BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF WAYNE COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO RETIRE

Provided by the Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County.
1717 S L Street / Richmond, IN 47374
Kathryn Glen, Director of Marketing & Human Resources / [email protected]
(765) 962-6922​

Richmond, IN, June 23, 2021 – Bruce Daggy, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County, will be retiring in December 2021 after a long 40-year career within the Boys & Girls Club movement.

Daggy started attending the Club as a young teen and was named the Boys Club of Richmond’s Boy of the Year in 1976. Daggy served as a Jr. Staff member that supervised the gym and taught trampoline to other youth members. After graduating from Richmond High School, Daggy went to Indiana University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Recreational Programming & Leadership in 1981. That same year, Daggy moved up to Michigan where he served as the Program Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lansing at their Northside Unit until 1984. Daggy then was promoted to a Unit Director at their Southside location.

Daggy returned to Richmond to become the third Executive Director of the Scott Boys Club in March of 1993. In 1999, the Club officially changed their name to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County and allowed girls to become members.

Over his 28 years of leadership, the Club has seen tremendous growth going from one location with a staff of four serving 85 youth per day with a yearly budget of $164,000 to four units and a summer camp with a staff of 75 that serves over 650 youth per day with a yearly budget of $2.4 million.

“I am so happy that the Club has seen such growth and financial stability over the past 28 years,” Daggy reflected.
Daggy’s leadership at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne county was characterized by community collaborations. One highlight includes the Positive Alternatives Program which ran from 2007 to 2018 supporting juveniles who were suspended or expelled from school or on probation. This project worked in collaboration with all five local school districts and the Wayne County Juvenile Probation Department.

In 2008, the Club became the fiscal agent for the Indiana Alliance AmeriCorps Program which brought AmeriCorps members into 35 other Indiana Boys & Girls Clubs. The Club is also the fiscal agent for the Drug Free Communities Grant supporting the Drug Free Wayne County Partnership.

The Safe Schools, Healthy Students Initiative ran from 2008 to 2013 worked with community leaders to focus on student success and improvements.
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In addition to his service as Executive Director, Daggy over the years has served on numerous community committees and boards including:

• First Bank Richmond Foundation, Board Member
• Friends Fellowship Community, Board Member
• Indiana Youth Services Associations, Past President two terms, Peer Review Committee, Executive Committee
• Richmond Kiwanis Club, Past President
• Safety Village of Wayne County, Board Member
• Community Partners for Education, Member
• Title V Steering Committee, Member
• Step Ahead Child Care Council, Past President
• United Way of Whitewater Valley, Fundraising Committee, Vision Council Member
• County Wide Partnership for Youth, Committee Member
• Safe Schools, Healthy Students, Committee Member, partner organization

Daggy has also been very active at the state, regional and national levels of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America serving on numerous committees and task forces including:

• Field Consultant for Planned Giving for Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• Attended the annual BGCA Leadership Conference (formerly the BGCA Midwest Administrative Conference) and sat on numerous panels for planned giving and board development as well as serving on the planning committee
• Attended the annual BGCA National Conference and participated in “Making the Ask” panel
• Attended annual BGCA Legislative Day at the Indiana State House
• Attended the annual Indiana Area Council Conference and has been a past Secretary
• Attended and hosted annual Indiana Summit/OKI Summit for staff development
• Served on Boys & Girls Clubs of America The Professional Association (TPA) Board of Directors, served as Vice President
• Currently serves on the BGCA Pension Committee

Daggy served as a mentor for four former staff members who have become Executive Directors for other Boys & Girls Club organizations across the United States. Daggy stated he is thankful for and credits his success to “the high quality professional staff and tremendous leadership of the board of directors and board of trustees over the years.”
Daggy’s vision for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County was evident in his ability to recruit dedicated staff members that strive to offer youth-development programs with life-changing outcomes for youth. Daggy also gave great significance to the role of board members, volunteers, and donors in the success of the Club, which is often identified as being a leader by peers across the country and as a leader of the Midwest Region. The Club has been the recipient of multiple awards, including the prestigious national Boys & Girls Clubs of America “Merit Award for Best Overall Programs” in 2010 and again in 2019.

“I am proud of all of my awards and accomplishments,” Daggy noted, “but I am most proud of our Clubs BGCA National Programming Awards.”
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Daggy has been honored over the years with numerous awards including:
• 2005 Founding Fifty Heritage Club Member for Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County
• 2010 Professional of the Year from the Indiana Area Council
• 2011 Boys & Girls Clubs of America Midwest Regional Horizon Award
• 2012 Boys & Girls Clubs of America Heart & Soul Award
• 2016 Boys & Girls Clubs of America Masters & Mentors Award (BGCA’s Highest honor)
• 2020 Indiana Youth Services Association Lifetime Achievement Award

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County Board of Directors are grateful for Daggy’s service and leadership.
“I have known Bruce for over 20 years,” Board Member Garry Kleer stated. “He exudes excellence in his leadership of the organization. You understand Bruce’s value to the youth when former club members return to speak about the impact he has had on their lives.”

Among the many blessings his long career has seen, Daggy feels the “best thing” he has received from the Club is his wife of 35 years, Marie, who he met while was a volunteer at the Club.

A retirement party for Daggy will take place in December with details to be announced.

The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County is “to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.” Members of the Club, ages 6-18, have access to dedicated, trained professionals who provide guidance in adopting healthy lifestyles and pursuing educational objectives. Currently, the Club serves over 3,000 youth at five locations: the Jeffers, McDaniel, Central, First Bank, and Hagerstown units and during the summer at their 168-acre Camp Guy located on the Whitewater River. Since 1957, the Club has been striving to equip young people with the skills they need to succeed in life. For more information, visit www.bgcrichmond.org.