Appointed executive director in 2014, Tauzzari Robinson has held various key roles with Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint since 2009. Having been a Club member as a kid in Ohio, he credits that experience as having a significant impact on his life.
Robinson earned a Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management at the University of Michigan-Flint and a B.A. in Psychology at the University of Toledo. He has received multiple awards for his exemplary community leadership, including the 2019 Herman Prescott Award – The Professional Association, BGCA. Most recently, he was honored with the 2021 Young Professional Leader Award by the Flint & Genesee Group.
Having been extremely busy helping the Greater Flint Club navigate through the pandemic and creating new ways to keep members engaged and provided for, Robinson graciously took a few moments to help My City readers get to know him better.
“I hope to not only continue serving youth and their families here in Flint and Genesee County, but also grow to serve more young people in unique ways.”
1. What was your very first job?
At 13, I was given the opportunity to work in the coat room at my local Boys & Girls Club in Ohio for $2 an hour. I pretty much sat in a room a little larger than a closet and made sure every kid’s coat and book bag was checked in. After that, more and more opportunities followed.
2. What advice would you have given your 17-year-old self?
Be open to new experiences. The people you will meet are going to shape you and mold who you’ll eventually become. I would also tell him that the next 22 years will go by really fast, so embrace the time that you have with your friends and family.
3. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Without a doubt, I could live the rest of my life on pizza. It is my absolute favorite food and I could eat it every day because it is so versatile. I was recently given a Gozney pizza oven and am trying to master the perfect pizza dough, so if anyone has tips …
4. What is one of your pet peeves?
I do not have much tolerance for bullies. I also hate tardiness.
5. What do you do to keep fit?
I try my absolute best to eat right. I also ride a peloton and just started dipping my toe into yoga over the last few months. Even though I have never liked running, I’m going to try to run one or two times a week when the weather gets better.
6. If a toy company made an action figure of you, what two accessories would it come with?
Great question! They would definitely be my iPhone and AirPods.
7. What is one work-related thing you hope to accomplish this year?
I hope to not only continue serving youth and their families here in Flint and Genesee County, but also grow to serve more young people in unique ways. I am really proud of the new workforce development, mental health and wellness programs that we were able to add during the last two years of the pandemic. I know that there are so many families and kids who are not able to reach us at our two locations who could benefit from an organization like the Boys & Girls Clubs. The best way to reach them is to meet them where they are, and that means more Clubs in more communities partnering with schools, churches, business owners, etc. Every $1 invested in Boys & Girls Clubs returns over $10 in future earnings and cost-savings to the community. Just imagine what we could do if we can continue to grow?
Photo by Flint & Genesee Group
