Chief Executive Officer at Lifeline Community Services
At Blair Search Partners, we believe strong leadership is essential not just to sustain impact, but to ensure organizations continue meeting community needs as the world around them changes. Through our Project Impact series, we spotlight leaders who step into moments of transition with clarity, humility, and a strong vision for leading their organizations forward.
Today, we are proud to feature Lisette Islas, Chief Executive Officer of Lifeline Community Services, whose leadership reflects a thoughtful evolution of a legacy organization at a time when the social sector is being asked to respond to new realities across San Diego County.
Meet Lisette
Born and raised in San Diego, Lisette has spent her career working at the intersection of community development, philanthropy, and economic mobility. She began her professional journey on the funding side of the sector, supporting nonprofit organizations through place-based philanthropy before transitioning into executive leadership roles within direct service organizations.
“I’ve always worked at the intersection of community development through the lens of economic development,” Lisette shared. “My firm belief is that many of the issues that we see across society are rooted in economic instability.”
Immediately prior to joining Lifeline Community Services, Lisette served as Executive Vice President at another large social service organization serving many of the same communities. She was thriving in that role when the opportunity at Lifeline emerged.
Stepping into a New Moment for a Legacy Organization
Lifeline Community Services had reached an important milestone as it approached its 50th anniversary. For decades, the organization had built a strong reputation as a trusted behavioral health provider, particularly across North County San Diego.
When the CEO search began, the question was not whether Lifeline was effective. It was how the organization could continue to meet community needs in a world that looked very different from the one it was founded in.
“For the entirety of my career, I have been elevating the notion that nonprofits are businesses,” Lisette said. “We are governed by the same employment laws. We pay the same bills every month. And we have to shape business and marketing strategies that resonate with our customers, just like our for-profit counterparts, all while operating on much tighter margins. This means nonprofits are incredibly resourceful and have tremendous capacity to innovate and problem solve.”
The role offered Lisette an opportunity to build on Lifeline’s strengths while helping the organization align more intentionally with the current and emerging realities facing the communities it serves.
Aligning Behavioral Health and Economic Stability
A central throughline of Lisette’s leadership has been clarifying and naming something Lifeline had long been doing: addressing behavioral health and economic stability as deeply interconnected.
Today, Lifeline Community Services intentionally operates at that intersection. While behavioral health remains core to its work, the organization recognizes that long-term stability depends on addressing economic realities alongside mental health.
This integrated approach continues to show up in Lifeline’s work with survivors of human trafficking, youth transitioning out of the foster care system, and others navigating significant life disruptions. Alongside therapy and case management, clients receive support addressing credit challenges, accessing employment, advancing educational goals, and working toward long-term housing stability. Lifeline’s services are delivered relationally and creatively, through music, art, cooking classes, and everyday interactions that foster safety and trust while therapeutic work is underway.
Expanding Reach and Strengthening Visibility
As Lifeline has continued to evolve, another priority has been clarifying the organization’s identity and reach. The transition from North County Lifeline to Lifeline Community Services reflects both the organization’s countywide service footprint and its commitment to meeting needs across San Diego County.
“The greater San Diego community didn’t know us,” Lisette shared. “We built awareness and trust in North County through many decades of work. Our challenge was to build on that trust as we expanded and deepened our work in other areas of the County. And to do so while continuing to tailor our services to the evolving needs of the community.”
Engaging civic leadership, strengthening partnerships, and increasing visibility have been essential to supporting Lifeline’s continued growth while maintaining the depth and quality of its services.
The BSP Difference: A Thoughtful, Aligned Search Process
Lisette’s connection to Lifeline was shaped through a long-standing relationship with Blair Search Partners. Having worked with the team previously, she entered the search process with trust in their approach and their ability to understand both organizations and candidates as whole people.
“Blair Search Partners is very intentional about working with both sides to make sure everyone maximizes the opportunity,” Lisette said.
Throughout the process, BSP spent time helping Lisette think through the board’s priorities, the organization’s needs, and how her own values aligned with the role.
“I often tell candidates that they are interviewing us just as much as we’re interviewing them,” she shared. “They’re choosing their next professional home. Working with Blair Search Partners really helped me to follow my own advice throughout the process.”
Looking Ahead
As Lifeline Community Services evolves, the organization remains grounded in its history while steadily aligning with the social, economic, and behavioral health realities shaping today’s communities.
For Lisette, the work is about stewardship—building on what has been strong, adapting and being responsive to change, and ensuring Lifeline remains relevant, resilient, and deeply connected to the people it serves.
Your Next Opportunity Starts Here
We are proud to celebrate Lisette and her incredible leadership at Lifeline Community Services. Her work reflects what is possible when experience, values, and vision come together in the right person at the right moment. Congratulations, Lisette!
If you’re an organization striving to make a difference by hiring a team of changemakers, or an individual looking for your next career move in the nonprofit sector, visit us at blairsearchpartners.com and let’s see what we can do together.
We’d love to help you find your next great hire.