Kathy Thornton-Bias is the president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM). She is the 15th leader of the organization and the second female to lead the Clubs since its founding in 1887 by Annabell Cook Whitcomb, the first executive director. BGCGM has more than 750 employees and over 2,000 volunteers. Thornton-Bias leads the largest youth-serving organization in Milwaukee and one of the largest Boys & Girls Clubs in the nation serving over 40,000 kids in 2017.
After graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in Rhetoric and Communications, she joined Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, where she would eventually become the first African American to hold the title Vice President for Divisional Merchandise. She then served as the President of the Retail Division for New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where she doubled revenues and tripled profits. After 11 years at MoMA, Thornton-Bias became Bang & Olufsen’s President of North America, launching a new revenue stream which would ultimately produce 30 percent of the overall sales for the company. She later moved to Milwaukee to become the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Verlo Mattress franchise.
Thornton-Bias has served on numerous non-profit boards including a current board member of the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Ron Brown Scholars Program, and the University of Virginia, where she serves as a trustee. She is also a member of the Junior League and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She has received widespread recognition from a number of esteemed publications including Ebony Magazine, which placed her on their “Power 100” list, and Essence Magazine, which named her to their list of “Game Changers.”
In addition to her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, Thornton-Bias also earned a master’s in business administration from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University.
Kathy is married and has three grown children.
It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Cal LaRoche, a brilliant and dedicated advisor and champion of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, who left us on Wednesday, April 9th, 2025.
Born in New York in January 1946, Cal graduated from Central State University in Ohio, where he joined the Eta Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. His career spanned decades of leadership and innovation, beginning at the National Security Agency and continuing through key roles at IBM, SkyTel Communications, and The Orkand Corporation.
A visionary entrepreneur, Cal later co-founded DC Ventures and Associates.
His commitment to service was unwavering. Cal chaired the Boards of Trustees at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda and Norwood School and served with distinction for 15 years on the Advisory Board of the Ron Brown Scholar Program. His leadership extended to the Beta Mu, Boulé Foundation Board, where he served as Chair, and to Patients For Affordable Drugs, where he was a founding board member and Treasurer.
An avid golfer and advocate for equity in the sport, Cal co-founded the Pro-Duffer/Carter Foundation Scholarship to promote diversity in golf. A long-time member of TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, he was as passionate about creating opportunity as he was about the game itself.
Cal’s legacy is carried on by his beloved family: his mother, Lucille “Gloria” David; his wife, Esperanza, and their sons, CJ and Ethan; his former wife, Cheryl LaRoche; their daughters, Gina LaRoche, Renee LaRoche-Morris, and Danielle LaRoche; six grandchildren; and his siblings. His wisdom, warmth, and unwavering belief in the potential of young people will remain an enduring part of the Ron Brown Scholar community.
We are forever grateful for Cal’s enduring support, leadership, and love. He leaves behind a legacy of excellence, generosity, and deep humanity. He will be deeply missed.
