Larry Lake
Dr. Larry Lake was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, the son of The Reverend Dr. B. Hugh Lake and Frances M. Lake. He is a sixth generation native Floridian, and the father of two daughters. His eldest daughter is Lauren Lake, who graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2008. Lauren works in an accounting firm in St. Augustine, Florida. His younger daughter is Emily Lake, who is a student at Santa Fe State College and works for a research firm in Gainesville, Florida.
Dr. Lake holds five earned academic degrees, including two earned doctorates. His Ph.D. is in Social Ethics from the University of Edinburgh, where he studied as a Rotary International Graduate Scholar and on an Overseas Research Scholarship sponsored by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the United Kingdom. His second doctorate is in Family Systems Theory and Therapy. Dr. Lake holds a masters degree from Emory University. In 1985, he earned a Masters of Legal Studies in Jurisprudence from the Duke University School of Law. He also graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. from Florida Southern College. He completed his bachelor’s academic program in just over two years of study. While attending Florida Southern College, Dr. Lake was inducted into the national leadership fraternity, Omicron Delta Kappa, and listed in Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges.
Dr. Lake came to St. Augustine in 1985 and served as the pastor of the St. Augustine Shores United Methodist Church. He served in this appointment for approximately eight years. Membership at the church more than doubled, and the church built a full-service child care and educational facility. Dr. Lake had served previous pastoral appointments in Jacksonville and Lakeland, Florida.
In 1993, Dr. Lake was appointed the Executive Director and CEO of the St. Johns Welfare Federation, a not-for-profit continuum of care healthcare organization in St. Augustine, Florida. Since 1993, the organization has seen significant growth and program expansion. Gross Revenues have increased from approximately $2.9 million to over $16 million annually. The number of employees has increased from 100 to 288.
Though many of the programs of the BayView Healthcare are managed on a fee-for-service basis, the Board of Directors is committed to providing charitable and uncompensated care for the benefit of the community. Since Dr. Lake was appointed CEO, the organization has delivered over $23 million in charitable and uncompensated care. This remains a central focus of the organization. Fundraising by the organization’s all-volunteer “Caring Hands – Caring Community” is “leveraged” with matching grants to deliver the very highest possible donor value. No funds are used to pay executive salaries or administrative overhead.
Dr. Lake has served on the Board of Directors of Flagler Health Systems and is a past Chairman of the Board of Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine. He is a member of the St. Augustine Rotary Club and has served on numerous boards in the community, including the Council on Aging, United Way Agency Directors Association (UWADA), Community Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP), EPIC Community Services, as well as other service organizations.
Dr. Lake is a dual-licensed psychotherapist in the State of Florida holding licenses in both Mental Health Counseling (LMHC) and Marriage and Family Therapy (LMFT). He is a nationally certified counselor and a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Though he does not currently maintain an active mediation practice, Dr. Lake was certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a family and county mediator in 1990. In Florida, Dr. Lake also is licensed as a Nursing Home Administrator.
An avid fisherman, Dr. Lake enjoys cruising and blue-water fishing with his best friend and significant-other, Beverly Sinclair.
