BGCA | Positive Place

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	Joe Lamond East Aurora, N.Y. Growing up in the Boys & Girls Club of East Aurora, N.Y., young Joe Lamond always had music in mind – and he made it his career. In 2001, Joe became president & CEO of NAMM, the international music products association, a nonprofit representing the interests of more than 9,000 retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors of musical products worldwide. NAMM’s mission is to unify and strengthen the music products industry and increase the number of active music makers. Bringing music to others has always been dear to Joe’s heart. He’s sponsored a number of innovative programs for young people, including MusicMakers, the first-ever national curriculum for after-school music education, created by NAMM and BGCA. Other NAMM initiatives Joe supports include Sesame Street Music Works, focused on music making for preschoolers; and the Einstein Advocacy Kit, bringing groundbreaking music/brain research to communities working to save local music programs.
	Semeka Randall Cleveland, Ohio Once she discovered basketball, Semeka Randall was in danger – at least in her mother’s eyes. Because young Semeka wanted to shoot hoops, she began hanging around in neighborhood backyards with boys on the basketball court. Semeka’s mother stepped in and sent her daughter straight to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland. Semeka began attending the Club around age 8, playing basketball and using computers in the Club’s learning center. In high school, Semeka was a star player, winning state and national honors. At the University of Tennessee, Semeka joined the legendary Lady Vols, becoming a top scorer and an All-American team pick twice (in 1999 and 2000). After college, Semeka spent four years in the WNBA and two seasons playing for international teams. In 2004, Semeka became assistant women’s basketball coach at Michigan State University.
	Lt. Gen. Michael D. Rochelle Providence, R. I. Lt. Gen. Rochelle is director of the U.S. Army’s Installation Management Agency, the largest field operating agency in this branch of the armed services. In that role, he is responsible for managing 179 Army installations worldwide, more than 75,000 military and civilian personnel and a multi billion-dollar annual budget. The Boys Club of Providence, R.I., changed his life, Rochelle recalls, “by creating an environment that helped me form my personal vision.” The Club kept him off the streets and provided the young man with strong male role models. “When I look back, what I really see is that [the Club] truly saved me at a critical time,” he says. When Lt. Gen. Rochelle is not on duty, he is a sought-after speaker and mentor to young people.
	Verdine White Chicago, Ill. During the 1960s, the thriving West Side of Chicago included a Boys Club. When Verdine White was a small boy, he and his brothers were sent to the Club to keep them busy after school. Young Verdine was into everything, including basketball, arts and crafts and the Club’s popular talent shows. By adolescence, Verdine had discovered music. In 1970, the young man joined his brother, professional musician Maurice White, in California to be part of a band called Earth, Wind & Fire…and the rest is musical history. Earth, Wind & Fire was one of the most influential and innovative pop/R&B groups of the 1970s. The sounds of Verdine White’s bass guitar complement the group’s many hit songs, including “Shining Star,” “Sing A Song” and “That’s The Way of the World.” The group has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide.
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