Whitney Lucas Earns National Honor as One of the Top Women Chiefs of Staff of 2026
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Raising the bar for executive leadership, Whitney Lucas, Loyalty Credit Union board member and chief of staff for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, is among the named 2026 Top Women Chiefs of Staff announced by Women We Admire.
The prestigious award honors women leaders who drive the strategic engine behind major community organizations. Lucas was selected among an elite cohort of women performing this critical work across global corporations, health care systems, public agencies, and academic institutions.
In her role as chief of staff for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Lucas reports directly to Sheriff Chip Simmons. She helps shape the agency’s strategic direction, leads major initiatives, oversees cross-functional teams, and advises on policy development and external communications. Her executive background includes serving as general manager of Gilmore, corrections financial manager for the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners, and various key finance roles across local government and private operations.
“Whitney’s recognition as a Top Woman Chief of Staff for 2026 comes as no surprise to those of us who have the privilege of working with her,” said Park Broome, Loyalty Credit Union CEO. “Her business sense, big-picture vision, and strong dedication to serving our community make her an incredible asset to our Board of Directors. We’re truly proud to see her recognized with this well-deserved honor.”
In addition to her board service with Loyalty Credit Union, Lucas is a dedicated community advocate. She co-founded the Escambia County Sheriff Foundation in 2021, where she currently serves as president, supporting agency employees and public safety initiatives. She also serves on the boards of the Covenant Care Foundation and the Baptist Woman’s Board.
Lucas holds a degree from the University of West Florida and was awarded the Sheriff’s Medal for outstanding service in 2023.
Women We Admire is a fast-growing professional network and membership organization that connects top female executives and leaders across the United States and Canada to provide leadership insights and a supportive community. The goal of the organization is to provide members with powerful leadership insights and an unrivaled close-knit community of extraordinary women who enrich each other’s career journey.
ABOUT LOYALTY CREDIT UNION
Founded in 1962, Loyalty Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution in Florida dedicated to empowering the financial lives of its members in Bay, Calhoun, Duval, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Washington, and Wakulla counties. The Credit Union is consistently recognized for its excellence, including receiving a five-star rating from Bauer Financial among multiple industry awards. Loyalty CU is certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), serves more than 19,000 members through seven branch locations, and holds more than $300 million in assets. Loyalty also operates The Loyalty Credit Union Foundation, which focuses on enhancing financial education and community stability across the state. Loyalty CU is headquartered in Pensacola, Florida, and employs 80-plus team members. For more information, visit loyaltycu.org.
