As chief operations officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, one of the largest and most influential youth development non-profit organizations in the nation, Lorraine Orr leads field services across the Boys & Girls Club Movement.
Focused on strengthening the capacity and sustainability of local Boys & Girls Clubs, Orr is responsible for BGCA’s focus on youth development programs, child safety and protection strategies, leadership development, and national partnerships that advance BGCA’s mission to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
Since joining BGCA in May 1997, Orr has held various field-focused leadership roles with the 112-year old organization. Prior to moving to Atlanta, Orr served as the chief professional officer of the local Boys & Girls Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, and held a number of other management positions in the Greensboro area.
Her Mission: My personal mission is simply to be a greater human being that works hard to make the world a better place. There’s no greater responsibility than to ensure all children inherit a world that is kind, accepting and full of opportunity.
Her Impact: I have helped to increase local Boys & Girls Club performance year after year. For example, I restructured the service delivery model of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s field operations teams to better align to needs and the uniqueness of our local clubs which serve 4 million children and teens throughout the country each year. Also, we’ve been able to maximize local and national partnerships in terms of strategy and direction. And while safety has always been the bedrock of our work, I helped enhance our focus here with the launch of our first child and club safety team and executive development teams.
Her Longevity: There are two reasons that I’ve stayed at the Boys & Girls Club of America for 21 years. The mission, knowing every day that I had the opportunity to make a profound difference for children and teens across America is very gratifying. And reason number two, the people. We have a network of committed, caring professionals, who in the collective, understand the impact we currently make but more importantly recognize we have so much more to do.
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