Posted 2:07 p.m. Thursday, May 28, 2015
As the new executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the 7 Rivers Region, Alum Greg Voss says he makes million-dollar deals every day.
[caption id="attachment_4821" align="alignleft" width="700"]
Alumnus Greg Voss has a 30-year career working for non-profit organizations. He became executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the 7 Rivers Region in July 2014.[/caption]
When Greg Voss, ’80, goes to the gym over the noon hour, he overhears business professionals talking about making million-dollar deals.
As the new executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the 7 Rivers Region, Voss says he makes million-dollar deals every day. He speaks figuratively of the life-long impact Big Brothers Big Sisters has on area youth. Compared to their non-mentored peers, littles are 52 percent less likely to skip school and 46 percent less likely to use illegal drugs. About 77 percent of adults who participated in the program as children say they set higher goals because of the program, according to national research.
“You can’t put a dollar value on what we do,” says Voss. “We are changing and saving kids — not just at-risk kids, but kids from all kinds of backgrounds who are bullied, overweight or struggling in some way. All kids can’t have enough friends and people to count on.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters provides area children with professionally supported one-to-one relationships with mentors.
Voss started as executive director in July 2014 after a nearly 30-year career working for non-profits. He returned to La Crosse from a leadership role at a non-profit in the Twin Cities because he wanted to give back to the community where he grew up.
Heidi Svee, a mother of a child in the program, sees the difference the organization is making for her son Devon, who meets regularly with Big Brother Tanner Taylor, a UW-L student. Her son, who was once too shy to participate in sports, recently signed up for summer baseball.
“I thought it would be good for him to have a male mentor in his life,” says Svee. “I have three kids, so doing things one-on-one is a challenge sometimes because it’s just me and them. This way Devon has one-on-one attention focused on him each week.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters is not only providing life-changing experiences for area youth, but also college students like Taylor. Since Voss started nearly a year ago, 10 UW-L interns have worked for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Since 2009, UW-L has placed 48 UW-L student interns at Big Brothers Big Sisters, according to UW-L Career Services.
Voss has made crucial updates to the program that have allowed UW-L students to learn skills such as project management, recruitment, fundraising, volunteer coordination and most importantly the need for positive role models and interactions with the La Crosse Area youth, says Karolyn Bald, a UW-L career adviser. Interns learn the “bigger picture” of what it takes to manage and build a successful program and who is involved in that success, she adds.
“Like our students work to provide mentoring opportunities to La Crosse's youth, Greg is mentoring UW-L students to be actively engaged in making a difference in their community,” she says.
[caption id="attachment_4822" align="alignleft" width="239"]
Tanner Taylor, UW-L student and intern[/caption]
As a program intern, Taylor does background checks and reference checks for volunteers and helps match bigs and littles. He’s also sat in on board meetings and interviews. An at-risk child care minor and psychology major, Taylor wants to work in an urban school as an aide for a year through AmeriCorps after he graduates. He says the internship has given him the professional experience he needs.
“This turned out to be one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” he says.
In addition to interning, he’s also one of the bigs, spending two to three hours a week with Devon. It’s an experience he says he wouldn’t give up because of the stress relief it provides.
“Hanging out with Devon is the highlight of my week — every week,” he says. “He’s so creative in such a youthful way. The things he comes up with make me appreciate the world in a new way and see things differently.”
UW-L Alum Ashley Santolin, '12, was a marketing and communications intern with the Big Brothers Big Sisters three years ago. She is now community relations manager for the organization.
“I had never considered working for non-profits before that internship,” she says. “I found out I liked it. You see how hard people work and how passionate they are about what they do.”
Voss has channeled his passion toward building up Big Brothers Big Sisters. He’s strengthened the board, diversified funding sources, sought out collaborative opportunities, and added a new program that connects bigs and littles with businesses and organizations in the community.
Voss says he has capitalized on all he’s learned from the non-profit leaders he worked for in the past.
“I think successful non-profit managers are cut out for it — you must have a caring heart, but in leadership you must have a corporate mindset because ‘no money, no mission,” says Voss. “If I’m not out there raising money we won’t be here. It’s a balance between the give back mentality and the CEO. I love that balancing act — that challenge — every day.”
