WM. KEN FREEMAN NAMED CHAIR OF BGCSDC
Wm. Kenneth Freeman was recently installed as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and Desoto Counties. With over 50 years of community service and a recent expansion into Arcadia in DeSoto County, there are six full-service clubs and five school sites serving over 3,000 youth from the ages of 6-18 with programs that produce life changing impacts.
Freeman joined the Board in November 2018 after relocating to the Sarasota/Bradenton area from St. Louis, MO where for 10 years he served on the board for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St Louis. As Chair of the board, his goals for the next two years will be to adhere to the stated Mission & Vision of the Sarasota and DeSoto Counties Club derived from the mission/vision statements of the Boys & Girls Club of America.
“By effectively harnessing the resources and strengths of Bill Sadlo, the CEO of Sarasota /DeSoto Clubs, his staff, the board, and the community, we will strive for Life Changing Interactions for all that come through our doors,” he said.
This will be accomplished by enhancing the programs and life changing impacts for the youth who come to the clubs through literacy and STEAM, mental health, continued execution of the identified Capital Initiatives, e.g., construction of clubs located in North Port (Gene Matthews) and Newtown (Roy McBean); enhancing the organization operational model and establishing stronger existing and new collaborative bonds in the communities where the club has a presence.
Born in New York City, Freeman grew up in the Bronx. He was grounded in ethics for family, history, and community service from his parents, especially his mother who for many years served as the secretary for the Williamsbridge branch of the NAACP. He received influential tutelage in the Association from his teenage years to adulthood and those teachings have not only served him in his personal life, but also provided him with competencies and qualities in his professional career. He said that he has certain principles that lead and guide him.
“One of my core principles is that there are very few interactions that come into a person’s life that will change the course of their lives forever. You never know when one of these interactions will occur.”
Such an interaction occurred for him at an NAACP National Convention when, as a teenager, he had the opportunity to be seated next to civil rights leader Rosa Parks. “That interaction had a profound effect in shaping how I have lived my life,” he said.
Freeman is a Senior Executive Partner with Gartner, Inc., a Global Technology Research company based in Stamford, Ct. His focus is assisting the C-Suite of Organizations with achieving their strategic Business Digital Transformational and AI goals. In addition to the Boys & Girls Club, Freeman has served on the boards of St. Vincent DePaul Disaster Services Corporation, Bethesda HealthCare and Epworth Children and Family Services. He is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, the NAACP, and the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA). He resides in Lakewood Ranch with Patricia, his loving wife of 27 years.
