needs to plan a CEO handoff without disrupting services. Operators at similar organizations should review their succession documents and confirm an interim plan before any departure date is set.
What happens next
Lee's executive tenure concludes on Dec. 31, 2026, when the organization will need to have leadership in place for the transition.
Further reading
For more on how leaders move through organizations, browse our People coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Fox2Now.
