A stake president is the lay leader of a stake, which is a geographic subdivision similar to a Catholic diocese. A stake president is a man who is asked to serve as a volunteer in this position. He oversees Church programs in a defined geographic area composed of individual congregations called wards and is responsible to help the members of his stake in their efforts to follow Jesus Christ. He also oversees the activities of the bishops or ward leaders, counseling them as needed.
A stake president is assisted by two counselors and a group of 12 men called a high council. These leaders have a significant amount of local autonomy to make decisions regarding the members in their stake. A stake president typically serves for about nine years.