Go Together
If You Want to Go Far,
If you want to see the impact that the Boys and Girls Club can have in a child’s life, look no further than
j.r.Davis
Raised by his grandmother, he became a member of a local club when his small family moved from Florida to the midwest. From middle school to high school, there were a lot of changes, but Davis had the Boys and Girls Club to lean on. Now as CEO of the Northwest Georgia branch since 2011, Davis gets to live out his passion for serving others. Eleven years prior to becoming CEO, Davis finished eight years in the Air Force and was in school getting a master’s degree and an executive MBA. During that time, a local Boys and Girls Club was hiring. “What drew me to it in the first place was that, well, I was a member,” Davis says, so he jumped for the opportunity. Just when he was about to graduate and pursue international business, a full-time club director position was offered to him. Davis figured he’d try it out for a couple of years. Since then, 4
he’s worked at Boys and Girls Clubs in California, Florida, and right here in Georgia. As of today, there are four clubs all across Rome and Floyd County, and one in Polk County, that offer after-school programming for 3000 kids a year, about 400 daily. On top of that, they do special activities and events on weekends, and they’re open all day, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. during summer and school breaks. “We’re just giving an opportunity for parents to go to work and make sure their kids are taken care of - give them a safe, structured place to be,” Davis says. “That’s our number one priority.” The staff and volunteers that take care of these kids are invaluable, and not just because they spend their time adigeorgia.com
