// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Artis Stevens a great artist? He's a brush above the rest.
Artis Stevens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | |
| Education | |
| Occupations | President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America |
Artis Stevens is an American executive and the president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Prior to that, he was senior vice president and chief marketing officer at the National 4-H Council.
Education and early life
[edit]Stevens was born in Jacksonville, Florida,[1] and grew up in Brunswick, Georgia.[2] He is the son and grandson of pastors[1] and the youngest child of a large family.[3] He attended the University of Georgia,[4] where he joined the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity[3] and became the first in his family to graduate college.[5] He earned a Master of Public Administration degree in marketing at Valdosta State University.[1]
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Stevens began his career in his hometown at the Brunswick Housing Authority;[6] he then worked for the Atlanta Public Housing Agency.[3] At Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), he was national vice president for marketing, strategy, and operations. While at BGCA, he led the launch of the Great Futures Start Here campaign and tagline.[7] In 2014, he became senior vice president and chief marketing officer at the National 4-H Council.[8] During his time there, he helped grow the organization's fundraising streams and brand visibility.[9]
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
[edit]Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) named Stevens as its president and CEO in November 2020,[3] after then-CEO Pam Iorio announced her retirement.[2] He officially assumed the role in January 2021, becoming the organization's first Black CEO.[7]
During his tenure, the organization expanded its group mentoring[10] and workplace mentoring programs.[11] The expansion was partially funded by a $122.6 million donation from MacKenzie Scott,[12] the largest gift from an individual donor in BBBSA's history.[13] With a priority on volunteer recruitment, Stevens spearheaded the Game Changers initiative[14] and formalized partnerships with Alpha Phi Alpha[15] and Lambda Theta Phi to increase mentor registration.[7] By 2025, his efforts reduced the waitlist for mentors by one third and reversed a 10-year trend of declining membership.[11]
Personal life
[edit]Stevens is married and has two daughters.[1] He is based in Atlanta.[16]
Recognition
[edit]In 2018, while Stevens was working at 4-H, the American Marketing Association named him Nonprofit Marketer of the Year.[17] Valdosta State University named Stevens a distinguished alumnus in 2023.[18] In December 2024, Forbes included Stevens in the ForbesBLK 50 list of influential Black Americans.[4] Stevens was featured in the inaugural Time 100 list of the most influential leaders in philanthropy in 2025.[11]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Morgan, Philip (January 16, 2021). "New chief of Big Brothers Big Sisters emphasizes need for positive influences". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- 1 2 Huff, Pam (April 29, 2022). "Artis Stevens has big plans for Big Brothers Big Sisters in Tampa". Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 Scipioni, Jade (February 24, 2022). "First Black CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: After landing the job, I thought of Ahmaud Arbery". CNBC. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- 1 2 Young, Jabari (December 19, 2024). "Forbes BLK 50 2024". Forbes. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
- ↑ "First Black president of Big Brothers Big Sisters speaks about his new mission to help others". WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta. February 3, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ↑ Rangus, Eric (December 2, 2021). "Artis Stevens: Finding Your Ministry - Georgia Magazine". UGA Today. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
- 1 2 3 Mercado, Samantha (March 6, 2023). "Artis Stevens, President and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Creating greater equity for youth". Philanthropy News Digest. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ↑ Ward, Brendan (December 2, 2020). "Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in Tampa names first Black CEO". Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ↑ "Pam Iorio to retire from Big Brothers Big Sisters, Artis Stevens to be first Black CEO". 10 Tampa Bay. November 24, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ↑ Beaty, Thalia (February 1, 2023). "Q&A: Big Brothers Big Sisters CEO recruits alumni as mentors". AP News. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- 1 2 3 Renzulli, Kerri Anne (May 20, 2025). "TIME100 Philanthropy: Artis Stevens". TIME. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ↑ Di Mento, Maria (May 24, 2022). "MacKenzie Scott Gives $122.6 Million to Big Brothers Big Sisters". The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ↑ Blair, Elizabeth (May 24, 2022). "Big Brothers Big Sisters receives a $122.6 million donation to mentor kids". NPR. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ↑ "Breaking Barriers and Shaping Futures: Artis Stevens Spearheads Transformation at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America". Sway's Universe. January 26, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ↑ Daniels, Alex (January 20, 2022). "New Nonprofit Leaders of Color Bring Change but Also Face Hurdles". The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ↑ Gallant, Hannah (January 14, 2025). "Artis Stevens to give Holmes-Hunter Lecture". UGA Today. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
- ↑ "AMA Foundation Nonprofit Marketer of the Year Award". American Marketing Association. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
- ↑ "Past DA and G.O.L.D. Recipients - Valdosta State University". Valdosta State University. Retrieved August 12, 2025.