About Us

 Annie Malone Children & Family Services is a long-standing social service agency in the St. Louis area. Our programs aim to reduce the presence of crisis in our community.

about annie malone

Our Mission, Vision, and Core Values

Our Mission:

To improve the quality of life for children, families, older adults, and the community by providing social services, educational programs and advocacy.

Our Vision:

To be a premier organization that provides a diverse array of services advancing the quality of life for children, families, and communities.

Our Core Values:

We believe:

  • that every child is a person of worth and that the children of our community are our most valuable resource
  • that children and families should have the opportunity to live in an environment that enables them to develop healthy self-concepts to achieve their potential and to become productive citizens
  • that children must be given the opportunity to be reunited with their families, to be adopted or placed in good foster homes, or provided long term care in a safe family environment
  • that children should be aware of and exposed to appropriate productive adult role models and protected from inappropriate adult relationships
  • that children need opportunities to learn to trust, independence, self-confidence, effective social skills and appropriate behavior
  • in teaching others about the needs of our children and inviting the community to contribute toward the enhancement of those needs
  • that older adults are to be valued, respected and offered opportunities to be productive in a safe environment

We are committed:

  • To the physical, educational, social, mental, moral well-being and development of the children and their families in our care, and the community we serve
Our Team

Meet Our CEO

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

Keisha Lee

I am honored to serve as CEO of Annie Malone. The staff, board, and community are amazingly supportive, generous, and invested in fulfilling our mission to improve the quality of life for children, families, and the community.

We experienced many WINS this year including giving holiday gifts to over 180 children, having a 71% stabilization rate at our crisis center, educating parents, and providing substance abuse counseling to many teens.

With the many WINS also came some disappointments, including pipes bursting at our crisis center and a boiler failure at our administration building.

Regardless of the setbacks, we are committed now more than ever to making a difference in our community every day.

Meet our Team

Samantha Simpson, MSA, MSW, LMSW

Samantha Simpson, MSA, MSW, LMSW is a WashU Brown School and Lindenwood University Alumni who serves the Annie Malone team in the Clinical Director and clinical therapist capacity. Samantha has been with the agency since 2020 and has experience in grant management, program leadership, supervisory roles, as well as working clinically with parents seeking reunification with their children.

Outside of AMCFS, Samantha loves serving the community of parents and enjoying time with her family and pets.


Contact: SamanthaSimpson@anniemalone.com

Jacilynn (JC) Peacock, LMSW, BAP

Jacilynn (JC) Peacock, LMSW, BAP serves the Annie Malone team as the SAFER Program Director and clinical therapist. JC has been with the agency since 2021 and has experience working with young children, teens, and parents working through various challenges and difficult experiences.

Outside of AMCFS, JC loves eating good food and watching true crime TV with her cat, Shrek.


Contact: JPeacock@anniemalone.com

Irene James

Irene James serves the Annie Malone team as the Crisis and Emergency Respite Program manager. Ms. Irene has been with the agency since 2005 and has served in several capacities from direct care to leadership. Ms. Irene has countless years of experience working with young children and parents who are facing some of their biggest challenges.

Outside of AMCFS, Ms. Irene enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her loved ones.


Contact: IJames@anniemalone.com

Board of Directors

Board Officers

Alderwoman Pamela Boyd, Chairman

Gyasi Hynes, Vice Chairman

Mitchell Washington, Treasurer

Board Members

John Bowman

Steven L. Harmon, Esq.

Christopher Jones

Thompson Knox, Jr.

Jerome Harris

Robert Mason

Dr. Stacey Montgomery Myton

Rev. Charles Norris

Steve Piphus

Paul Reid

Gregory Rodgers

William Archibald

B. Marcell Williams

Michael Atty

Ken Goins

Patricia Tripp

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Keisha Lee

Annie Malone CEO

Keisha Lee was born in Saint Louis, Missouri. As a child, the woman who would eventually become the CEO of Annie Malone Children & Family Services was raised amongst her fellow Saint Louisans, where she developed a strong sense of community through a large family and often participated in the organization's annual events and activities. Lee received her Bachelor of Science degree from Lindenwood University, and more recently completed Washington University Olin Business School’s Business Management for Non-profit Leaders program. In addition, what makes Keisha such a compelling individual is her sheer dedication to her cause and unwavering loyalty to the mission of Annie Malone.

One of her greatest contributions to the community is with several leading organizations within Saint Louis she has worked with, including Emmaus Homes, St. Louis Arc, Nestle Purina North America, and Enterprise Holdings. Additionally, Lee's community experience expands further to being an alumna of CORO Women in Leadership, the FOCUS St. Louis Emerging Leaders Program, and a member of the St. Louis County NAACP, the Regional Business Council's Leadership 100, and the Greater Ville Collaborative. As such, she became an exceptional asset to Missouri. Therefore, we can see how those past experiences had aided Lee's growth throughout her journey. As well as accepting fierce responsibility, we see Keisha coming to adore her involvement with children. Keisha Lee is not just a powerhouse of work ethic. But, by today's time, she exudes the personal control of a true leader. A woman who has stood witness to the city's growth and innovation also stood face to face with herself as a breast cancer survivor and took authority over challenges far greater than her own. Since 2019, Keisha has served at Annie Malone as the Chief Operating Officer. Earlier than that, she was a member of the organization's Board of Directors. Lee has taken on more responsibility with every new role–growing stronger by the day. Even when her path had roadblocks, she still managed to persevere in the name of her ambition: the Annie Malone community, and her family.

As the head of the Annie Malone organization, Lee continues to provide outstanding leadership to directors and the administrative staff. Throughout her entire career, we have watched the CEO of Annie Malone become a calm, incorruptible, and undefeated wind of change in her world. While struggle is inevitable, Lee eventually finds that calm within the chaos. Keisha Lee is truly incredible. That is why many would consider her one of the most impactful individuals in the social services industry.