Atlanta-based Boys & Girls Clubs of America has named James Clark as president and CEO. He will succeed Roxanne Spillett, who has announced her retirement after 32 years with the organization. Clark will take over the youth organization on Jan. 2, 2012.
Spillett was the first female to hold the organization's top leadership post. During her 16-year tenure as president and CEO, the group doubled in size and tripled its revenues. The number of clubs expanded from 1,800 to 4,000, and annual network-wide revenues grew from $438 million to $1.5 billion.
The organization's spending, however, came under scrutiny early last year after several congressional lawmakers questioned it, including Spillett's compensation. The four senators said they were concerned that the chief executive had been closing local clubs for lack of funding while being compensated nearly $1 million in 2008. They also questioned why in the same year $4.3 million was spent on travel, $1.6 million on conferences, conventions and meetings, and $544,000 in lobbying fees.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America responded that Spillett's pay had not increased in two years and it said other expenses were "well within established guidelines for nonprofit organizations."
The organization's federal 2009 tax-exempt 990 form shows revenue dropped to nearly $99 million from $107 million the previous year. It was in the red by $23 million, compared with a $14 million shortfall the previous. Spending on lobbyists has been cut nearly in half since 2008, according to 2010 research by OpenSecrets.org.
Clark, 49, has served for nearly eight years as president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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