Ep. 6 - From Club to CEO: Jim Clark’s Journey of Service

Doors open when someone hands you a real microphone. That’s the energy we bring to a candid conversation with Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, about what it truly takes to help young people feel seen, heard, and prepared for the future. We trace Jim’s journey from a corporate role in Milwaukee to leading a national movement, and we get honest about why he stayed: the transformative power of safe spaces, caring adults, and programs that turn potential into momentum.

We dig into the nuts and bolts of leadership and growth. Jim shares how Greater Milwaukee’s Clubs doubled and tripled across key metrics by rallying a thousand-person team around a clear mission, a compelling vision, and a culture that makes work meaningful, and yes, fun. He breaks down leadership as listening, strategy, and alignment, and explains why he hires people who outshine him in specific areas. We also talk about the heartbeat of the Clubs: 77,000 paid professionals who bring consistency, mentorship, and everyday encouragement that keeps teens engaged and moving forward.

From there, we examine the gaps between adults and teens: the art of listening beyond the surface, the need to grant real independence, and the reality of modern communication where texts and social platforms carry the conversation. Programs like Think Lead Create Change and Youth of the Year become case studies in youth voice and advocacy, helping teens tackle issues like food insecurity and mental health while exploring future careers. Holden shares first-person moments; speaking to community leaders, building this podcast, that show how a spotlight can reshape confidence and purpose.

If you care about youth leadership, community impact, nonprofit strategy, and practical ways to support the next generation, this conversation offers both heart and how-to. 

Subscribe, share with a friend who mentors or coaches, and leave a review with the one change you think would most help teens thrive. 

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back everyone. My name is Holden and I am your host for the Youth Unmuted Podcast. This is a team-led podcast with the Boys and Girls Scope of Benton County, where we share unique stories that relate to today's youth. Let's get started. All right, welcome everyone to Youth Unmuted. Today's guest is someone whose work has impacted millions of young people across the country. I'm excited to welcome Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys and Girls Copes of America. Jim Oversees an organization near and dear to my heart. An organization that is dedicated to creating safe, supportive environments where kids, teens can learn, grow, and discover who they are meant to be. We are thrilled to have them join us to talk about youth leadership, opportunities, and what it truly takes to support the next generation. Welcome, Mr. Clark.

Jim’s Origin Story In Youth Work

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Well, thanks for having me on, Holden. It's great to be here with you and certainly talking about the Boys and Girls Club mission and young people like you that have been successful coming through our programs. So it's a delight and honor to be part of this today.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. It's an honor to have you. And so as we get started, um, what inspired you to join the Boys and Girls Club movement?

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Well, it really started quite a long time ago when I was a young person working for a company, a printing and publishing company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And at the time I was a young executive. I ran one of the departments, and our CEO said uh to me, I'd like you to get involved in the community and spend some time representing our company, but also doing something good for the community. And I said, Okay, what is that? And he said, We'd like you to get involved with the boys and girls clubs. I didn't know anything about it at the time, um, really, uh uh very little. And I said, sure, I'd be happy to. And I thought, well, this is like uh a great thing because I had a lot of employees at the time in the city, and I thought this would be a great way to develop a future workforce. So something that's really a hot topic today. You know, I was thinking about 40 years ago or 35 years ago. And so I just got involved, and I'll tell you what, uh, quickly I learned it was so much more than I ever thought it was. And the impact that boys and girls clubs were having on young people, on families, and on the community was truly significant. And so I fell in love pretty quickly and knew that this was something near and dear to my heart, and that I was very passionate about when it came to making our community better and helping people so that they could thrive and grow in life as well.

SPEAKER_00 2:38

Yeah, that's awesome. And you just talk about the impact it makes. And like I'm just like a firsthand example of that because the club family in my community has just done so much for me. Like, because of the Boys in Yoga School, but I'm here today, you know, I'm able to host this podcast, I'm able to talk to you, and it's just really allowed me to, you know, find future career interests, you know, maybe one day working at the club, maybe one day working where you are. Um, it's allowed me to find possibilities of what colleges I wanted to go to and really just why like having a passion and be able to fight for the issues that matter to you are important. And so all the things you mentioned like are exactly right. And I just see that in my day-to-day life with the club. So thank you for that. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

Well, listen, we're fortunate to have you as well. And, you know, this is really all about the future. And you think about it, young people today, whether they're kids or teenagers, are the future of America. And

Personal Impact Of Clubs On Host

SPEAKER_01 3:30

uh, we need to have a great future. So when you sit back and look at all of the young people coming to boys and girls clubs, our job and our goal is to ensure they have experiences and opportunities that are going to prepare them for later in life when they become an adult and have to support a family and be a great citizen and community. So this all comes together.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Yeah, absolutely. Um, the next question I wanted to ask is what was it like being the CEO of Greater Milwaukee?

