Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee names new president

Kathy Thornton-Bias will be the new president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee on March 1. 

The organization offers after-school and summer programming for more than 43,000 children throughout the city. There are 44 club locations in Milwaukee and surrounding communities.

Susan Ela, a former chair on the Boys & Girls Clubs board, had been serving as the interim CEO and president after Vincent Lyles stepped down in September of last year.

RELATED:Vincent Lyles, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, is stepping down

Lyles was president of the club for seven years, before he announced that he was stepping down to spend more time with his family.

During Lyles' tenure, an employee was caught embezzling money from the organization, but Ela said Lyles' resignation was unrelated to the embezzlement.

According to the organization's news release, Thornton-Bias has spent time as vice president for divisional merchandise at Saks Fifth Avenue, president of the Museum of Modern Art's retail division, the president of Bang & Olufsen's North American division and president of the Verlo Mattress franchise.

She has also served on several nonprofit boards, such as the Milwaukee Art Museum and Ron Brown Scholars Program.

The news release stated that Thornton-Bias plans to meet with Milwaukee residents to introduce herself to the community before her official start date.

The group's Board of Trustees announced its decision Wednesday morning.