Mike Desmond

Always seeking to make a difference in the lives of young people, retired educator Mike Desmond has been the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse, a member of the La Crosse Mental Health Coalition and the Criminal Justice Management Council, and chair of the Rotary Club’s Mobile Meals program. He and his wife Karen also serve as foster parents for students experiencing homelessness. Under his leadership, the Boys & Girls Club built community partnerships to greatly expand their programming, including a mental health program that is now a national model, and offer healthy food options for the organization’s 600 members. His work with the Mental Health Coalition resulted in crucial crisis intervention training for area police. He is proud of his Catholic education, having attended Blessed Sacrament School and Aquinas High School where he was taught by members of the FSPA. Desmond was an educator and coach at Aquinas High School for 25 years.