Leading Greater Milwaukee Clubs

SPEAKER_00 3:57

Well, it was great.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

It was just an awesome, awesome experience. Um, I was the CEO for the Boys and Girls

Vision For Preparing Young People

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Clubs in Greater Milwaukee for eight years. And during that time, we grew tremendously. And so it was just a fabulous, fabulous opportunity to really introduce the Boys and Girls Club program and experience to so many more young people and families over the course of that time. We pretty much doubled or tripled, uh, depending on the category, over those eight years. So it was very rewarding, very gratifying. Uh, we had to build a large team of people. We had close to a thousand employees. So it was pretty massive when you think about it. And part of part of the job was to create this vision, to cast a vision, to inspire people to not just come to work and come to work for a job, but to be part of this mission and focus on changing the trajectory of young people's lives. So to be part of something like that was really exciting. I got a chance to work with a fabulous board of directors, made up all of the pillars of the community, the leaders of Milwaukee, uh, some of the Titans of community uh corporations, the titans of community leadership. And it was just exciting to really take advantage of their experiences to help grow the Boys and Girls Club in Milwaukee. And it was just uh really a great, great time for eight years.

SPEAKER_00 5:29

Yeah, it

What Drove Rapid Growth

SPEAKER_00 5:30

sounds like it. And the growth you had was tremendous. What do you think made that growth possible? Like to be able to double or triple like in size, because that's truly like that's outstanding. And so what do you think was able to make that successful?

SPEAKER_01 5:42

Well, it's a team effort. Um, I, you know, just had the privilege and honor to be the leader and helpfully, hopefully help people to realize their potential. And when it came to uh what was there and what we could do, it was rallying everybody around this common goal and this common vision of having more young people benefit uh and have the opportunity to have a great future because of the work that we we do. And there was a huge need uh in the community and a lot of unmet uh need. There was certainly other services, but not enough. And so it was really a driving force for us to do more. And our board believed in that, our team believed in that, and they went out every day and worked really hard, tirelessly, committed and dedicated to growing the organization so we could serve more young people so that they could go on and be successful in life. So uh it was a big team effort. I had a great team, fun people to work with, and we worked really hard, day and night, uh, weekends, to uh try to do better and make a difference in that community.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

Yeah, team teamwork and team effort, it seems like is what made that

Defining Leadership And Culture

SPEAKER_00 6:56

possible. And being in that leadership role and even the one you're in today, leadership is something you see a lot. Um, so what does leadership mean to you? And I can already tell that it's gonna be a lot about, you know, working together based off of what I've already heard. But what does it mean to be a leader?

