After 23 years as president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley, Jay Justin recently announced his resignation and retirement from the organization.
Mr. Justin will continue to serve as BBBS leader for the next few weeks until a new president and CEO is selected.
The local BBBS is an organization that helps 500 to 700 young people in the region every year. It is a mentoring organization that pairs adult volunteers (“Bigs”) with young people (“Littles”). It creates, monitors, and supports one-to-one, long-term, friendship-based mentoring relationships to improve children’s confidence, academic success, and overall life success.
John Leinart, a long-time supporter of the organization, will assume the role of interim CEO until a permanent president and CEO is selected. Mr. Leinart is a retired John Deere executive with more than 20 years of service to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley. He has served on the organization’s Board of Directors, including multiple terms as board chair. BBBS is a family affair for the Leinart family — John, his wife, daughter, and father (when he was 87 years old) have all served as “Bigs” within the program.
As interim CEO, Mr. Leinart’s primary role will be to support the professional staff in their efforts to provide high-impact services and support across the network. He will also ensure continued engagement of the board of directors in securing the resources needed to advance the organization’s important work in the community.
The organization has created a selection team to lead the search for its next president and CEO. The team will be supported by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America field support department and will collect feedback from organizational stakeholders to assist in the selection process. Go here for more information on the position.
Mr. Justin has led the organization in engaging more than 6,000 youth through its mentoring programs. The local organization consistently achieved the highest performance levels within the 300+ Big Brothers Big Sisters of America affiliate network, ranking in the top 25% of affiliates for more than 18 years.
He will stay on the job full time until Wednesday, April 1, and will continue to work with the interim and staff as needed until a full-time president and CEO is selected.
“It’s really important to me that this organization thrive, so I will do what I can to help through this transition,” Mr. Justin said.
He added that the best part of the job has been seeing kids and young adults thrive, be happy and have their dreams come true.
“I’ve been blessed to meet some incredible people, families, and young adults in my time with this organization. Some unbelievable stories of perseverance, resiliency, and compassion. I’m honored and blessed to have had this opportunity and hopefully I have made a small contribution to creating and supporting some special relationships that will continue for many many years to come,” he said.
Mr. Justin’s future plans include getting healthier and visiting with friends and family members.
“I don’t really have any specific plans other than to get healthier – mentally and physically, visit my kids and reconnect with old friends, fish, volunteer, cook/bake, and do as many DIY projects as I can handle,” he said.
