One of the St. Louis area’s leading institutions that support youths and families will soon lose a community stalwart as its leader.
Flint W. Fowler, who guided Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis from one city location in 1996 to 11 sites throughout the region serving 14,000 youths, announced that he will retire at the close of 2024.
“It has been my life’s purpose to support the growth and development of children and teens in the St Louis region,” Fowler said.
“Opening the doors of opportunity and helping young people comprehend the world has been extremely rewarding. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis afforded me the platform to exercise my professional gifts while promoting the wellbeing of others.”
Fowler’s work resonated throughout the nation via the Boys and Girls Club affiliates, according to Jim Clark, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
“Flint has been a force for good for almost 30 years within the Boys & Girls movement. He also served as a state, regional, and national leader within the Boys & Girls Clubs system on the President’s Advisory Committee, the National Planning Commission, and many taskforces,” said Clark.
“His vision, knowledge, and mission driven approach to youth development has positively impacted generations of young people locally and nationally.”
Mark E. Stallion, BGSTL chair and partner at UB Greensfelder law firm said, “Dr. Fowler’s impact on our community – across several counties in two states – has been life-changing for thousands of children and their families. His humble, selfless service made the quality of life better across our region.”
“All of us owe him so much for all that he has accomplished. He will be missed and his shoes challenging to fill.”
Michelle Tucker, United Way of Greater St. Louis president and CEO
said, “Flint’s genuine spirit and unwavering passion for empowering our young people to succeed is truly awe-inspiring. His esteemed leadership at Boys and Girls Club has propelled the organization to new heights over the years by transforming the lives of countless youth through his commitment to cultivating greatness.”
BGSTL and the national club organization will conduct a national search for Dr. Fowler’s successor.
Fowler was appointed president of BGCSTL in 1996 when it was the Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club on North Grand Blvd. and served children and their families with an was $800,000.
Today, 13,600 children and their families from the St. Louis metro area use the 11 clubs in Missouri and Illinois for after-school, teen, sports and summer programs. Its annual budget has been boosted to $11 million.
BGCSTL has grown to serve youth at 10
additional sites besides Herbert Hoover: Adams Park, Bentwood Townhomes, Bethalto
Club and Lovejoy Club in Illinois, Hazelwood Elementary School, Mathews-Dickey,
O’Fallon Park, Riverview Gardens, Hazelwood Southeast Middle School and the Teen
Center of Excellence in Ferguson.
In addition, BGCSTL operates Mentor St. Louis, Keystone Clubs, Diplomas to
Degrees, Money Matters, Career Launch and St. Louis Internship programs, and a free
dental clinic.
Fowler was also instrumental in the Mathews-Dickey and Bethalto mergers to create greater efficiencies and implement best practices when serving youth
Before joining Boys & Girls Club in 1996, Fowler’s youth development work included
INROADS, Upward Bound, Boy Scouts, and Operation Teamwork.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Black Studies from Washington
University; a master’s in psychology from Washington University with emphasis in
Minority Mental Health; and a Ph.D. from Saint Louis University with emphasis in Higher
Education Administration.
Paul Miller, Omega Group USBS Financial Services senior vice president-wealth management shared his thoughts with Fowler and the St. Louis American.
Reflecting on your retirement, I thought about your legacy. I remembered the epitaph I saw on Christoper Wren’s tomb in St Paul’s Cathedral. It reads “Si monumentum requiris circumspice” (If you seek his monument, look around).’”
Unlike Christopher Wren, your legacy is not in the buildings, but in the tens of thousands of lives you have helped shape over the decades. Their positive lives are the monument to you. Immeasurable in value.”
