When Michael Johnson says he owes his life to the Boys & Girls Club, he's not exaggerating. Out of the 23 people in his Chicago grade school graduating class, only three others are alive today. Johnson and those three classmates had several things in common: they were all connected to “a community of faith,” they each had mentors, and they were all members of the Boys & Girls Clubs. Johnson grew up thinking he would like to run a Boys & Girls Club someday, an ambition he achieved in 2010 when he became President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County.
boys & girls clubleader makespresencefelt BRIDGE
Johnson learned early about the value of the Boys and Girls Club, growing up in two Chicago housing projects. He was only seven when he and his friends started hanging out at a BGC only a block from his home, playing pool and shooting baskets. “The neighborhood was the world's murder capital at the time,” Johnson recalls. “But the club kept me off the street, kept me alive, and helped me nd a mentor. It's one of the reasons I'm here today.” Club eld trips, including one to Indiana State University, opened Johnson's eyes to the world outside the projects, and possible career paths. Johnson worked part-time for the club while in high school and as a student at Chicago's Malcolm X College, where he earned an associate degree. He
went on to earn a B.A. degree in business education at Chicago State University, as the rst member of his family to graduate from college. He later earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Johnson went on to hold a number of management positions with the city of Philadelphia, Lutheran Guild & Family Services of Indiana and Kentucky, the Philadelphia and Chicago public schools, and the Monsanto Family YMCA in St. Louis. DELIVERING RESULTS When organizations like the BGC hire new leaders, they hope for bigger and better results. In his six years in Madison, Johnson has delivered signi cant results, other community leaders say. “When I moved here, I didn't know one person in Madison. But I've always been someone who tries to build bridges between communities and be solution-oriented.” Johnson and his colleagues have done a lot of bridge-building: BGC now has partnerships with more than 100 different organizations in the Dane County area, including two local police departments. Johnson, who was named 2012 Midwest Executive of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, developed a ve year, $15
“I’ve always been someone who tries to bridge communities and be solution-oriented.” - Michael Johnson, President and CEO, Boys and Girls Club of Dane County
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