Jeffrey Underwood

Jeff Underwood is President of Lakeshore Foundation, a position he has held since 1991. Lakeshore Foundation is one of the country’s largest providers of fitness, sport and recreation programs for people with physical disability. Today Lakeshore Foundation serves over 10,000 people with disabilities annually through its three core lines of business: physical activity, research and advocacy. Lakeshore is an official United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee training site for Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Prior to his current position Underwood worked for the University of Alabama at Birmingham and served as a Legislative Assistant to former U.S. Congressman Ben Erdreich. Underwood has served elected office as a city councilman in his hometown of Homewood, Alabama and as a state Senator in Alabama. He has served on the Board of several community and civic organizations including the Homewood City School Board, the Bryant-Jordan Scholarship Program, and the national Board of Disabled Sports USA. Underwood is a member of the USOPC Paralympic Advisory Council. He serves on the Supporters Board of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center and is a member of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2021 Birmingham World Games. He was a member of Leadership Birmingham Class of 1998 and Leadership Alabama Class of 2011. In 2008, Underwood was named by the USOPC as the Chef de Mission for the U.S. Paralympic Team for the Paralympic Games in Beijing. In August 2013, Underwood was selected by MLB All-Star pitcher Justin Verlander to serve as one of the expert advisors for Verlander’s initiative Wins for Warriors supporting our nation’s veterans and their families.

Underwood is a graduate of the University of Alabama (1974) where he received a B.S. degree in the School of Commerce and Business Administration. He received his Masters of Public Administration degree in 1976 from Auburn University Montgomery.

Underwood was born in Albuquerque, NM. He and his wife Melinda have two daughters, Anna and Maria. They attend Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood, Alabama.