Local Dad Receives Champion for Children Award

Every year, The Children’s Trust awards the David Lawrence Jr. Champion for Children Award to an individual with a lifetime of notable achievement and dedication to children in South Florida. The 2022 recipient of this award truly epitomizes the spirit of this award and has spent his entire career dedicated to providing mentorship, opportunity, and guidance for children. This year’s recipient is Gale Nelson, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Miami.

Gale was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and moved to Toledo, Ohio when his parents divorced at age two. He credits his mother, who raised him and his brother as a single mom, as providing him with a solid groundwork for his entire life—instilling in him family values, the importance of hard work, and a sense of belonging.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in corporate finance, his life took another significant turn, one he likes to call the “Gale Force Wind” chapter (pun intended!) In the summer of 1991, he reconnected with his father and, after Hurricane Andrew hit, moved to South Florida to try to strengthen the relationship. His father was in construction and moved from California to Florida to help rebuild after Hurricane Andrew ravaged South Miami-Dade County.

Through his father, he visited a 44.85-acre campus in Cutler Ridge called ICARE, the Interfaith Coalition for the Andrew Recovery Effort. The campus was later developed into Bay Point Schools for at-risk children through the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Gale felt a connection to helping the boys in the facility build better lives because he saw himself in them. He started at the campus in 1993 as a teacher and coach and worked his way up to Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. The program began with 36 youth and grew to more than 200 youth and a $10 million budget under his tenure.

After helping rehabilitate hundreds of youth at Baypoint, he realized that the true root of the issue was that these boys had to be arrested in order to get the structure, support, and mentoring they so desperately needed. In 2006, he joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami to try to help close the gap. Since joining BBBS 15 years ago, over 20,000 youth have been served, 95% of graduating Littles go to college, police and youth relationships have been strengthened increasing public safety, and career pathways have been created through workplace mentoring for over 15,000 students. Gale has developed multiple programs including “Bigs in Blue,” a mentorship program with police officers, and a corporate mentoring program called “School to Work” where high school-aged students meet their mentors (‘bigs”) at the corporate location.

Gale resides in Miramar with his wife of nearly 27 years. He has four children—three boys and one girl ranging in age from 15-23 years old. His greatest source of pride is being able to give his children a solid family unit with an active and present father; something he did not have growing up.

Gale is a true example of how providing structure, love, and guidance to children can make all the difference in the world.