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August 2, 2022

Three local Boys & Girls Clubs merge to grow youth services

PHOTO | LIESE KLEIN Boys & Girls Clubs participants and officials gather at the announcement of the merger of three clubs to form a new organization in New Haven, on Aug. 2, 2022. CEO Lisa Caruso is at right.
By Liese Klein

Three local Boys & Girls Club organizations announced Tuesday they would join forces to add programs and staff to meet the growing needs of New Haven-area young people. 

The merger unites New Haven’s Boys and Girls Club with the Ulbrich Boys and Girls Clubs of Wallingford and North Haven. 

The combined organization – known as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven – will have a $2 million annual budget, about 10 full-time staff and dozens of part-time workers, newly appointed CEO Lisa M. Caruso said.  

“I’m super excited to have this role because I really see great potential in being able to expand what the clubs can do to be able to serve more youth,” said Caruso, a former executive at Bristol Myers Squibb and KPMG. “I’m really passionate about the mission of Boys and Girls Clubs, because our children truly are our future.”

PHOTO | LIESE KLEIN
Board VP Tammie Ulbrich speaks at the announcement of the merger of three Boys & Girls Clubs in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven on Aug. 2, 2022.

Caruso said her first priority is expanding the organization’s fundraising and adding new staff and programs to meet the needs of children. 

“I’ve only been five days on this – I need to really stop and listen to everybody and what they have to say and figure out what our mission and our vision is going forward, and then what do we need staff-wise to make that happen,” Caruso said. 

Tammie Ulbrich, who will become the board vice president for the new organization, said the merger will allow for expansion of services. From three sites, the combined Boys & Girls Club has grown to 11 sites and is expected to grow to almost 20 by the end of the year, she said. 

“By banding together, it's our goal to really expand our services and our outreach and serve more youth,” Ulbrich said. The merger took 18 months to plan, she said. 

Ulbrich’s family business, Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals Inc. of North Haven, is a major benefactor of the Boys & Girls Club and donated $105,000 to the Wallingford organization in fiscal year 2020.

CEO Chris Ulbrich was one of four manufacturing leaders to launch the South-Central Manufacturing Industry Partnership, which was launched in March with the goal of growing and supporting industry in the region.

Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.

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