Boys & Girls Club Blog

Each year the Club welcomes new board members and recognizes board members and staff who have achieved milestone anniversaries as well as acknowledges the service of board members who are stepping down from their role.

In 2019, Patty Shea, of Shea Electric was welcomed onto the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh’s Board of Directors at the Club’s board meeting in August. The following board members are being recognized for special milestones in their years of service achieved in 2020: Mary Johnson for five years, Heather Holly-Pinnow and Ron Jankowski for 10 years, Sue Ackerman for 15 years, Bill Radford for an amazing 35 years and Ron Lampe for an unprecedented 50 years. The Club also thanked the following board members for their service and extended them a heartfelt goodbye at the board meeting in December 2019: John Krause, Audra Mead and Pat Weston.

The following staff members are being recognized for special milestones in their years of service achieved in 2020: Katie Talken for 5 years and Jamie Wilcox for an astounding 40 years.

Each year, the Club also recognizes an outstanding staff member, board member, volunteer/Club supporter and local business all of whom go above and beyond in their support of the Club’s mission. We extend each of our 2019 distinguished award winners heartfelt congratulations and our sincerest thanks for all you do!

 Art Dumke will be awarded the J.R. Vette Friend of Youth Award which is named in memory of lifetime board member J.R. Vette and goes to a board member who has put forth outstanding efforts to further the mission of the Club.

Art joined the board of directors in 2002 and Art has impacted the Club in many ways through the years. He is always willing to roll up his sleeves, do whatever it takes to get the job done and still have fun along the way.

More recently, Art served as an adviser and was greatly involved in the renovation of the Club’s Camp Radford in New London in 2016. He helped install the new roof on the main cabin and redecorate the interior of both the main cabin and arts and crafts building.

For the past few years, Art, along with his employees from Badger Sportsman magazine, have taken Club members fishing every summer out on Lake Winnebago and taught them how to catch fish, filet fish and also provided lunch for members as well.

Art has sponsored and participated in many of the Club’s fundraisers through the years from our Golf Outing to WineFeast. Currently, Art’s ski lodge in Michigan, Big Snow Resort, is the title sponsor of the Club’s Youth of the Year dinner two years running.

Art also covers the cost for a group of teens to go skiing and spend the weekend at his ski lodge every winter and often participates in the skiing and sledding activities with the kids himself.

Bill Miller will be presented with the Award of Merit which goes to a volunteer or contributor who has made an extraordinary contribution of time and/or resources.

Bill grew up as a Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh Club member himself, participating in boxing to spend his time in a constructive way. Later in life, once he became a successful, local business owner, Bill served on the Club’s board of directors. He also served in the past on the Club’s golf outing committee. Bill’s concern for Oshkosh youth has kept him as a consistent donor and friend to the Club for over 15 years. His business, Northern Telephone & Data (NTD), has been giving to the Club for 25 years. Both Bill and NTD have supported different Club fundraisers through the years including the Club’s Golf Outing and WineFeast. Bill’s passion for the Club is infectious and he is always looking out for our kids and our mission by not only being the first to raise his hand to help but also sharing our stories and our needs with others in the community.

According to Bill, “This award means everything to me and I could not appreciate anything more. I believe it is always good to give back.” We are thankful for Bill Miller’s never ending commitment to our Club kids and going above and beyond to make their lives better.

MARCO Promos is being presented with the Kids & Community Award that goes to an area business which has demonstrated community leadership in supporting the mission of the Club.

MARCO Promos has been a generous supporter of the Club for a number of years. They have sponsored the Club’s golf outing and WineFeast events as well as provided the Club with promotional items on many occasions including gifts for Club members at our annual Youth of the Year Dinner, gifts for Club staff who attend TLC training days and gifts for attendees of the Club’s Radford Center Christmas Party. When the Club calls with a need, MARCO is always willing to work with the Club and find a solution.

Owner/CEO Dick Nelson shared that, “We are honored to have been chosen as the recipient of this year’s ‘Kids and Community Award.’ We are grateful for the great work the Club does day in and day out for the youth of our community. We are proud to have supported their fine efforts for many years and look forward to continuing to do so for many years to come.”

Danielle Bittelman is being presented with the Professional Service Award which goes to a staff member who rendered unusually devoted service.

Danielle joined the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh staff in the spring of 2012 as the Education Director. In Spring of 2017, Danielle was promoted to the position of Program Director. In this role, she oversees the Radford Center games room, art rooms, Camp Radford, summer field trips, Club member discipline/ behavior expectations program, transportation programs, parent orientations, family support services, volunteers and certain youth development programs and events such as Torch Club, family nights and the holiday season Adopt a Family program.

Danielle has stepped up on many occasions outside of her normal scope of duties such as helping with special events, driving the bus, plowing our parking lots, cutting trees down at camp due to storm damage, going on overnight trips to take kids skiing and rafting. Danielle’s love for kids and for nature shines through in everything she does at the Club. She has a big heart for the kids, parents, staff and our mission.

Under her watch, Adopt a Family grew from 130 kids in 2013, to an astounding 170+ in recent years. Danielle has a can-do attitude whether working solo or with other team members she and tackles all the challenges her position presents with a calm, thoughtful manner that takes everyone involved into careful consideration. Her smile, her comradery and humor make her a favorite staff member to Club members, parents and co-workers alike.

The J.R. Vette Friend of Youth and Professional Service Awards will be presented at the Club’s Youth of the Year Dinner in February. The Award of Merit and Kids & Community Award will be presented at the Club’s March board meeting.