Our Someone 2 Know this week heads an organization near and dear to many in northern Nevada. The Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows opened its doors in 1976 and has welcomed youth through those doors ever since - even through the pandemic shutdown.
Mike Wurm, the current CEO and Executive Director, has been with The Club for 26 years. He says while he didn't know it then, every experience in his past led him precisely to this career.
We met up with Mike at the Boys & Girls Club’s main location on East Ninth Street in Reno.
He's helpful, encouraging -and enthusiastic.
But one of the first things you'll notice about Mike Wurm is - he's tall.
Six foot eight, to be exact.
“I played basketball and got a degree at Washington State University.”
By 1986 Wurm was coaching at UNR, as assistant to Len Stevens. "For about six years, between Sonny Allen and Pat Foster,” a broad smile stretches across Mike’s face, “And I fell in love with the area."
After a few more coaching stints Wurm and his family made Reno their permanent home and Mike took a position with The Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows.
“That was 26 years ago and I never left."
The Club is all the better for it. First as the director of operations, then for the last 15 years as executive director, Mike Wurm has helped shape and grow the club.
“In 1995 we were a single site club - this club was about 30,000 square feet. We had one site, probably had 20 staff, I mean it was a small organization.”
Today, The Club runs a total of 36 sites in four counties throughout northern Nevada, serving nearly 14,000 local kids every year. The main location on East Ninth Street, now called The Donald W. Reynolds Youth & Teen Facility, is more than 80,000 square feet.
Always a coach at heart, Mike also oversees crucial youth development programs. “Things like governance and leadership, so we have strong Keystone and Torch clubs, which are our leadership clubs - and kids get very involved. We're also strong in workforce development.”
And when the pandemic hit - and frontline workers needed child and youth care in order to care for others, Wurm and his staff hustled to find solutions.
"We had a good plan in place and the Monday after we opened up and we've been open ever since.”
While Mike's zeal and devotion to The Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows has been recognized multiple times, he's quick to give credit to the dedicated board members and generous donors.
“We’re really pretty blessed to be here, in this community.”
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The Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows offers everything from a dedicated charter school and sports leagues to after school and meal programs - as well as dozens of other services - including in Ely and Winnemucca.
Mike Wurm hopes to oversee more expansions in the near future.
Click below for link to The Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows web page -
