Wellspring Names de Four New SVP/COO, Kalbfleisch New VP of $85M Michigan Nonprofit
January 28, 2019
FLINT, MI–Wellspring Lutheran Services announces two major changes to its leadership. Sean de Four has been named senior vice president and chief operating officer, while Tim Kalbfleisch has been named vice president of finance and business strategy. Both changes help advance the mission of Wellspring, which means embarking on our next 125 years of serving children, families and seniors across Michigan.
“In his year-plus with us, Sean has demonstrated tremendous leadership, an ability to build strong working relationships both inside and outside the organization, and has already made a lasting impact on our work with children and families,” says Wellspring president and CEO David Gehm in making the announcement. “Sean’s decades of successful work in the area of social services, behavioral health, substance abuse and mental health treatment will help us strengthen our mission for children, families and seniors throughout Michigan.”
De Four came to Wellspring in 2017 to serve as chief operating officer for child and family services. In his new role, he will now oversee statewide operations for child, family and senior services.
De Four, who resides in Farmington Hills, began his new role on Jan. 15. He will continue to serve at the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work as a lecturer and is a past member of their Alumni Board of Governors. He is on the board of directors at the Michigan Federation for Children and Families, serves as the co-chair of the Child Welfare Partnership Council in Lansing, and is on the board of the West Michigan Partnership for Children in Grand Rapids. De Four also serves as a peer reviewer for the Council on Accreditation.
“Coming alongside people when times are hard and helping every person realize their God-given potential is what Wellspring is all about,” says de Four. “I’m proud to be part of a team that shares this as its purpose, and where leaders challenge each other every day to make sure these values guide our every decision.”
“I am equally pleased to share that we are expanding Wellspring’s financial analysis and business-strengthening capabilities through the promotion of Tim Kalbfleisch to vice president of finance and business strategy. Tim’s analytical abilities, together with his strategic mind for business, has consistently been of benefit to Wellspring since he joined us in 2016,” says Gehm.
This promotion is an expansion of his role to include his past responsibilities as director of finance along with new areas of impact, including business analytics and assessment, evaluating new program opportunities, and managing growth projects as they occur.
“It is an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to put my experience to work in supporting the life-changing mission of Wellspring,” says Kalbfleisch. “I look forward to supporting our talented, committed team members by ensuring Wellspring is strongly positioned to embrace and succeed in new and unique opportunities, so that we may continue serving families and communities across Michigan. I’m proud to be a part of an organization that celebrated 125 years of service, and humbled to think I can help strengthen Wellspring’s future at a time when our ministries are more vital than ever.”
Wellspring Lutheran Services is a nonprofit with adoption resources, affordable housing, assisted living, family preservation, foster care, home care, hospice and grief support, independent living, memory care, parenting support, short-term rehabilitation, skilled nursing care and supportive housing for youths. More than 1,100 employees carry out our work statewide, impacting people in more than 50 of Michigan’s 83 counties.
