Meet the Team

Robert Lewis, Jr.

Nicholas President and CEO
In recognition of Pete and Ginny Nicholas

 

Robert Lewis, Jr. serves as the Nicholas President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (BGCB), where he is driving a bold transformation in youth development and community impact. A visionary thought leader, social innovator, and nationally recognized speaker, Robert brings an unparalleled energy and focus to reshaping opportunities for Boston and Chelsea’s youth.  

When Robert joined BGCB in 2022, he didn’t just step into a leadership role – he launched a movement to reshape the future of Boston’s young people. Drawing on decades of experience in nonprofit and community leadership throughout the country, he sees what others often overlook: future talent ready to be developed. His vision reimagines traditional youth development, focusing on cultivating the next generation of changemakers, innovators, and professionals who will drive Boston’s continued growth. 

From day one, Robert charted a bold new course for BGCB, implementing a five-year strategy centered on health, education, and workforce readiness – the essential pillars of 21st-century youth development. His ambitious approach aims to close achievement gaps and create clear pathways to success for young people across Boston and Chelsea. Under his guidance, BGCB has become an incubator for future leaders, expanding its reach to serve over 45,000 youth, families and community members annually.  

A respected bridge builder, convener and collaborator, Robert has forged powerful connections across Boston’s business, civic, and community sectors to create a unified movement for emerging talent. With a relentless focus on equity and systemic change, he challenges the status quo and leads Boston to fully embrace its potential as a city of opportunity for all.  

Prior to BGCB, Robert founded The BASE, a nationally acclaimed organization that revolutionized urban youth development by leveraging sports to create pathways to higher education and meaningful careers. Under his leadership, The BASE expanded into Chicago, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. He was also the chief architect of the groundbreaking anti-gang initiative StreetSafe Boston at The Boston Foundation, the country’s only privately funded gang intervention program, and helped to launch StreetSafe Bermuda. Robert was the first Executive Director of City Year Boston and SVP of national operations where he built 11 City Year sites across the country and helped launch City Year in South Africa. He also held transformative leadership roles at the National Conference for Community and Justice and Boston Centers for Youth and Families. Robert also advised Prime Minister David Cameron during the tumultuous riots in the U.K. in 2011 and was featured numerous times on the BBC Radio as a violence resolution expert. 

A tireless advocate for youth, Robert’s work has been recognized with numerous honors, including the New England Streetworker Inaugural Legacy Award, NonProfit PRO’s Lifetime Achievement Award, King Boston’s Embrace Award,  The Associated Industries of Massachusetts’ Gould Education Award, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast 50th Anniversary Awardee, Eastern Bank’s Social Justice Award, Robert F. Kennedy Action Corps’ Embracing the Legacy Award and inclusion in The Boston Business Journal’s Power 50.  

Through innovative leadership, visionary thinking, and an unwavering commitment to measurable outcomes, Robert Lewis, Jr. is not just transforming Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston—he is inspiring a national model for youth empowerment and collaborative community impact.   

Robert holds Honorary Doctorate degrees in Humane Letters from Assumption University; Cambridge College; Franklin Pierce University; and William James College; and an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service from Simmons College and New England Law. 

Dawn Curtis Hanley

Chief Marketing Officer

Dawn Curtis Hanley assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (BGCB) in October 2023, leveraging over 25 years of expertise as a brand strategist, experience creator, and strategic communications leader.

Before joining BGCB, Dawn founded and operated her own experiential marketing and communications firm, Anchor18, for a successful 15-year tenure. During this time, she collaborated with diverse clients in media, real estate development, life sciences, hospitality, and the non-profit sectors. Notably, Dawn served as the Executive Director of the Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival for five years and as the Project Director for Around the Americas, orchestrating a 28,000 nautical mile circumnavigation by sail around the Americas to raise awareness about threats to our oceans.

Dawn previously held the position of Executive Director of Marketing for Boston magazine for six years. In this role, she crafted strategic campaigns for a portfolio of luxury lifestyle clients and produced 75+ events annually, including the prestigious Best of Boston party.

Dawn’s extensive experience extends to over a dozen years in communications within the restaurant and hotel industry. She continued to consult in the industry until recently, developing powerful brand identities and activations for properties across the country.

A graduate of Boston College with a degree in Communications, Dawn has been acknowledged for her achievements, being named one of Boston Business Journal’s ’40 Under 40′ and inducted into the YWCA’s Academy of Women Achievers.

Dawn and her team are responsible for all aspects of marketing, communications, and events for BGCB.

Nathan Kuder

Chief Financial Officer

Nathan is an experienced Chief Financial Officer with a strong background in financial operations and data analysis. He joined BGCB in January 2024, coming from Boston Public Schools where he served as Chief Financial Officer, managing budgets in excess of $1 billion. His leadership during challenging times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights his ability to adapt resources to meet evolving student needs. Nathan’s public sector career at Boston Public Schools includes roles such as Deputy CFO, Budget Director, and Director of Performance Management. His expertise covers budget management, forecasting, strategic planning, and quantitative and qualitative analysis.

With a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor’s in Economics and Political Philosophy from Syracuse University, Nathan brings a wealth of academic knowledge and practical experience to the table. Nathan is a proud resident of Boston and the father of two.

Nathan will be responsible for overseeing our finance efforts and responsibilities, including all budgets, fiscal planning, facilities management and information technology. We are confident that his leadership will contribute to the continued success and expansion of our programs, ensuring a positive impact on the lives of the youth and communities we serve.

Kimberley Lubin

Chief Advancement Officer

Kimberley joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston as Chief Advancement Officer in January 2024. Prior to joining BGCB, Kimberly worked at Franciscan Children’s where she was Chief Development Officer for over seven years. While there, she built a fundraising team from the ground up and implemented a major gift fundraising program to help support children’s mental health. A major focus during her time at Franciscan Children’s was capital campaign (in collaboration with Boston Children’s) to help get a new building built on the Franciscan campus. Prior to that, Kim was Assistant Vice president for Development at Brigham and Women’s Hospital for seven years, as well as the Director of Development for Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and Assistant Director for Development at the Anti-Defamation League.

Kimberley holds a Bachelor of Arts from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a Master’s in International Relations from Boston University. She lives in Brookline, MA with her husband, teenage twins, and her dog Teddy (a Westie).

Kim is responsible for overseeing our fundraising efforts, donor relations, and community outreach programs. Her strategic vision and collaborative approach will undoubtedly contribute to the continued success of BGCB. With a proven track record of driving successful fundraising initiatives and building strong partnerships, Kim will play a crucial role in advancing our mission.

Andrea Swain

Chief Impact Officer

Andrea Swain, Chief Impact Officer, oversees the development, integration, and execution of services that support and enhance the effectiveness and impact of all Clubs and YouthConnect operations to youth across Boston and Chelsea.

Andrea joined BGCB as the Roxbury Boys & Girls Club Executive Director in March 2001 and oversaw the 2006 expansion and renovation of the Club. When it reopened as a state-of-the-art facility in fall 2006, it was renamed the Yawkey Club.

Andrea came to BGCB from Peabody Properties, where she had been a Property Manager. Previously, she spent 10 years with the Boston Housing Authority in a variety of roles related to providing services to families and children within the Mission Main and Orchard Estates Housing Developments. She also previously worked part-time in the Roxbury Club in the Teen-Time Program.

Andrea received the 2009 Executive of the Year Award from the Yankee Chapter of the Boys & Girls Clubs Professional Association, in recognition of her outstanding leadership at the Club during the past eight years, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s 2009 Northeast Region’s Contribution to the Profession award, for her significant contribution towards the advancement of the Boys & Girls Club Movement during the course of her career.

Fun Fact: Andrea grew up in Roxbury during the 1970s, back when the Club was a place for boys only. Andrea and her sister, Lisa, advocated for girls to have membership to the Club and eventually girls were given access to specific programs. Thanks to strong advocates on its Board, in 1981, Boys Clubs of Boston officially changed its name to Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston—the first Clubs in the nation to do so—and girls were admitted as full members.

Rick Aggeler

Executive Director, Teen Strategy

Rick Aggeler became Club Director at Mattapan Teen Center in March 2020. Prior to that, he served as Director of Club Programs and Operations. He spent two years as Director of Operations at the Berkshire Partners Blue Hill Club and Senior Music Director for Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston helping develop Music Clubhouses at all of our Free-Standing Clubs.

He holds a B.A. in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Rick is also a graduate of the Institute of Non-profit Management and Leadership at Boston University.

Rick founded the Music Clubhouse at Berkshire Partners Blue Hill Club in September 2007. As a Berklee College of Music alumnus, Rick and his fellow Berklee classmates became a growing presence at the Blue Hill Club. Before long, they were providing music lessons on Friday and Saturday evenings. Aggeler drafted a business proposal to start a full-fledged music program at the Blue Hill Club, which came to fruition in 2007. In an era where musical self-expression has reached new levels of popularity among youth, the program became an instant hit. Its success led to the expansion of the program to the Yawkey Club of Roxbury in 2009 and shortly thereafter to the Charlestown, Jordan, South Boston and Mattapan sites.

Gina Centrella

Kraft Family Executive Director
Gerald and Darlene Jordan Club

Gina Centrella, became Kraft Family Executive Director of the Gerald and Darlene Jordan Boys & Girls Club in October of 2016. She has garnered incredible experience working with youth in a variety of roles since joining BGCB in 2005.

Prior to her current role, Gina spent eight years as Director of Operations for the Jordan Club, where she supervised a team of 25 and worked closely with Club members, their families and community agencies. Additionally, Gina has served as both Teen Director and Teen Education Coordinator at the Jordan Club. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Salem State College.

Josh Davis

Executive Director
Edgerley Family South Boston Club

Prior to assuming his role as Executive Director of the Edgerley Family South Boston Club in 2023, Josh joined the BGCB family in 2001 as the Education Director at the South Boston Boys & Girls Club. After seven years in his role at the South Boston Club, Josh went on to serve as Director of the Dearborn and Orchard Gardens Club in Roxbury. Josh has fostered relationships with multiple BGCB committees, as well as Boston After School & Beyond, ASOST (After School and Out of School), and Boston Public Health’s Violence Intervention Program. Most recently, Josh served as the Senior Director of Operations, overseeing Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston’s Shared Space and Dedicated Site Clubs, as well as BGCB’s Director of Evaluation and Director of Programming and Partnerships.

Josh attended Tulane University where he earned a Bachelor’s in Sociology.

Derek Gallagher

Executive Director
Charlestown Club

Derek Gallagher started attending the Charlestown Club when he was six years old. After graduating from Don Bosco Technical High School he studied at University of Massachusetts Boston while working as the Athletic Assistant at the Club. Over his tenure, he has acted as the Athletic Director, Program Director, and is now Executive Director.

Derek has worked to build partnerships with the Charlestown community, including relationships with businesses in town. While taking on his role as Executive Director takes him away from direct programming with kids, he continues to stay involved with Club activities. He helps referee basketball games, pops into evening programs, and even hops on the school bus during summer camp.

Derek’s roots with the Club run deep. His parents met at the Club back in the sixties. After he was announced as Executive Director in Spring 2018, the Charlestown Patriot-Bridge quoted him:

“I was a Club kid from the day I turned 6,” he said. “I remember my father bringing me through those doors and the adults who checked me in. The Club was big for my whole family, and my parents even went to the Club and they met for the first time in the Club. In 1963, my mother was in the old Girl’s Club on High Street and asked to bake cupcakes for the last day. As it happened my father was walking on High Street as she came out the door with the cupcakes. He asked if he could have one, and that’s how they first met. Thank God she made cupcakes, or we might not be here. When I was named director, I have never seen my mom so happy. She loves the Club. It’s all we know.”

Corey Manning

Executive Director, Yawkey Club of Roxbury

Corey Manning leads the Yawkey Boys & Girls Club of Roxbury with vision and commitment to transforming young lives. As an agent of change, he brings leadership experience and perspective to drive impact across Boston’s youth development landscape.

Manning’s foundation was built in Durham, NC, where his formative experiences in public housing and community organizations like the John Avery Boys & Girls Club and Lakewood YMCA shaped his understanding of youth potential. His educational journey at North Carolina Central University reinforced his belief in the power of mentorship and educational excellence.

Manning demonstrates the courage to transform personal challenges into professional strengths. His recovery journey through Narcotics Anonymous exemplifies the resilience and authenticity he brings to youth development leadership. This lived experience informs his approach to creating safe, supportive environments where young people can thrive.

Manning’s impressive professional trajectory includes influential roles with NC Public Allies, Mass Mentoring Partnership, Freedom Chemical Dependency, and YouthBuild Global. As an alumnus of the American Express Leadership Academy – Common Impact, he has refined a leadership philosophy centered on empathy, service, and the transformative power of authentic storytelling.

Beyond traditional youth development, Manning brings a unique dimension to his leadership as a nationally recognized stand-up comedian. His performances have graced prestigious venues including the Apollo Theater and NBC’s Family Feud, culminating in a Dry Bar Comedy special. Through ONE SMILE LLC, he demonstrates how joy and connection can be powerful tools for positive change.

At the Yawkey Club, Manning is creating an environment where young people feel valued, secure, and empowered to reach their full potential. His comprehensive expertise spanning housing, education, youth development, substance abuse prevention, and entertainment positions him as a visionary leader uniquely equipped to guide the next generation toward success.

Ashley Simpson

Director
Franklin Hill Club

Ashley Simpson was named Director of the Franklin Hill Club in August of 2018.  Prior to assuming her new role, Ashley spent nearly 10 years at the Mattapan and Blue Hill Clubs, serving in a variety of capacities.  Most recently, Ashley served as Senior Team Leader at our Sumner Club as well as Site Coordinator for our Irving Middle School Pilot program.

Fun Fact: Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston remains a consistent aspect of Ashley’s career, dating back to her first job as a Junior Staff at our Blue Hill Club in 2002.

Katrina Williams

Club Director

Katrina Williams has spent more than 30 years serving Boston’s communities, with a career spanning youth development, real estate, operations, and administration. A proud alumna of the Yawkey Club of Roxbury, she has dedicated her life to giving back to the neighborhoods that shaped her.

Katrina spent over two decades at the Yawkey Club, where she supported leadership in areas such as operations, HR, compliance, facilities, and community engagement. Known for her deep knowledge of public housing communities and her ability to build trust, she brings both experience and compassion to her work.

Today, Katrina continues her mission-driven leadership by fostering strong partnerships and creating meaningful opportunities that empower children, teens, and families across Boston.