Almost exactly 20 years before he signed his contract this year to become the next CEO of Youth & Shelter Services in Ames, Andrew Allen reached a turning point in what can only be called a turbulent young life.

Allen, the former director of community relations for Principal Financial Group Inc., shares his story openly. When he was a child, he says, something within him was “awry.” Allen had what he calls a problem with authority. By age 10, he faced his first felony charge. By adolescence, he was in and out of the juvenile court system. By high school, he turned to drugs and alcohol, and was expelled from school at age 17. Ultimately the juvenile court system sent him to stay at Youth & Shelter Services. 

Six weeks into his time there, his mother drove him to Ames to take some tests. Between tests, Allen snuck away for a cigarette, something he wasn’t allowed to do per his treatment.

“When I got back (to YSS), I had a feeling I shouldn’t have done that. At that point, I realized I couldn’t even leave treatment for two hours without being deceptive,” Allen said. “I sensed something I hadn’t felt in a long time. It was a sensation of guilt, and I realized I heard what they were telling me at YSS. I found myself in the bathroom and on my knees, knowing I couldn’t live like that anymore. I said, ‘God, help me,’ and I do feel like he came into my life at that point. It was the first time I ever surrendered and took responsibility for my life.”

His life took a different path that day. He credits his time at YSS with setting him on that path. 

“I just started doing what they told me to, and my life started to change,” he said. “They were the bedrock of it.”

Now Allen leads the Ames-based organization as CEO. Founded by George Belitsos in 1971, YSS provides direct care services to a wide range of children who have experienced physical and sexual abuse, neglect, trouble with the law, emotional and mental problems, running away from home or homelessness. The organization also serves pregnant and parenting women, youths aging out of the foster care system, chemically addicted youths, and families experiencing conflict.

Over more than three decades, YSS has served more than 46,000 youths through residential programs, counseling and family foster care. 
Talk about the direction your life went following your time at YSS.

I finished treatment and completed high school in a nontraditional way by receiving an adult high school diploma. I went to Des Moines Area Community College, and when I finished my degree at Iowa State, I considered moving out of the state. 

But I had established roots here through YSS, so I went to work at Principal Financial Group  Inc. instead. I had a job in information technology, and supplemented that with community activities through their volunteer network. I served on their corporate volunteering leadership team, and someone later asked me to help with the United Way campaign.

I lead with that story because I didn’t tell anyone (about my past) when I interviewed at Principal. Someone said to me, when I was thinking about chairing the campaign, that maybe I should share it because the people I would want to surround myself with would want to hear it. They will see it as a positive thing. 

I talked to (former CEO) Barry Griswell and I decided to share my story publicly and it ended up being our campaign video. United Way picked it up, and we had an amazing campaign. We increased dollars by 27 percent and participation by 67 percent. 

Eventually, an opening in Principal’s community relations department came up. I managed grants at first, but was promoted several times until I found myself the director of community relations at a Fortune 500 company. It is and was the best corporate job. I figured I would retire with them.

So when did YSS come back into the picture?
George (Belitsos, founder and former CEO of YSS) was always my greatest mentor and advocate. George believed in me more than I believed in myself and gave me lots of opportunities to give back. 

He believes in community development and giving youth a voice, so I became the youth member on the board of directors long before I knew what that meant. I started giving back to YSS by serving as a mentor for kids there. First I volunteered, then served on the board of directors. Ten years ago I helped start Reggie’s Sleepout, the organization’s signature event. Doing (all) that built me up. It gave me a sense of community. 

A few years ago, when George announced he planned to retire, he thought he would put me on the succession plan as an external candidate. I was satisfied with my work at Principal. I was encouraged by so many people there, but I felt like I needed to take on this role at YSS. God was pushing me toward it, so I put my name in the hat with very low expectations. But when I made it through the first round of interviews, I thought maybe I could do it. After making it through the second interview, the whole process continued to reaffirm itself.

What ultimately made you decide to take the CEO position?
I knew I was called to do this. My experience — having been a participant in the process, leading community relations for Principal, and my desire to help kids — would be the perfect combination to lead what I believe is the most comprehensive service for youth in the state. There isn’t another I’m familiar with — although there are many great organizations across the state — that offers such a competitive nature of services. From prenatal care to counseling to in-home therapy to drug and alcohol treatment, there’s hardly anything we don’t do and do well in every respect.

What do your days in this role look like? What will your job entail?
I am in full orientation mode right now, really learning about the organization. There is a lot to it — I knew the breadth, but had no idea the depth of it, so I’m learning every day and continuing to be blown away by everything we do. Right now, I’m asking a lot of questions and trying to put together what my vision is for the organization. 

Have you set any short-term goals for the organization? Long-term?
There are always opportunities to do things differently and leave a better impact. We are an organization that’s growing. Our budget has increased from $15 million to $17 million. We are diving into the issue of human trafficking by partnering with Teens Against Human Trafficking. Innovation is another goal. We’re always looking for strategic partnerships. George did a great job building coalitions and pulling organizations together. Finally, I want to create a YSS alumni network. We have more than 300 employees now, and over the years have employed thousands. I want to connect both current and former employees and keep them engaged — to put them in front of our kids and give them hope. 

Ultimately, my job is to ensure my staff have the resources needed to do their life’s best work. … The future is bright, and our job is to help the next generation soar to their brighter future. That’s my goal — to ensure the things we do align with our mission and move the organization toward helping kids.  

What have been some of your favorite experiences in this role so far?
My favorite experiences have been with the kids. My office is two blocks away from 712 House where I stayed when I was here. Now here I am, sitting in the CEO’s office, leading the organization that helped save my life. I tell my story to the kids to give them hope, to encourage them and be helpful, so maybe they will end up in this position in 20 years, too. 

Also, I sign (thank-you) letters every day to people who donate funds to YSS, and that’s one of my favorite parts of the day. One person might donate $5,000, the other $10, but both are encouraging and heartwarming. 

Do you volunteer your time with other organizations outside of work? 
I am on the Variety – the Children’s Charity board of directors and I just finished up a stint on the Des Moines Arts Festival board. I also serve on the Partnership for Drug-Free Iowa and the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee. When I was with Principal, I helped start a mentoring program at Orchard Place called Lunch Buddies, and I can’t wait to start doing that again. To me, there is no better way to give back — one-on-one face time with kids and believing in them more than they do themselves.