SPEAKER_01 7:11

Well, you know, being a leader isn't uh necessarily about being perfect or being right all the time. It's really about navigating and about listening, and it's about caring, and it's about setting a vision, um, putting a strategy in place, and then getting people excited about it and rallying them around what's possible um and what's out there. Um, you can't do it alone. And everybody has skills. Um, I work hard to find people uh to work with me that do better than I can do in a certain area. And and then I I I work hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm uh with with our team so that we're all rowing in the same direction, trying to get to the same place. And so so to me, it's it's really about casting a vision and creating a culture, um, building an atmosphere that's conducive to self-motivation, so that people want to do it, not have to do it. And to your point uh a minute ago, it's it's it's a team sport, and uh it takes everybody uh contributing to make that happen. And you know, I I approach it as kind of equal portions. Everybody has a say, everybody has an opportunity to talk about what's important to them, to offer their opinion. Um, I don't like a lot of bobbleheads sitting around the table going, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, I want to hear what people have to say. And you do that, and it creates the opportunity to make better decisions that are more impactful and more efficient, more effective. Uh so to me, you know, my leadership point of view is uh to really treat everybody the same by treating them different and taking advantage of uh their particular skills or their particular experiences, knowledge, and wisdom and bringing it all together so that we have a collective force of nature that is creating change at a rapid pace and doing great things for people.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Yeah, I really like that. And in the beginning, you said like you wanted to make it fun. You wanted them to care about that. And I think that's something that's very important and something that not a lot of people bring up is if you are in that leadership role, you want people that want to be there. And maybe if they don't want to be there, you want to make it your job and your mission to get them excited for it and make them determined. Because honestly, the best work that we are able to produce is the work that we care about. Is when you're an advocate, you want to advocate for the things that you believe in. When you're the CEO like yourself, you want to do it for an organization that you care a lot about. And we can already see that the Boys and Girls Club is an organization that you care a lot about. So that is definitely a new word, fun, you know, determination that I haven't heard a lot, but I really like it and I can really respect it because if you don't have that desire and that enjoyment and what you're doing or what you're working on, then um the best is not going to be able to get done, if anything at all. I totally agree.

SPEAKER_01 10:11

And look, if you don't enjoy your work, it's not the place for you. Um, and I say that all the time. My last day will be the day I don't have any fun. Because we all work really hard and you spend a lot of time at whatever profession you choose to be in. And we get a double blessing because yes, it's a very rewarding, gratifying profession, but we also get to enjoy it. And it's really the opportunity to marry your passion with your profession and have fun along the way. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

And we talked a little bit about that leadership. So, and you talked about it being fun. What is your favorite part of your job? What's the most fun to you, or what do you enjoy the most?

Joy, Motivation, And Fit At Work

SPEAKER_01 10:55

Well, the favorite part of my job is getting to spend time at our local boys and girls clubs with the staff, with the volunteers, with of course the teenagers and the younger kids, and really hear what's going on in their life, what's working well at their club, why do kids want to be at the boys and girls club, or what more do they want to have there to experience? And how can we learn from what they're telling us so that we can constantly improve and constantly get better? So interacting with people, that's where I get my energy from. Talking to you, talking to your uh professionals that run your club, those are things that get me excited. And when I get to do that and get to spend time with people, that's what energizes me. And that's the best part of my job.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

Yeah, absolutely. Um talked about talking about the professionals at a club, like the staff at my club and that, like so many clubs are just so amazing and so supportive. Um, we have a staff, our director of programs, Ashley, you know, she is someone you've had the opportunity to interact with, but she's just like the driving force that, you know, I feel like really keeps our teens engaged and going. She's a big reason why this podcast is not as successful as it is.

Best Part Of The Job: Club Visits

SPEAKER_00 12:05

And we've been able to have amazing guests like yourself and former NFL players and even the National Youth of the Year, Hamina, is just because like the way she's able to interact with people and just the positivity she spreads not only to our guests and our club kids, but also her her coworkers and the employees as well. It's just something that really keeps everyone motivated.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Well, the staff is the lifeblood of boys and girls clubs. And, you know, behind every young person, there's a staff member that has invested in that young person, that cares about that young person, that helps them through moments they didn't think they could survive. And that's what makes boys and girls clubs really special. We're unique, you know, in our model. And we have paid professionals, 77,000 of them across the country, that work with young people every single day. And it provides that level of continuity, like you talk about Ashley and consistency and stability. And so they get to know everybody and uh get to know their lives so that they can be the most impactful and helpful possible.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

And you talked about getting to go back to those local clubs. So I want to know what was your life like as a teen? And did you ever imagine that you'd be able to um run an organization and be the CEO?

SPEAKER_01 13:17

Well, to answer the last part first, no, I never would have thought I would be in this job and uh would I be, you know, the CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of America. As I said earlier, it's a privilege, it's an honor uh to be in this role. And um, you know, to to your first part of the question, what was it like being a teen? So I grew up um, you know, very middle class uh at the time. You know, I had three brothers and a sister, so there's five kids in our family. We're all two years apart. Um, I was blessed to have two great parents. Um and you know, we grew up, both my parents worked, uh, so I knew it was what it was like to be home or uh in after school activities, sports and things like that. So, you know, as a teenager, um I was in sports, uh, and so I participated a lot after school and you know, you know, getting practice in and all those types of things. And you know, I did other activities as well. I worked part-time when I went going through high school. Uh kind of had to, if I wanted to have any money, uh, had to work. Uh so uh, you know, I worked part-time at a restaurant, and I think those were great experiences too. You know, you you learn the the meaning of work and and what it means to earn an income or earn some money, and you you value that so much more, and uh you're a lot more careful

