Len Krichko is president and chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan (B&GCSM). Under his leadership since 1997, the organization has doubled in size and now has 13 locations in four counties, serving more than 26,000 youth annually.
Prior to his current role, Len was president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland, Ohio and formerly executive director of Boys Club of Hudson, Mass. His lifelong involvement with Boys & Girls Clubs began during his youth, when he was a member at the F.H. Buhl Club of Sharon, Penn. He served in many professional and volunteer roles before beginning his executive career in 1985.
His professional contributions to the organization have led to many awards. He was recognized as the 2007 Heart & Soul Award winner at Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s (BGCA) Midwest leadership conference. In 2005, the Association of Boys & Girls Clubs Professionals named him Executive of the Year for the Midwest region. In 2001, he was named a Distinguished Member of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Academy of Professionals, its highest honor.
Apart from his executive management role at B&GCSM, he has extended his professional commitment to BGCA by serving on the national pension committee and the Midwest region professional advisory committee. He has also served in leadership roles for the organization from local to national levels.
In the past 10 years, Len has created golden moments and lasting testaments for B&GCSM during world-class sporting events. A major collaborative effort in connection with the National Football League’s (NFL) Super Bowl XL 2006 resulted in building a $6 million state-of-the-art NFL/YET - Boys & Girls Club facility at the Dick & Sandy Dauch Campus in Detroit, with a groundbreaking and Super Bowl event that were held during the NFL Super Bowl week of festivities. The Clubs were well represented by the Youth of the Year at the opening first pitch ceremonies at Major League Baseball’s (MLB) World Series 2006 in Detroit. At the MLB All-Star Game in 2005 (Detroit), Len led an effort for the renovation of a Boys & Girls Club facility, playground and baseball field, and orchestrated a volunteer opportunity for Club members to participate in the MLB All-Star FanFest and game activities.
Len has a master’s degree from Southern Connecticut State University, a bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and an associate’s degree from the Community College of Allegheny County. In college, he was a national track and field champion and an All-American. After college, he competed nationally for the PUMA-USA team. In 2007, he was inducted into the Mercer County Hall of Fame Athletic Association in western Pennsylvania. He completed executive and management training courses at Duke University and Case Western Reserve University, respectively, as part of BGCA’s national leadership programs.
Len is married to Heather Rindels and has two daughters Katie and Lucy.
