The Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club’s Board of Directors has appointed Debra Denham to serve as its interim president and chief executive officer effective Nov. 1. Denham, a well-known and highly accomplished professional in philanthropy and community affairs, succeeds retiring Club chief executive Martin Luther Mathews who will serve as a consultant to the organization he co-founded as its emeritus president.
“We are incredibly honored and excited to have a leader with Debra’s vast knowledge, wealth of community connections and leadership experience take on this important role,” said Mathews-Dickey Board Chairman The Rev. Earl E. Nance, Jr. “We are committed to ensuring a smooth leadership transition and a great experience for kids as the search for a permanent CEO continues.”
Denham is an accomplished executive with 20 years of distinguished performance helping organizations identify key stakeholders, develop and implement engagement programs and philanthropic strategies. Most recently Denham brought these skills to bear from 1994 to 2013 as vice president of community affairs and previously a senior consultant for BJC HealthCare.
A well-known and highly recognizable leader, Denham has lent her expertise to numerous non-profits, serving in recent years as the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’ board chair, director for the Arts & Education Council and board chair of the St. Louis Black Repertory Company. A long-time leader at Mathews-Dickey, Denham served on the club’s board of directors from 2006-2014 and chaired its highly successfully 2003 Sheer Elegance Fashion Show fund-raiser.
Denham holds separate master’s degrees in human resources development and business administration from Webster University in St. Louis. Her contributions to making St. Louis a better place to live have been recognized with many awards, including the St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Minority Business Leader, Annie M. Pope Corporate Diversity Leadership, National Conference for Community and Justice Outstanding Leadership, Mathews-Dickey Sheer Elegance and the Institute for Diversity in Health Management’s Healthcare Executive of the Year and Outstanding Corporate Leadership.
“There aren’t words that can suitably express our appreciation and admiration for a half century of service provided by club co-founder Martin Luther Mathews,” Nance said. “We are bolstered by his continued involvement as a consultant and look forward to officially recognizing him in a public celebration next February on the occasion of his 90th birthday.”