Staff As The Lifeblood Of Clubs

SPEAKER_01 14:40

with it than if it was somebody else's. So um, so you know, we didn't have a boys and girls club uh in our neighborhood or nearby. Um there was there just wasn't a lot of them around. And so I think if I were uh in a place that had one, I would have been there for sure. Because to me, uh that's just such a great, great place. It's a safe place, uh, it's a fun place. Uh I mentioned sports, um, but there's so much more in terms of getting your homework done. I certainly needed help with that. You know, I wasn't the Glaze student, so uh all of that would have been a benefit. Uh so you have to make do and do it in different ways. But uh so I grew up um, you know, kind of understanding uh different things after school than necessarily a boys and girls club, but definitely had activities that I participated in.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

Yeah, absolutely. And I can relate a little bit. Um, it is just me and my mom at home. She's a single mother. And so for her, she works, and um, I had that time after school to go before she got off work. And at the time I didn't have sports after school like I do now. And fortunately for me, I did have the Boys and Girls Club, and just being able to see the impact it has made on me is like so amazing. And it has my personal growth is outstanding. Uh I'm writing my essays right now for the U to the Year packet, and I'm just yeah, I've been able to go back and kind of just like reminisce on all the things in my life and just how much of an impact the club has made. And it's just it's crazy to see like how I was when I started compared to where I am now. Um I work too, I work at a restaurant, I work at Sonic, and um yeah, you're definitely you're definitely correct. The value of a dolly has definitely changed

Jim’s Teen Years And Work Ethic

SPEAKER_00 16:25

for me. And um, if I need that spending money, like I know that I have it now because I have a work ethic that has been instilled from the Boys and Girls Club and from my mom who worked hard as well. So I've been able to see directly how like those two forces in my life have this really like impacted me to, you know, work hard, have a good strong work ethic. That way I can be successful in the things that I want in my life and I can be able to have those opportunities to give back. For sure. For sure. Yeah. Um, next question I have for you is what do you think is one thing that adults misunderstand about teens today? Just one thing? There's probably a bunch, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:03

Absolutely. You know, I I think you know, in a general sense, and this is probably true for many generations, adults don't tend to listen as much as they should to teenagers especially and what they're really trying to say. Um you know, it's kind of an age-old dilemma and yet if we get good at it and we really listen and it's not just kind of the superficial stuff, but really listen to what's being said and then work to change or to try to meet that person where they are and what they're saying, I think we'd all be a lot more successful. But really, you know, when it comes to misunderstanding, uh, I think a big part of it is independence. I think adults have a hard time uh as young people grow, especially become teenagers, is letting go and giving that independence um and accepting some of the decisions that teenagers make, even though we think they might be wrong or we think there's a better way to do it. Uh we we we should be a lot more open to accepting um those decisions or accepting uh those opinions or at least trying um to do some things differently. Uh it's hard because we've grown up, we've gone through it, uh, we think we know best, uh, but not always. So I think that's that's one. I I'd say another big one is you know, times have a changed and we didn't have we didn't have cell phones growing up. Uh we had a phone on the wall in our house, you know, and for a long time it was a rotary dial. And so th this is a new era when it comes to information, when it comes to how you get your news, how you communicate. And I think uh adults don't really appreciate that. Um they don't understand it and they don't appreciate it. Uh so trying to do a better job, at least I try to do a better job to appreciate all of that and understand that information, news, and communication is totally different than what it was like for us growing up, or even as it is today. You know, we're still big email users, but you

What Adults Misunderstand About Teens

SPEAKER_01 19:20

know, most teenagers are, right? So you we've got to change and communicate and uh transfer information in ways that they're used to or that they gravitate to.

