New CEO Brings Decades of Experience to Boys & Girls Club of Boone County
The Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club is thrilled to announce Mark Branch as the organization’s new CEO. Branch was selected from a competitive field of applicants after a 3-month executive search. Over the past year the Club has undergone a merger and has three unit locations in Boone County – a Lebanon Unit, a Whitestown Unit and a Zionsville Unit. The hiring of this CEO is the final step in the process.
“We are beyond excited to have Mark Branch serving as our new CEO. Mark has a proven track record of strong leadership and has unmatched experience with the Boys & Girls Club. Boone County – and most importantly the youth of Boone County – will benefit from his leadership.”
said Board President Rob Schein
Branch began his career as a Unit Director for the Boys & Girls Club in Indianapolis. After seven years at the helm of an Indianapolis club, Branch moved to Cleveland, TN where he was the Executive Director and oversaw two units and served 1,800 kids. After receiving two merit awards, he moved to South Carolina and oversaw three Units. In a three year period, he increased those three Units to 5 Units while also leading a capital campaign which raised $7.5 million – exceeding the original $5 million goal. After his success in South Carolina, Branch returned to his roots in Indianapolis and served as Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis for seven years. There he was responsible for overseeing staff of 22 full-time and 90 part-time employees that served 12,000 youth in Marion County. He joined the national staff of Boys & Girls Club of America in 2006 and most recently served as Lead Director where he was responsible for managing Clubs in the Midwest, Southwest and Pacific-West Regions of the country.
After serving Clubs nationwide, Branch was eager to return to a CEO role that would allow him to utilize his three decades of experience and leave a lasting legacy. He has supervised and developed countless staff members, which makes him the perfect compliment to our long-tenured Unit Directors.
The Boys & Girls Club of Boone County has seen a 60% increase in members in the past 10 years, creating a huge community need. The three Units collectively serve 450 members daily in before and after-school programs. In total there are 3,000 members who participate in sports leagues and summer camps. At the Lebanon Unit, dinner is fed to 75-100 children, five days a week. Without the meal provided by the Club, most of these kids would go hungry until school the next day. Under Branch’s leadership the Club is poised to launch into its next phase and provide unmatched service to the youth of Boone County.
