For 2020, I am recognizing a person who has been involved with our Boys & Girls Club for over 10 years. Unfortunately, her first experience with our Club was not great. You see, we forgot about picking her up for our staff retreat event. It was her first day of employment. She sat waiting and waiting. Fortunately, she was gracious and forgiving... but still holds it against me! By the way, I was NOT the one to pick her up! 

But seriously, I have watched this person grow from being a part-time staff member to Director of School Sites, and to Director of Operations. She has been a HUGE part of our success and history! She is the heart of our Boys & Girls Club, the cheerleader, the motivator, the quality control, the Mom for our staff, and so much more. 

In 2020, she had to be incredibly adaptive during a global pandemic. Instead of being worried about having to be closed, and having to limit our numbers, and facemask, cohorts, vaccinations, etc, she instead focused on what we need to be focused on – how can we help children and families? She developed Grab n Go program kits for parents to pick up, virtual programs that kids could join from home so they could still interact with our staff, we provided homework help virtually, we opened our Clubs during no school days, we even served 50,000 grab n go meals in one months to families throughout Portage County. 

In 2021, this person certainly went Above and Beyond and quite frankly it’s created more work for me! In 2021, he volunteered to become Chairperson for our Boys & Girls Clubs of WI Area Council for Board Members. This is a 2-year commitment to lead Board Members from all Clubs in WI. This group defines Board business for the state Clubs, recognizes individuals, provides training opportunities for Boards, and votes on key business decisions. So now I am his Secretary for this new role. I take notes for him.  I schedule meetings for him.  Oh, he also volunteered our Club to host the WI BOYS & Girls Club conference which happens in two weeks! Thanks Sam for doing so much in 2021 and 2022 and 2023! (Turn to Next Page)

Of course, I am just kidding around. Sam Dinga has been involved with our Club for 17 years! In 2005 I hired him as staff member fresh out of college. He came to UWSP all the way from Cameroon in Africa. He was our first Teen Director. He was good at it and excelled! He quickly developed into one of our leaders. He then moved on to even bigger roles outside of the Club, earned his Master’s and then Doctorate, and now works for the School District. He never left the Club though, becoming a Board Member of 10+ years, our Board President, and now WI Area Council Chairperson and Area Council Liaison. 

Our honoree for 2022 has certainly gone Above & Beyond for our kids – and for many years. After years of annual, generous contributions, he attended our Wine & Cheese Event and picked one of the priciest items from our Wishing Tree. You see, at the event, we have a row of trees decorated with lights and little tags that are “wishes” of our Clubs. These items include markers, providing dinner for 20 kids, field trips, and playground balls. In 2016, we were ambitious by including a tag for a shuttle bus for field trips. 

Didn’t really know that someone would actually pull that tag down since the price tag was $50,000, but he did. He came up to me with the tag and said I want to do this and will pull a few others to help make it happen.  I think it was figured out in about 15 minutes and soon we were celebrating during the event! 

Each year now, we try to think of very expensive items to put on a tag! Why not go above and beyond for kids?!!  Always have to shoot high!

The 2023 Anne G. Schierl Above & Beyond Award honoree is someone who exemplifies leadership, dedication, and a deep passion for our community—Meg Erler. Since joining our organization in 2019, Meg has been an unwavering advocate for children and families. With firsthand experience of the Boys & Girls Club's impact—having two of her children work for Clubs while in college—Meg quickly became an integral part of our organization.

She joined our Board of Directors and soon after took on several key leadership roles, advancing swiftly to serve on our Executive Committee, the Resource Development & Marketing Committee, and as 2nd Vice President. Today, Meg serves as our Board President, and her impact is felt daily across our organization.

Meg’s commitment goes beyond her titles. One year, during a donor thank-you campaign, when she single-handedly took on an extensive list of calls, completing them all on her own time. Her generous spirit and keen sense of responsibility shine through every effort she makes, and her support throughout the recent leadership transition has been invaluable.

From comforting the team with treats to offering personal guidance, Meg has been more than a Board member—she’s been a mentor, confidant, and an advocate who brings us together. Her contributions to our Marshfield BGC development and our strategic plans reflect her vision and dedication. We are so grateful for her compassionate leadership and commitment to our mission. Meg truly embodies what it means to go Above & Beyond, and we’re honored to celebrate her and her remarkable impact.