Celebrating Five Years at Boys Town
I just celebrated my five-year anniversary as the National Executive Director of Boys Town. Wow, that’s hard to believe! It seems like only yesterday I became a part of Father Flanagan’s dream.
We’ve accomplished many things in the past five years. Most important is developing the Integrated Continuum of CareSM to provide the right care at the right time to America’s hurting children and families. The Continuum enables us to offer the best care available for troubled boys, girls and families. More and more families are coming to us for help with problems big and small. We give them guidance, lift them up and put them on the path to a brighter future. It has been my greatest joy getting to see these children succeed and these families reconnect.
What we do at Boys Town is a miraculous thing and I thank God each day for allowing me to be a part of it. In the past five years, not a day has passed when I haven’t learned something from the works of Boys Town’s Founder, Father Edward J. Flanagan. He was a true visionary who dreamed that every child could be a productive citizen if given love, a home and an education, no matter their race, color or creed. Boys Town alum Vernon Baker was the perfect example of this.
Vernon, who passed away July 13 at age 90, was the only living black World War II veteran to receive the Medal of Honor. He spent three years with Father Flanagan at Boys Town (1930-33) before joining the military. In April 1945, he led an assault in a key battle to drive the German army out of northern Italy. It wasn’t until 1997 that President Bill Clinton finally recognized this war hero for his sacrifices.
It’s alums like Vernon who continually make me proud of the work Boys Town does every day. I feel blessed to wake up and change the way America cares for its children, families and communities, and I look forward to the years to come with excitement and enthusiasm.
