Dr. Davies honored by Boys & Girls Clubs

Ask Dele Davies, MD, why he got involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands and he will tell you he feels honored and humbled to be part of such a dedicated organization.

“Our children are our future. Show me how any community takes care of its children, and I will show you the future of the community. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands with its dedicated staff, board members and trove of volunteers understand that investing in our children is paramount to investing in our community,” Dr. Davies said.

And while he may have a full schedule as a pediatrician and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Dr. Davies considers the time he spends serving the organization incredibly important.

In recognition of his commitment, the Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands is honoring Dr. Davies with the organization’s Spirit of Progress Award during its annual Youth of the Year Awards ceremony, being held virtually on Nov. 12.

The annual award is given to an individual or family for their exemplary efforts to move the organization forward.

“Dr. Davies has left a significant footprint on the clubs,” said Elizabeth Donner, chief development officer with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands.

Since he began his involvement with the Boys & Girls Clubs in 2014, Dr. Davies, who is currently the board president, has been instrumental in the strategic plan, succession planning, operations department re-organization and the CEO search that was recently completed, Donner said.

And, she said, Dr. Davies has been influential in bringing programs such as the Teddy Bear Giveaway and Dusk to Dawn led by Charity Evans, MD, with the UNMC Department of Surgery to the Boys & Girls Clubs.

Dr. Davies said he was drawn to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands because it is an example of an extraordinary organization that provides after-school mentoring and educational programming, fun and wellness activities and meals in a safe and nurturing environment for children ages 5-19 in the Greater Omaha area.

“The services provided by the 14 clubs are literally life transforming for many of the kids who often do not have enough positive role models, whose home environment may not be conducive to study, and who would never otherwise have access to the many opportunities available at the clubs,” he said.

Jermaine C. Jones, vice president of community and scholarship outreach with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands, said it is people like Dr. Davies who make the work they do so successful.

“Dr. Davies has dedicated his precious time to ensure the success of our scholarship recipients while also being willing to mentor and advise students personally. He has been greatly instrumental in taking our scholarship program to new heights, orchestrating collaboration efforts between UNMC, Nebraska Medicine and the Boys & Girls Clubs. There really are not enough words to express the gratitude I have for Dr. Davies,” Jones said.

Along with longstanding board member Scott Heider, Dr. Davies and Jones have worked to ensure that any scholarship given by the Boys & Girls Clubs is augmented with wrap around programs designed to ensure ongoing success for the recipient.

These programs include mentoring, having frequent contacts with staff throughout the year to monitor progress, creating job opportunities during the summer, and when possible, facilitating learning communities.