Best Buddies International competitors

Jim Clark joined Boys & Girls Clubs of America as president and CEO in January 2012. He leads a network of 4,300 Boys & Girls Clubs that serve nearly 4 million young people annually in all 50 states, in large cities and small towns, in public housing and on Native lands, and on U.S. military installations across the globe. More than 50,000 professional staff members operate the Clubs, supported by some 285,000 board and program volunteers. Jim has guided the organization through the launch of an exciting new strategic direction, the Great Futures Impact Plan. Under his leadership, Clubs are increasing impact on the young people they serve by focusing on three priority outcome areas - Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles. To ensure BGCA provides the best possible service to Clubs, Jim has spearheaded a major restructuring of the national organization. He has introduced innovative programming that supports the three outcome areas in ways that are fun and engaging - such as state-of-the-art STEM initiatives, and Brain Gain, a program to combat summer learning loss.

Her leadership focuses on addressing inactivity, injustice, intolerance and social isolation by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities to be productive citizens in their communities, which leads to a more welcoming and inclusive society for all. Davis started with Special Olympics soon after college as a local program volunteer and coach. Since then she has served in a series of leadership roles, helping create our first-ever Regional games, the 1985 Special Olympics European Games, working to build a powerful national Program as CEO of Special Olympics Ireland, and helping globalize the movement as CEO of the first Special Olympics World Summer Games held outside the US, which were the 2003 Games in Ireland. For eight years she served as President & Managing Director of Europe Eurasia. Davis is married to Julian Davis and has four children: Jonathan, Rebecca, Emma and Patrick.

Dr. Heather Deneen Wathington’s background is a unique blend of education, research, and philanthropy that has focused on students in underserved communities. She has served as the past president at Girard College, a historic boarding school in Philadelphia, and the chief executive officer at See Forever Foundation and the Maya Angelou Schools in Washington, DC. Prior to her appointment at the See Forever Foundation, Dr. Wathington was a professor of education at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. Dr. Wathington's research spans the areas of college access, matriculation, and persistence into higher education, as well as postgraduate study and research training. Dr. Wathington has authored more than 50 educational journal articles, reports, and peer-reviewed presentations. She serves as a board member for New Futures. Dr. Wathington is a graduate of Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and earned a master's degree in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania. She has her doctorate from the University of Michigan in Higher and Postsecondary Education.

Since Dr. Bertram joined PLTW in June 2011, the organization has grown to serve more than 6,500 schools across the U.S., trained thousands of teachers, and received numerous national recognitions, awards, and partner support. Dr. Bertram is a highly sought-after speaker and thought leader and has traveled across the United States, as well as internationally, to address audiences on the issues of STEM education, the workforce, and the economy. In 2014, he was appointed by the U.S. Department of State to serve as the education expert for its United States Speaker and Specialist Program. He has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives and is also a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post and other national publications.