MADISON, Ga. - Helping youth discover their inner hope and surrounding opportunities has been a life-long mission for Michael Tompkins. Currently, he advocates for the youth of North Central Georgia as the board chairman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central Georgia Advisory Board. 

The beginning of Tompkins' passion for youth began at age 11 when he walked through the blue doors of his home Club in the Bronx of New York. His family endured hardships along the way, but the Club became a safe harbor for him and his six younger brothers.  

“For a number of unavoidable reasons, my family moved several times including a short period of being homeless,” Tompkins said. “Despite our struggles, we remained together.”

In school, Tompkins was often called a daydreamer. He was often taking trips on the subway to visit shopping windows on the other side of town. 

“The dream was to one day become a real shopper. I wanted to become somebody of substance,” he said. “My first meaningful employment was at Standard Oil after graduating from high school. My young supervising engineer encouraged me to go to college. And, so I resigned from the refinery, which was a really scary decision at age 20 with a wife and new baby girl.”

However, his decision to attend college brought him closer to the window shopping he partook in as a teenager. The dream of being a person who was able to give back to his community, become successful and consistently discovering new opportunities was on the horizon.   

After finishing his education at the City University of New York with a degree in accounting and economics, Tompkins was employed by the Jackie Robinson Residential Company. He was later recruited to the Calibre Companies in Atlanta and soon became the Managing Partner in Florida building, investing and managing apartments. He retired from TriBridge Residential as the Executive Managing Partner.

Throughout his working career, Tompkins was a part of several boards throughout his career including working with Boys & Girls Clubs of America. 

“I serve today for BGCNCG with a heart for our youth. I understand a portion of the hardships they face in their lives and my hope is to make a lasting impact on the lives of so many in our next generation,” he said. 

Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central Georgia serves Greene, Morgan, Putnam, Walton and Newton Counties with world-class youth development professionals creating an environment which fosters hope and opportunity for all youth. 

To learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central Georgia, visit www.bgcncg.com or call 770-267-8034.