Everybody Leads with Tim Lupinacci

Andrea Sanders – Commissioner, Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services

Episode Summary

This week, on the Everybody Leads podcast, Andrea Sanders joins Tim Lupinacci to discuss her leadership journey and making a broader impact. Andrea emphasizes the importance of organizational culture, building trust within a team, acknowledging blind spots, and creating a positive environment that encourages people to take risks. She shares her experiences in learning from mistakes and highlights the value of having patience and humility as a leader.

Episode Notes

This week on the Everybody Leads podcast, Tim Lupinacci welcomes Andrea Sanders, Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services. Andrea leads the almost 1,500-member State Child Welfare Agency in its mission to protect Mississippi’s most vulnerable children. Andrea previously served as general counsel and principal deputy executive director for the Mississippi Department of Human Services, where she served on the senior leadership team and held administrative responsibility for the Division of Early Child Care and Education.

Our host, Tim Lupinacci, asks Andrea to discuss her leadership journey, early leadership influences, creating a positive work environment and systemic change, learning from mistakes, and her daily disciplines and motivations. Andrea also shares insights on building trust within your team, taking risks, acknowledging blind spots, and leading with humility. 

Other Topics Discussed Include: 


Additional Resources: 

Charity: 


Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services:


Contact Andrea Sanders: