State Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) honored Michael Johnson, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County, as a “Hometown Hero” in Tuesday’s Wisconsin State Assembly.
“Michael is a true hero for children and families across Dane County and even extending into Walworth County. Boys & Girls Clubs have put our children on paths to success and provided basic necessities for families across the region,” said State Rep. Shelia Stubbs, who nominated Michael Johnson for this award. “Michael Johnson’s leadership has impacted so many families, and he has fostered the success of many young people in Dane County. He is truly a hero in our community.”
Under Michael’s leadership, the Boys & Girls Clubs expanded operations into Fitchburg, Verona, and Sun Prairie, acquired the Boys & Girls Club of Walworth County, and plan to open the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center, the largest skilled trades youth workforce center in Boys & Girls Clubs in American history this summer, according to a press release from Boys & Girls Club of Dane County. He led the activation of more donor support for the clubs’ programming, increasing the organization’s assets from $4 million in 1999 to over $25 million in 2023.
Among other accomplishments, this donor support has created the largest public/private partnership in the Madison Metropolitan School District, investing more than $21.6 million in direct resources to high schools, the press release said. With this investment and hiring career and college specialists, more high school students have been able to graduate and plan for post-secondary education and employment. As documented through an independent university study, this partnership is a positive contributor to the academic success of MMSD students. More than 4,400 young people have graduated high school because of this partnership, at an average rate of 97%. At the end of 2022, Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County reported 671 members were enrolled in 72 colleges throughout 24 states.
“I am truly humbled to have been honored by the Wisconsin State Legislature for our work at Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane. I am grateful for the opportunity to have addressed the assembly, talked about kids, and thanked them for honoring the work of our team statewide,” Johnson said in a statement.
