photo by: Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence

Laci Maltbie

Less than six months after beginning the search for a new leader, the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence has announced its new CEO.

On Tuesday, the club announced that its board of directors has unanimously selected Laci Maltbie for the position, effective March 4. Maltbie most recently served as Director of Development for the KU Endowment Association, namely collaborating with faculty and donors at the KU Medical Center’s School of Medicine, School of Nursing and School of Health Professions to develop strategic partnerships and secure funding.

“I am thrilled to be joining such an amazing team and community,” Maltbie said in the release. “I look forward to building relationships and collaborating with the staff, board of directors, donors and community stakeholders who have played a role in making the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence the amazing community resource that it is. Together, we can continue to help impact the positive outcomes for youth who need it most.”

Maltbie has spent 25 years working in the nonprofit sector, including as the CEO of Sherwood Autism Center in Kansas City, Missouri, where she helped the organization successfully execute a multimillion-dollar capital campaign before she joined the KU Endowment Association.

According to the release, Maltbie’s role with the club will center on guiding the organization’s strategic direction, overseeing operational activities, managing financial resources, developing innovative programming, enhancing brand reputation, recruiting employees, fostering stakeholder relationships and serving as the club’s primary ambassador and communicator.

With Maltbie’s appointment, the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence has permanently filled the role vacated by former CEO Monica Dittmer in September 2023. Dittmer left the club to take a position with the Eudora Schools Foundation. Since then, the former chief operating officer of the Lawrence school district, Frank Harwood, has served in the role in an interim capacity.

“The board of directors and staff of BGCLK extend their warmest welcome to Maltbie and eagerly anticipate the positive impact she will bring to the organization and the Lawrence community,” the release reads.