Author Archives: Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta

By David Jernigan, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta  In the fast-moving world of youth development, moments of true reflection often come when you least expect them. This year’s Youth of the Year (YOY) Celebration for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) was one of those moments. As […]

BY Carl Patten II, Vice President of Information Technology, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta & Mat Mathews, Chief Technology Officer, Boys & Girls Clubs of America Recently, a 12-year-old teen in Georgia made national news after disappearing from her driveway. The teen was eventually located in Ohio.[1]Reading stories such as the 12-year-old’s incident […]

By David Jernigan, CEO & President, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Imagine yourself at your neighborhood department store, shopping for a few essentials. You find a couple of great deals on clothes and home items, and with your basket full, you head to the register. The cashier rings up your purchases and then […]

By David Jernigan, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta We’ve all heard stories of city kids arriving at overnight camp, apprehensive about the wilderness and none too thrilled to disconnect from their devices. By the end of camp, those same kids are gazing at stars with wonder and tranquility, swapping stories […]

By David Jernigan, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta I could open this story with a series of devastating headlines about teens in Metro Atlanta. However, instead of focusing on their shadows, I’d prefer to take this opportunity to project their light.  “A masterpiece in the making is a perfect phrase […]

By David Jernigan, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Many companies have tried, but few have truly uncovered Chick-fil-A’s secret sauce that blends personable and professional to deliver delectable customer service that is consistent at scale. And if for-profits haven’t perfected it, how then can nonprofits leverage the success of Chick-fil-A […]

By David Jernigan, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta  At a time when the world seems to be falling apart, when mass shootings are on the rise, when war is taking hold in both Ukraine and the Middle East, and when hatred seems to be on full display, I needed […]

By David Jernigan, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta I’ll never forget my mom’s response when I told her I was going to become a teacher: “You’re going to settle for that?” In her mind, becoming an educator was somehow acceding to a profession less than my potential, especially as […]

By Charlie Henn | Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP | Board Chair, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta  Atlanta is a wonderful place for many of us to live, work, and raise a family. At the same time:  The heartbreaking statistics concerning our youth led me to become deeply involved in the work […]

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Provides Safety, Ignites Great Futures By Katy Barksdale, Trustee, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta | President, The Rockdale Foundation “When the truth was out there about my sexuality, I never searched for acceptance. That was until I was told by the ones I love ‘we don’t […]

By Stacey Eames | Owner, Highland Bakery | Board Member, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta  We Bake Love – that’s our slogan at Highland Bakery, and that’s my motto for life. I bake with love and lead with love because I have passion for doing it right, a passion for making people happy. […]

EY Americas Vice Chair, Sam Johnson succeeds Chick-Fil-A President/COO, Tim Tassopoulos, in advising Atlanta’s largest youth-development non-profit By Sam R. Johnson | Trustee Chair, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta | Americas Vice Chair of Markets and Accounts, EY Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has proclaimed 2023 the Year of the Youth, calling upon the […]

By David Jernigan, President & CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta FAMILY HOLDS CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR 12-YEAR-OLD KILLED NEAR ATLANTIC STATION 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL SHOT TO DEATH AT CLAYTON COUNTY PARTY ATTENDED BY HUNDREDS APS’S STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL GIVES CALL TO ACTION DURING RALLY TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE With more than three dozen young […]

By Brooks Robinson Board Director and Technology Advisory Board member of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and advisor to technology companies and investors including Tech Square Ventures and Engage Technology has transformed how we live and work. The need to continually invest in technology and innovation is critical for companies to remain competitive. […]

By Larry Patrick, Partner – PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP & Board Governance Committee Chair & Chair-Elect of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta  I joined the Board of Directors for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) in 2015, however my involvement with the Club spans decades. I am the Club’s realized potential. It is […]

By Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) What is the Blue Door? The Blue Door symbolizes the great futures that lie behind every Boys & Girls Club threshold.  At Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA), it is behind our Blue Doors where we ignite the unlimited potential of kids and teens […]

By Jerel Causey | Managing Director, Accenture | Board Member, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta  I grew up in small country towns in eastern North Carolina without many of the comforts I now try not to take for granted while living in the big city of Atlanta. My parents were the first in […]

By Shara Garwood Sanders, J.D., Champions Club for GIRLS Chair, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Rebel Girls can change the world in oh so many ways. They start by being who they are despite what others say. And after that is said and done, they question what’s unfair. They have big ideas, fight […]

By David Jernigan, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta  The pandemic phenomenon known as “The Great Resignation” has set the job market on fire. As voluntary turnover continues to spread across the nation, companies struggle to fill vacancies amid competition and retain understaffed talent amid burnouts.  According to the U.S. Bureau […]

Annual Fundraising Gala Raises $930,000+ for Youth Development Organization “I am proud to be a Mexican immigrant, someone who is a persistent, determined, and hardworking human being. In life, I was given the opportunity to grow in a safe space: my home: But later, when I saw the painful reality of my country, I felt […]