Biography of the CEO
Photo by Randy H. Goodman Josh Kraft |
Josh Kraft, an entrepreneurial leader and experienced manager, is Nicholas President and Chief Executive Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston. Josh brings his dedication to youth work to his leadership of the organization, whose high-impact programs enable 14,000 children and teens from low-income neighborhoods in Greater Boston to become responsible citizens and leaders.
An alumnus of Williams College with a Master of Arts degree in Education and Social Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education, Josh is the Founding Executive Director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston’s Gerald and Darlene Jordan Club in Chelsea. For 15 years, Josh led the after-school program from the basement of a public housing development serving 75 youth per day through four temporary spaces, until the current state-of-the-art 44,000 square foot building could be built. Today the Jordan Club serves nearly 1,000 children and teens. In addition to managing the after-school and summer programs at the Club, Josh led fundraising efforts, managed programming partnerships with organizations such as the Greater Boston Food Bank, ROCA, Choice Thru Education, ASAP, City of Chelsea, and Chelsea Police Department. Josh joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston at the South Boston Club, where he led an outreach program for at-risk youth. After graduating from college, he worked as a teacher and coach at a local prep school.
Josh serves on the Board of Directors for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, Boston After School & Beyond, and Julie’s Family Learning Program in South Boston, and is a volunteer soccer and basketball coach in Newton.
The Jordan Club staff received the “Group Work Agency of the Year Award” from the National Association of Social Work, 2005. In addition, Josh is the recipient of several awards, including the Boy Scouts of America’s “Minuteman Council” Whitney M. Young Service Award, 2006; Massachusetts ARC Distinguished Citizen Award, 2004; Chelsea Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, 2004; Boys & Girls Clubs of America Yankee Chapter Executive Director of the Year, 2002; Chelsea Community Person of the Year, 2002.
Concurrently, Josh manages community relations as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the New England Patriots Foundation. In this role, he coordinates and oversees numerous team-led initiatives, including: License Plate Campaign, Kids Café Partnership, Patriot Platelet Pedalers, Community MVP Awards, and a foreclosure prevention workshop.