Alumnus Greg Voss has a 30-year career working for non-profit organizations. He became executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the 7 Rivers Region in July 2014.[/caption]
When Greg Voss, ’80, goes to the gym over the noon hour, he overhears business professionals talking about making million-dollar deals.
As the new executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the 7 Rivers Region, Voss says he makes million-dollar deals every day. He speaks figuratively of the life-long impact Big Brothers Big Sisters has on area youth. Compared to their non-mentored peers, littles are 52 percent less likely to skip school and 46 percent less likely to use illegal drugs. About 77 percent of adults who participated in the program as children say they set higher goals because of the program, according to national research.
“You can’t put a dollar value on what we do,” says Voss. “We are changing and saving kids — not just at-risk kids, but kids from all kinds of backgrounds who are bullied, overweight or struggling in some way. All kids can’t have enough friends and people to count on.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters provides area children with professionally supported one-to-one relationships with mentors.
Voss started as executive director in July 2014 after a nearly 30-year career working for non-profits. He returned to La Crosse from a leadership role at a non-profit in the Twin Cities because he wanted to give back to the community where he grew up.
Heidi Svee, a mother of a child in the program, sees the difference the organization is making for her son Devon, who meets regularly with Big Brother Tanner Taylor, a UW-L student. Her son, who was once too shy to participate in sports, recently signed up for summer baseball.
“I thought it would be good for him to have a male mentor in his life,” says Svee. “I have three kids, so doing things one-on-one is a challenge sometimes because it’s just me and them. This way Devon has one-on-one attention focused on him each week.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters is not only providing life-changing experiences for area youth, but also college students like Taylor. Since Voss started nearly a year ago, 10 UW-L interns have worked for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Since 2009, UW-L has placed 48 UW-L student interns at Big Brothers Big Sisters, according to UW-L Career Services.
Voss has made crucial updates to the program that have allowed UW-L students to learn skills such as project management, recruitment, fundraising, volunteer coordination and most importantly the need for positive role models and interactions with the La Crosse Area youth, says Karolyn Bald, a UW-L career adviser. Interns learn the “bigger picture” of what it takes to manage and build a successful program and who is involved in that success, she adds.
“Like our students work to provide mentoring opportunities to La Crosse's youth, Greg is mentoring UW-L students to be actively engaged in making a difference in their community,” she says.
[caption id="attachment_4822" align="alignleft" width="239"] Tanner Taylor, UW-L student and intern[/caption]
As a program intern, Taylor does background checks and reference checks for volunteers and helps match bigs and littles. He’s also sat in on board meetings and interviews. An at-risk child care minor and psychology major, Taylor wants to work in an urban school as an aide for a year through AmeriCorps after he graduates. He says the internship has given him the professional experience he needs.
“This turned out to be one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” he says.
In addition to interning, he’s also one of the bigs, spending two to three hours a week with Devon. It’s an experience he says he wouldn’t give up because of the stress relief it provides.
“Hanging out with Devon is the highlight of my week — every week,” he says. “He’s so creative in such a youthful way. The things he comes up with make me appreciate the world in a new way and see things differently.”
UW-L Alum Ashley Santolin, '12, was a marketing and communications intern with the Big Brothers Big Sisters three years ago. She is now community relations manager for the organization.
“I had never considered working for non-profits before that internship,” she says. “I found out I liked it. You see how hard people work and how passionate they are about what they do.”
Voss has channeled his passion toward building up Big Brothers Big Sisters. He’s strengthened the board, diversified funding sources, sought out collaborative opportunities, and added a new program that connects bigs and littles with businesses and organizations in the community.
Voss says he has capitalized on all he’s learned from the non-profit leaders he worked for in the past.
“I think successful non-profit managers are cut out for it — you must have a caring heart, but in leadership you must have a corporate mindset because ‘no money, no mission,” says Voss. “If I’m not out there raising money we won’t be here. It’s a balance between the give back mentality and the CEO. I love that balancing act — that challenge — every day.”