Lew grew up in Upstate New York in a rural part of the mountains in the Schoharie Valley.  It is a place that is steeped in history dating back prior to the first English settlers arriving.  Lew attended the same school K-12 and graduated with 98 other individuals in his class.  Lew enlisted in the US Army after graduation and attended basic training in Fort Polk, LA.  After basic training, Lew attended Advanced Individual Training at Fort Ord, CA.  His final destination in the military was at Fort Bragg, NC.

After his enlistment, he returned to Schoharie, NY for the summer.  That fall Lew left for the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, which is a very short distance from the Canadian boarder.  Upon graduation from the State University of Plattsburgh, Lew moved back to the small town which he grew up in where he worked as a Vocational Counselor for the local ARC and Evening Manager for the a 24 bed residential facility for individuals who were SPMI.

After four years, Lew decided he wanted a warmer climate than was offered in Upstate New York and moved to Florida.  He accepted a part time case manager’s position right after arrival with the local CMHC.  Lew decided to pursue his Masters Degree in Business Administration while attending Nova Southeastern University.  Approximately one half way through the program Lew was presented with the option of taking a few more classes and obtaining his Masters Degree in Health Care Administration.

Lew stayed with the CMHC he started with over 20 years.  He left that company in the role of Senior Vice President of Clinical Services. Lew took a sabbatical to work with his wife in a retail jewelry store they owned. After a year, he needed to get back into the Behavioral Health Care field.  Lew was interviewed in January by several individuals from within and outside the organization.  He was invited to work for Centennial Mental Health Center a very short time later.  Lew was hired as County Director for Logan County.  Shortly after his arrival the organization was restructured to it’s current configuration having 4 Regional Operations Directors.