June 12, 2020

We are pleased to share with you that the Corporate Board of Directors has unanimously named Denise Gergley as the next Chief Executive Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County. Denise’s first day in this role will be June 1.

Denise is an accomplished senior retail executive with 25+ years of experience in women’s apparel and accessories. Throughout her career, she has focused on developing industry-leading strategies, identifying new business opportunities and building high-performance teams. Denise has worked for several prominent retailers such as Chico’s, JCPenney and Neiman Marcus.

She most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Merchandising at Chico’s, overseeing a $1.0 billion omni-channel brand. In her 12-year tenure at Chico’s FAS, she has held various merchandising positions, increasing in scope and responsibility. Denise is a customer-centric, results-driven leader. She has been able to identify, execute and launch several initiatives, including innovative product launches and building strategic partnerships.

Compelled to serve her community, Denise has served on the nonprofit board for the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools for the last four years. She was a member of the executive committee and served as Vice Chair and Secretary. Denise is passionate about our schools and has also invested her time and resources as a student mentor and member of the Golden Apple selection committee, which recognizes excellence in teaching.

Denise grew up in Orlando and attended the University of Florida where she received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Denise and her husband, Robbie Gergley, have three children and currently live in Fort Myers.

The search process was conducted over several months by Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s CEO Search Team, in partnership with a Search Committee led by board member Maylene Kiang-Wu, and other dedicated board members. I would personally like to thank CEO Jim Clark, Lorraine Orr and Boys & Girls Clubs of America for their tremendous support during the CEO search process.

Lorraine Orr, Chief Operations Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, said “On behalf of all of us at BGCA, I am very happy to welcome Denise Gergley as the new CEO for Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County. As Florida navigates recovery from this unprecedented time, I am confident Denise is the right leader. I look forward to the many ways that her talent, experience, and passion for serving youth will create lasting impact for all children and teens.”

We are incredibly excited for Denise to join the BGCLC family and look forward to your interaction with her as she defines her vision for supporting our members. Over the coming months, Denise plans to meet our community members, likely virtually, until it is safe to do so in person. As you learn about her priorities, strategy, and goals for the Clubs and community, we know you will be as hopeful about the future as we are.

For Denise, the BGCLC opportunity is an honor:

“I am extremely honored to have been selected as the CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County. Being able to bring together my business experience with a purpose-driven mission is truly inspiring. Our youth are one of our greatest assets and we must invest in their future. I look forward to partnering with the Lee County community, the Boys & Girls Club Board and staff to enrich the lives of our youth and make a life-changing impact on the future generations.”

We thank you for your continued support of our Clubs. Without your generosity and dedication, we would not be able to support the more than 1,000 members who enter our doors each day.

Sincerely,

Mike Knox
BGCLC Board Chair