Gay Lynn Schwenk

Gay Lynn is a native of San Antonio and has worked in social services in our community since 1994. She joined SAMMinistries in 2016 as the Vice President of Programs, and in 2020 became the organization’s Chief Operating Officer. Gay Lynn oversees SAMMinistries’ Clinical and Supportive Services team; Permanent Supportive Housing Program; Transitional Housing Program; Human Resources; and Data and Evaluation.

Gay Lynn is a licensed Master Social Worker and alumni of Our Lady of the Lake University. Her social work career began at Child Protective Services (CPS), where she worked in Investigations and Family Based Safety Services units. Gay Lynn was selected as CPS’first full-time liaison to the Juvenile Probation Department, and later supervised Investigation and Family Based Safety Services units during her tenure with CPS.

After almost 9 years at Child Protective Services, Gay Lynn worked for Bexar County as the Program Director for the then newly established Family Drug Court. This specialty court intervened with families separated primarily due to the impact of addiction. Gay Lynn directed this project for 6 years before accepting an opportunity to gain experience in private non-profit social service.

In 2008, she joined Family Violence Prevention Services (The Battered Women and Children’s Shelter), as the Director of Development. Gay Lynn headed government and foundation grant writing and later and assisted with fundraising efforts, more broadly, as the organization’s Vice President of Agency Advancement. Gay Lynn filled this role until 2016 when she joined SAMMinistries.