Sep 17, 2021
Kathy Thornton-Bias
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
Kathy Thornton-Bias is the 15th president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM) and the second female to lead the Clubs since its founding in 1887 by Annabell Cook Whitcomb.

Kathy’s career began at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, where she would eventually become the first African American to hold the title Vice President for Divisional Merchandise. She then served as the President of the Retail Division for New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where she doubled revenues and tripled profits. After 11 years at MoMA, Kathy became Bang & Olufsen’s President of North America, launching a new revenue stream which would ultimately produce 30 percent of the overall sales for the company. She later moved to Milwaukee to become the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Verlo Mattress franchise.

Kathy serves a board member for Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s The Professional Association (TPA). Additionally, Kathy has served on numerous non-profit boards including as a current board member of the Milwaukee Art Museum and the JP Cullen Advisory Council. She is a member of the Affordable Housing Institute’s Milwaukee Advisory Team, the Greater Milwaukee Committee, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce and TEMPO Milwaukee. She is also a member of the Private Directors Association WI Chapter and The Links, Inc. Milwaukee Chapter.

Kathy has received widespread recognition from several esteemed publications including Ebony Magazine, which placed her on their “Power 100” list, and Essence Magazine, which named her to their list of “Game Changers.”

Kathy has a degree in communications from the University of Virginia and an MBA from New York University.

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