SPEAKER_00 19:32

Yeah, absolutely. And going back to your first point, it's just like some students or teens, they just don't feel heard when it comes to those adults. Or maybe like for me at the beginning, I don't I didn't believe I had an opportunity. And a word I've been able to use when I talk to the about the boys and girls club is spotlight. The boys and girls club is such a spotlight for me and other youth to be able to speak about like what matters to us and like how the boys and girls club has been so impacted. Um re we're from Bentonville. And so recently we had a meeting with uh Walmart officers and they came in and I got to speak to them for like just six minutes about my club experience. And it was just so authentic because I was able to just really speak you from the heart about what the club has done for me. And just being able to do that in front of like some of like the most successful people in our area uh was really genuine to me because I could tell that they truly cared about my story. They cared about who I was and about my issues. And it was just important because a lot of time teenagers or students, they just don't get that opportunity. They don't get to tell others about their life story, you know, what struggles they've gone through, but also, you know, their accomplishments, um, what they've been able to do and how they've been successful. And I think that's important for all teens to get to talk about their highs and their lows. And with the Boys and Girls Club, there's so many different ways to be put in that opportunity. Whether speaking at a board meeting or an office officer meeting like I was at, you know, um, we have other opportunities like through TLC, um Think, Learn, Create Change, which is where the programs can go and speak to their senators or those representatives. And these are all just opportunities that, you know, I feel like an a regular like teenage experience wouldn't get if they weren't a part of the boys and girls club. I know I wouldn't have. There would be so many lost opportunities that I wouldn't have, so many places I wouldn't be able to speak in front of, so many connections I wouldn't have been able to make if it wasn't for the Boys and Girls Club. And so you're saying these things that like need to be changed. And I feel like the club has already made that change. The club is already taking that step and maybe leading that progression of really making sure teen voices, not even teens, but just children and youth in general, to make sure that their voices are heard and that they feel safe and accomplished and understood. And I just think that is something that is genuine about the club, that is authentic, that is unique. Because not every organization, not every person believes that and they don't show that, but the Boys and Girls Club does across all varieties, not just in my community, but others as well.

SPEAKER_01 22:10

Well, you're so right. And, you know,

Giving Teens A Real Platform

SPEAKER_01 22:13

that Think Lead Create Change is really a great program because it's about young people, teenagers, really coming up with something that they think is important in their community, that they think is important and they want to change in their community. And that allow this program allows you and others to do that. And to me, that's listening, right? That's kind of what I was talking about in terms of that topic. Those we may not, I may not think they're important, but you do. And so being able to implement or do something about that uh is really cool. And I think that's exactly what I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

Yeah, absolutely. And another program is this the youth of the year program, because every youth that goes through that, they get to have a platform, they get to find a passion that is important to them and that they're able to advocate for. And for me, that was food insecurity. And I was in eighth grade when I did uh my first youth of the year. Um, and so I can just remember like over the last four years, how my mind and my community engagement has transformed from what I believed just as an eighth grader to now um what food insecurity, like how it affects people and just how I'm able to like give back and make change and advocate for that is so great. And it's all because the club was that spotlight for me and they encourage me to find ways to give back. And I just think it's important to give back because the community, especially as a non as the boys and girls club is, um, the community does so much for us. I've seen that firsthand in Northwest Arkansas, how much we're able to get like donations and just people to come and support us and like maybe uh volunteer at our events, just how much of an impact that makes on the kids, on the staff, on the teams. It's really

Youth Of The Year And Advocacy

SPEAKER_00 24:00

just something that keeps the boys and girls club growing. And so that is just another important factor. And it also allows kids to, you know, maybe have a future cure interest, you know, like maybe being an advocate, being working for food insecurity, maybe that's something that I want to do in the future. It's definitely an option that I know now because of the club. For others, it's mental health. They want to go into a career where they can talk about mental health, maybe being a therapist, maybe being an advocate. There's just so many different avenues that the club inspires people to go into, and they give them the resources needed to be able to fulfill those careers as well. You're you're spot on. I appreciate that. And so that is all that we have for the first episode.

Closing And Part Two Tease

SPEAKER_00 24:39

I want to thank everyone for listening and a huge thank you to Mr. CEO Jim Clark for joining us. Um, please make sure to tune in for part two where we get to hear about Jim's story. Thank you all for tuning in. Again, I am Holden, your host. Please like this video and subscribe to Youth Unmuted wherever you get your podcast. Until next time, peace.