Lisabeth & Joseph Marziello
President-Chief Executive Officers
With experience as a robust U.S. based President-CEO team, Lisabeth and Joe Marziello are renown for successfully creating high-performing organizations by building organizational, financial and board capacity and infrastructure. Before taking leadership of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, they managed multi-faceted operations in Oregon, Wisconsin, and New York. Their leadership transformed all of these Clubs into outstanding youth guidance and development organizations with quality staff, facilities, and programs supported by financial stability and clearly defined standards. Since coming to Philadelphia in August of 2012, the Marziellos have raised over $100 million in revenue to support programming, operations and capital investment. Their leadership has resulted in improved financial stability and security, new innovative programming, growth of membership and services, and substantial improvements to Club facilities.
After taking leadership of BGCP, the Marziellos eliminated the organization’s $2 million operating deficit. For the last five years, BGCP has realized an average operating surplus of over $800,000 annually, with a 400% increase in donor support from FY13 to FY20. Even as they increased revenue, the Marziellos have reduced BGCP’s reliance on program fees by increasing funds from individual donor and community support, as well as private and public grants. A key to this success was building brand awareness through the introduction of the Philly Showcase of Wine, Cheese and Beer, which raised over $2.9 million dollars in its 9th year, a 2000% increase when compared with the organizations 2012 Spring Gala. While increasing revenue, the Marziellos have worked diligently to reduce debt and control spending. From FY13 to FY20, they tripled the size of the organizations endowment and eliminated 100% of long-term debt, helping set a path for long-term fiscal stability.
In addition to strengthening the financial stability of the organization, the Marziellos have grown BGCP’s programs and services. In 2013, they initiated the Call-to-Action Literacy Initiative, which now reaches over 1,300 youth at 12 Clubs throughout the city. In 2014, they introduced STEM learning Labs, to provide youth with 21st century skills, and in 2017, they opened the organizations first Kids Café to ensure that all kids have access to healthy, home-cooked meals. Today the Kid Café operates at four(4) locations; Germantown, NE Frankford, Wissahickon, and Wayne Boys & Girls Clubs. The Marziellos also retained funding and support from 21st Century and AmeriCorps to strengthen the organizations literacy and STEM footprint. As program quality improved, membership grew, with a 60% increase from FY2013 to FY2019.
In 2015, the Marziellos launched a Bold Change for Kids campaign to raise the funds needed to transform aging, dilapidated, Boys & Girls Club facilities into state-of-the-art Clubs for youth. Over the last four years, they have secured over $20 million in capital funds. In the fall of 2019, they broke ground on the Germantown Club, which has since been named after the Founder of Comcast Corp., Ralph J. Roberts.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Marziellos strength in crisis management exceeded all expectations. Their team became essential workers with the development of the D.E.F.Y (Digital Education for Youth) virtual platform, they served over 350,000 meals at 15 locations to low income families over a 14 month time span, they retained over 220 employee positions, provided in-person programming at 15 locations, raised over $15M in donor support, and strategically continued their Philly Showcase of Wine, Cheese & Beer “Coach’s Private Reserve Dinner”, under an illuminated tent, along the Delaware River, in addition to their annual Michael Chapman Memorial Golf Outing, raising close to $3M with these special events.
Lisabeth & Joseph Marziello received their Bachelor of Arts degrees from Whittier College in Whittier, CA. Before joining the Boys & Girls Club movement, Lisabeth worked in marketing/advertising for several Los Angeles companies including Backer Spielvogel Bates; Foote, Cone & Belding; and Eisaman, Johns & Laws. Joseph joined the Pittsfield Boys Club at the age of seven; as an adult he started his career at the Boys Clubs of Fullerton, CA before taking the nation by storm with Lisabeth.