Lisabeth Marziello, for more than twenty years, has held executive leadership positions in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) movement. A graduate of Whittier College, the Distinguished Level Academy of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and advanced training at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, Lisabeth has applied her talents in financial management and human resources with a passion for supporting youth.

Lisabeth and her husband, Joseph Marziello, have received national recognition as a successful CEO team. Described as a “Governance Partnership that Works” by the National Center for Nonprofit Boards, Lisabeth and Joseph continuously strive to improve the lives of children who attend BGCA activities. Lisabeth has earned many accolades, among them BGCA’s 2011 Regional and National Executive of the Year and the Portland Business Journal’s “Most Admired CEOs” for the state of Oregon. Lisabeth and Joseph have also been highlighted in the July 2011 national edition of BoardSource’s magazine. Most recently, Lisabeth serves with her husband as co-CEO for Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, working to transform this 126-year-old organization.

My husband Joseph and I have worked together as CEOs for Boys & Girls Clubs across the United States for twenty-three years. In its 2012 Philanthropy 400 report, The Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked BGCA eighteenth among all nonprofit organizations. Additionally, BGCA was ranked number one among youth organizations for the twentieth consecutive year.

It is a unique working relationship, and one that has been great for us both. I’ve known of women who have worked with their spouse or significant other, and their mind-set was that the man was “the boss.” In our case, we have equal shares of responsibilities. We are equal in salary and in everything that we do. I feel that he complements my strengths and vice versa. (Seeing my parents work together and respect each other served as great training for me in this respect. They were both presidents/CEOs of companies in California where I grew up. My mom was the president/CEO of a company called Ridgewood Development and my dad was the president/CEO of Rampart General, both successful construction companies. As an entrepreneur, my dad later owned two teams in the United States Football League [USFL], and my mom was very actively involved as well.)

I have not always worked in the nonprofit sector, however. I began my career in the corporate world, working in the advertising industry for three top advertising firms. Although I worked with a few other women, it was very much a predominately male-oriented environment. For example, another woman colleague and I were a media planning team to create new ideas for the company, and we were given actual clients to help build their brand. For part of our plan, I designed a concept that received great recognition from the upper echelon of the company. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the full credit for the project. Instead, it was given to the male account executive who worked with the actual clients at the time. But I don’t feel bad about the situation; I view it as a great learning experience.

Today, I have been working in the Boys & Girls Club movement for more than twenty-three years, and I like to think of myself as a role model for other women in the nonprofit area. My chief focus, transforming organizations through fund-raising, board development, marketing brand awareness, and program development, is a hard job. It’s important, in asking for financial support, that one stay true to the organization and ensure that donors know why they should invest in the Boys & Girls Clubs—and the return on their investment. People are taking a risk when they donate; it’s important that they know that you are a trustworthy steward of their financial support and will report on the outcome of their donation. Those who donate to nonprofits are donating to help improve the lives of others; therefore, they are not getting anything tangible in return, but they do receive the knowledge that their investment is going to make a difference in the world. For most donors, it is about investing in people’s lives.

The same is often true in business, where you invest both funds and time. When we review resumes, we look for candidates who want to do more with their lives, not the ones who are just taking the easy road. Work ethic is very important. We look for candidates who are motivated, smart, teachable, and really want to learn, even if they don’t have direct experience in the position we’re offering. They often become some of the best Boys & Girls Club associates in our organization. And when they leave for pivotal roles at other Boys & Girls Clubs, it’s great to know that we are helping them to build a base of great knowledge and skills that prepares them for success. It’s wonderful, too, to see those same women share opportunities with other women who may not have received those opportunities otherwise.

My advice for women is the following:

       •   Be confident and know that you’re smart.

       •   Stand tall and walk tall.

       •   Be knowledgeable about your business.

       •   Be passionate. Take a job that you are passionate about and that people can see that passion in your work every day.

       •   Make your voice heard.

       •   Read as much as you can and be an active participant in what’s going on around you.

       •   Don’t worry about what anybody is thinking; share your ideas. Be bold!

I really believe that if you work hard and put your mind to it, you can be anything you want to be! When you walk into the room and know that you will make a change for the better, you can move forward, beyond the butterflies you may feel in your stomach. Be brave!