Our Team

Our team of staff and volunteers impact the lives of youth and teens in Hartford. We are dedicated to providing a positive environment and a pathway to opportunities and life-changing programs.

Samuel S. Gray, Jr.
President & CEO

Samuel S. Gray, Jr. is the President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford (BGCH). Promoted to this position in October of 2007, Gray is responsible for providing leadership for all aspects of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, which annually provides youth in Hartford with quality after-school and non-school hours programming. He recently led his Board and key stakeholders in raising more than $20M to build a new Boys & Girls Club in Hartford’s South End community. The Clubhouse opened in the Fall of 2021.

Gray began his career with the Boys & Girls Clubs movement in 1991, serving as Program Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Richmond, VA. In his 31 years as a Boys & Girls Club Professional, Gray has worked in numerous program and management capacities in Richmond, Virginia, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Gray received his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Albertus Magnus College.  He also received his Master of Science in Management and Organizational Leadership from Albertus Magnus College.  He is a past Woodruff Fellow through Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Gray has also received Executive Leadership certificates from Clemson University and Harvard University.  He received a certificate from the University of Georgia’s Sherpa Executive Coaching Certificate program.

Gray is a Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated member and is currently the Hartford Alumni Chapter Polemarch.  He entered in the fall of 2017 with the Hartford Alumni Chapter as the only initiate.  He truly lives a life equal to the fundamental purpose of the Fraternity, which is an achievement.

Gray has been associated with Boys & Girls Clubs since the age of eight.  He believes that his journey from a Club member to a youth development ambassador is a gift.  He challenges youth to dream and exposes them to things they may not otherwise be exposed, to become productive, responsible, caring citizens in our community. What he cherished the most is his responsibility as a father. He can be best described as a caring and supportive father to his three sons, Marcus, Myles, and Mason.   He balances his work life to ensure that he is an example and visible in his son’s life. Gray wants the best for his sons and challenges them to be better than he is.

Administrative Team

Lisa Pierce
Executive Assistant to the President & CEO

Veronica Collins
Vice President of Human Resources

Victoria Copes
Director of Finance

Humza Uddin
Accountant

Club Operations and Programming

Conor J. Bevan
Vice President of Operations

Joseph W. Bumpers III
Director of Youth Services

Chantel Gray
Director of Youth Services – School Sites & Specialized Initiatives

Development

Matt Broderick
Director of Donor Impact

Jessica Dolan
Director of Corporate Engagement

Mary E. Kiernan-Gonzalez
Director of Grants & Continuous Improvement

Crystal Gist
Donor Database Administrator

Karen Connal
Marketing & Communications Manager

Board of Officers

Executive Chair, Kathleen Bromage
Vice Chairman, An-Ping Hsieh
Executive  Treasurer, Lori Budnick
Executive Secretary, Gregory C. Davis, Esq.

Board of Trustees

Francis Archambault – Community Partner
Dr. Karlos Boghosian, D.C – So Vita Chiropractic Center
Matthew Carbray – Ridgeline Financial Partners, LLC
Michael Cicchetti – Frontier Communications
Sonserae Cicero – S.H.E.B.A. Consulting, LLC
Landon D. Chase – Chase Enterprises
Daniel K. Clark – Clark Agency, LLC
Mary Coursey – Coursey & Company, Inc.
Patrick Curry – The LEGO Group
Andrew A. DePeau – Robinson & Cole LLP
Scott Esposito – Ernst & Young, LLP
Grace Figueredo – Community Partner
Joel Freedman – Community Partner
Amy Gallent – Catalina U.S. Insurance Services, LLC
Willis H. Gee, Jr. – Chubb Limited
Jonathan Gengras* – Gengras Motor Cars, Inc.
Kevin T. Henry, Esq. – PKV, LLC
Ray Hernandez – OTIS
Anne Hildreth – Bank of America Private Bank
Brent Hoffman – AXA XL
An-Ping Hsieh – Community Partner
Marja M. Hurley, M.D. – UCONN Health
Tauheedah Jackson- Coalition for Community School
Jacqueline P. John, M.S. – UnitedHealthcare
Alan J. Kreczko* – Community Partner
Shannon Lapierre – Stanley Black & Decker
Dayna Latino – UnitedHealthcare
Duncan R. MacKay/NUS – Eversource Energy
Bruce Mandell – Data-Mail
Donny Marshall – College Basketball Analyst
Chris McDavid – Raytheon Intelligence & Space
Cherita I. McIntye, PhD – ESPN
Eboni S. Nelson – University of Connecticut School of Law
Eric Nordquist – Travelers
Sydney E. Parkmond – Henkel Corporation
Bimal Patel- Hartford HealthCare
Pat Phalon – Community Partner
Brian Runkle – Webster Bank
Wendy E. Sherry –  Cigna Connecticut and Payer Solutions
Shara Slattery – PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Jay Sloves – Elkinson & Sloves, Inc.
Joseph B. Smith, CPCU, ARM – Smith Brothers Insurance & Smith Brothers Financial, LLC
Nicole C. Starks – Voya Financial

Life Trustees

Philip Bonee
Lisa Boyle
Richard P. Brainerd*
William J. Cochran*
Alex W. Creedon, Jr.*
John A. Donaghue
Winthrop P. Eldredge*
Jay G. Fromer*
Robert B. Goode, Jr.*
Eugene T. Green*
Jan-Gee W. McCollam*
I. Bradley Hoffman*
G. Robert O’Brien*
Oliver L. Patrell*
John P. Preysner, Jr., Esq.*
John Rafferty, Sr.*
John H. Riege, Esq
John S. Stout

*Past President