Kelly Rollins
Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee - 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee
Kelly Rollins
The impact and legacy of Kelly G Rollins’ leadership and service is virtually unparalleled in Tennessee. He has proven to be a true ‘Champion of Youth’, a consistent and annual giver, and solicitor over his entire eight years of service on our Board of Directors. Kelly began as a true mentor as a volunteer youth coach and his passion and enthusiasm led him into eventual board leadership. Over the last eight years Kelly has led by example and inspired greatness of those who have served with him and has helped all those who are associated with him obtain a high level of performance. Kelly, as a volunteer, has served and succeeded in virtually every role for the Rutherford County organization and currently chairs the Personnel Committee and is our Immediate Past President. Kelly served as CVO for the organization in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.
Kelly was the “Rutherford County Board Member of the Year” for 2007 and the “Man and Youth” award winner in 2009 and 2010. He was the 2011 “Tennessee Board Member of the Year” and the “Rutherford County Eagle Award” winner for his vision and leadership. In 2011, Kelly was presented by his employer, UPS, the distinguished President Barack Obama’s National Volunteer Service Award for his commitment and service to his community. In 2013, Kelly received the prestigious National Medallion of Honor from Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Kelly was instrumental in securing a $2M capital gift from the Christy-Houston Foundation in 2009. This led to the successful building of our Smyrna Unit, now the most attended Club in Tennessee, serving over 1,200 youth. The special events he has chaired from 2008-2013 have yielded nearly $500K in gross receipts. Mr. Rollins has also secured grant resources from his employer (United Parcel Service) in the amount of $35,000. His total impact, including donations-in-kind, tickets, table sales, etc. exceeds $3.0 million! In 2011, Kelly was instrumental and led efforts in the start-up of our newest unit in his home town of Shelbyville/Bedford County. Kelly’s leadership included board development, site development, facility renovation and development of special events to make the club self-sustaining. The Bedford County Unit, now serves over 100 youth. The Bedford County Unit exists today because of the individual passion and commitment of Kelly Rollins for the youth in his hometown. In 2011, Kelly chaired the number one Area Council in the United States, helping Tennessee win the coveted BGCA E.L McKenzie award and served as the 2012 Area Council Chair as well. Kelly is serving a second term as a board member on the BGCIT CBO. With all of Kelly’s great accomplishments, his most defining hour was when the Murfreesboro Club was leveled by a tornado in March of 2009. Kelly was able to rally and lead our board and staff to the unconceivable. Within hours of a tornado on Saturday evening that left our Murfreesboro Unit with over $1.0 million in damages, Kelly held a meeting in his home and started leading the processes of making sure the club members had a place to attend on Monday in an alternative facility. That kind of setback would have put many organizations and their children out on the streets for weeks and/or even months. Not a single day of service was lost due to this tornado, mainly because of Kelly’s leadership and determination.
Kelly has been involved with many organizations but today primarily shares his time with the Boys & Girls Clubs and Middle Tennessee State University where he sits on the Board of Trustees. Kelly and his wife Cindy, reside in Murfreesboro with their two children, Kelli Lee (24) and G Broc (19).