Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio appoint new CEO

A Parma native was announced the first president and CEO of the newly formed Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio on Monday. Jeff Scott, who has worked in construction, banking, technology and manufacturing industries, was a Boys and Girls mentor for about four years while attending college. He's a former vice president of strategy at KeyBank in Cleveland and most recently the general manager for Q2 Marketplace. Scott is over a nonprofit with 39 locations and about 8,600 members in five counties. The sites have been closed since March 13 because of the pandemic; with no certain date for reopening the clubs, the organization is now offering virtual programming for kids. "Given the current state of the world and the difficult circumstances many of our communities and families are facing, it is humbling and an honor to join a great team committed to helping our youth succeed," Scott said. "Our mission remains the same, but the stakes are even higher now. There is no more important work to be doing than this, and I'm confident in our collective ability to help our communities navigate this complex situation. Our newly combined entity only strengthens our ability to serve and make a difference." BGCNEO was formed in July 2019 by the merger of Clubs in Cleveland, Akron, Lorain County and Sandusky. Scott, who lives in Brecksville, said he is grateful for the opportunity. "I am confident that Jeff is the right leader to help our organization not only weather this current storm but help us reach our lofty goals," BGCNEO Board Chair Rich Desich said. "As a combined organization and team, we will be singularly focused on having the greatest and most positive impact to the children we serve." Ron Soeder, who has been serving as BGCNEO's interim president and CEO while the organization conducted a nationwide search that led to Scott's hiring, will stay on to help with the transition. Scott was chosen following a nationwide search by firm Egon Zehnder. Contact Laina Yost at (440) 329-7121 or lyost@chroniclet.com.