Roxanne Spillett
Special Advisor to the Board
For 16 years, Roxanne Spillett served as President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). Today, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has more than 4,000 affiliates in the United States and on military bases across the world, over 50,000 employees, $1.7 billion in revenues and serves 4 million boys and girls. During her tenure, Roxanne led the organization through this major expansion, more than doubling the size and scope of the Boys & Girls Club Movement, tripling revenues and implementing a dynamic brand strategy, which positioned BGCA as one of America’s top ten nonprofit brands in America.
Under Roxanne’s leadership, BGCA local affiliates united behind a common agenda, created generation-changing initiatives in education, technology, health and civic engagement, including evidenced-based and promising programs. Committed to strengthening capacity among local affiliates, Roxanne initiated organizational development strategies that effectively enhanced leadership development, board development and fundraising, resulting in major new and sustainable revenue streams for affiliates. After orchestrating a successful executive transition, Roxanne remained at BCGA as President Emeritus and took on the challenge of launching a $450 million fundraising campaign, which in its first year raised over $100 million.
In recognition of her numerous achievements, Newsweek cited Spillett as one of “15 People Who Make America Great.” President George W. Bush appointed Roxanne to the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. She is past Chairperson of Leadership 18, an alliance of executives from the nation’s most influential nonprofits, and serves on the boards of the Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation, Scholarship America and Berry College. Roxanne is the recipient of five honorary doctorate degrees including one in law, from the University of Notre Dame.
Today Roxanne is a Fellow at the University of Notre Dame where she teaches graduate students in the Mendoza College of Business Non Profit Management Program. She consults with a wide range of nonprofit organizations and is engaged in establishing Boys & Girls Clubs in South Africa. Working with Harvard Group International she leads nonprofit executive and professional searches.