Misti Potter, BGCAA, CEO among Vistage Leadership Award Finalists

April 2020, Austin, TX

Vistage, the world’s leading CEO peer-advisory organization, has named Chief Executive Officer Misti Potter, a Vistage 2020 Leadership Award finalist. The Vistage Member Excellence Awards recognize Vistage members who make impactful decisions and go above and beyond to support their groups, employees, families, and communities.

When asked about her leadership style Misti says; “Hire the right people and get out of their way”. However, those who work alongside Misti know that her leadership goes beyond hiring the right people; she motivates, challenges, and encourages her team and peers to be the solution for those who need it most. Her leadership was evident during the past two months as she led her team through a national pandemic. Far from shying away or shutting down, Misti and the BGCAA team responded quickly to the crisis by launching a thorough emergency response plan. In 72 hours, BGCAA set into motion the program, Club on the Go™, a weekly pickup program that to date has delivered over 18,000 bags, 156,00 meals and snacks and over 83,000 milk cartons to Club families. Misti and the Resource Development team planned and executed an assertive fundraising campaign allowing the organization to continue operations, avoid furlough of staff and provide a robust virtual Club programming to accommodate to the evolving needs of Club families. The emergency response campaign positioned the organization in a success mode rather than a survival mode, and proved that in times of emergency and uncertainty, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area remains a second home for Club Kids and families.

“Misti has the unique distinction of being nominated by three members of her group from out of 175 members in Austin.” Dick Sanger, Chief Chair at Vistage said.

Congratulations Misti for setting the bar high on leadership, service and determination!