Boys & Girls Clubs Of America Names Two Leaders To Its Board Of Governors

ATLANTA, Feb. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) has appointed Barry Griswell, retired CEO, chairman and president, Principal Financial Group and Brian Niccol, chairman of the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens™ and president of Taco Bell Corp., to the organization's prestigious Board of Governors.

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The strategic leadership provided by the 55-member board guides the work of more than 4,000 local Boys & Girls Clubs, serving nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. 

"Barry and Brian are great additions to the remarkable leaders on our board," said Jim Clark, president and CEO of BGCA.  "They have always championed the cause of providing hope and opportunity for America's youth who need us most. We are excited to learn from these two outstanding executives."

Griswell and Niccol join a board including many other prominent leaders from the business, civic, academic and entertainment fields, including: Rick Goings, chairman/CEO, Tupperware Brands Corporation; Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State and Senior Fellow, Stanford University; Thomas J. Falk, chairman/CEO, Kimberly-Clark Corporation; Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, president, Charles Schwab Foundation; Emil J. Brolick, president/CEO, The Wendy's Company; and Denzel Washington, Academy Award-winning actor.

Griswell: A Passionate Advocate for Youth and Education
Griswell served as chairman, president and chief executive officer with the Principal Financial Group^® and has more than 35 years of experience in the financial services industry. At the end of his career, Griswell joined the Community Foundation. During his five-year tenure as president, he provided the company with strategic direction, shaping its role as a civic leader, grant maker, philanthropic partner and charitable giving vehicle.

Active in various industry and community organizations, Griswell served as a board member for the Principal Financial Group, and currently serves on the boards of directors of Herman Miller, Inc., Och-Ziff Capital Management Group, and ING, U.S.  Griswell is also a former member of the boards of trustees of United Way of America and Americans for the Arts. He served as chair of the Business Committee for the Arts, is a trustee of Berry College in Rome, Georgia, and trustee Emeritus for Central College in Pella, Iowa.

In 2009, Griswell was inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame for his longtime support of the organization. He is also a recipient of the 2003 Horatio Alger Association Distinguished American Award and a 2004 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

In spring 2008, Griswell and his wife Michele founded The Harvest Initiative, an endeavor to bring economic development to the people of Crow Creek County in South Dakota.

Griswell is an author, having published "The Adversity Paradox: An Unconventional Guide to Achieving Uncommon Business Success" through St. Martin's Press, which debuted on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list in April 2009.

Niccol: Philanthropic Focus on Teens Achieving Más
After nearly 20 years of partnership, Taco Bell Foundation for Teens and BGCA are standing shoulder to shoulder for teens through the launch of Graduate for Más. The platform will help Clubs serve more teens, more often, and provide support and resources to teens on their path to graduation with a plan for the future.

As President of Taco Bell Corp., Niccol is responsible for the brand's domestic business, which includes nearly 6,000 restaurants, 165,000 system-wide employees and more than 350 franchisees. Under his leadership, Taco Bell is transforming itself into a lifestyle brand with the Live Más repositioning and was named "Marketer of the Year" by AdAge in 2013. Brian was promoted to President in 2013 after repositioning the brand from food as fuel to food as experience in his role as Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer (CMIO). As CMIO, Brian introduced the breakthrough Doritos® Locos Tacos, and exciting new products including the game-changing Cantina Bell® menu. Recognizing that teens are Taco Bell's customers, employees, friends and families – as well as its future leaders, franchisees and more – Niccol is passionate about the brand's responsibility and opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of teens. He serves as the Chairman of the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens.

Prior to his position at Taco Bell, Niccol served as General Manager for Pizza Hut, Inc., where he was responsible for managing the brand and leading an organization of nearly 16,000 people in more than 6,000 restaurants. Before joining Pizza Hut in 2005, he spent 10 years in various brand management positions at Procter & Gamble.

Niccol holds an undergraduate degree from Miami University (OH) and a MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America:
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,000 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at http://www.bgca.org/facebook and http://bgca.org/twitter.

SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America