11-29 Pete Nance.jpeg

In 2011, Greensboro welcomed its area the Boys & Girls Club. The goal of this national organization is to improve the lives of underprivileged children by teaching them skills that will promote confidence for success in school. Just in its first year of operation, the Greene County Boys & Girls Club obtained the highest daily attendance of all the clubs in the North Central Georgia area.

Many residents welcomed this chapter of the Boys & Girls club by contributing their time and resources to the organization. One family in particular has gone the extra mile for the club.

“The Pete Nance family has donated a $1 million endowment to our club.” said Corey Crouse, advisory board chair for Support Services.

In honor of the generous spirit of the Nance family and their patriarch, Pete Nance, the Pete Nance Boys & Girls Club Naming Ceremony was held last week. The ceremony took place at the Boys & Girls Club of Greene County where advisory board members and family designated the Boys & Girls Club to be named in Nance’s honor.

“We are honored to name our club for this outstanding man who valued his family and friends and used his many blessings to help others in need,” Crouse said.

Nance’s youth was similar to that of the children who are part of the Boys & Girls club today. He was born into a large family and was one of 10 children who grew up in dismal poverty. Because of the hardships his family suffered, Nance was determined early in his life that he wanted more for himself.

Education was extremely important to him. He never forgot the advice of his sixth grade teacher: You can be anything you want to be when you grow up. After a successful career in Atlanta as the CEO of Financial Asset Management Systems, Nance and his wife Nancy sold the business and moved to Greensboro around 2005.

The two stepped quickly into the role of being community volunteers. The Nances joined the Greensboro First United Methodist Church and became heavily involved in community volunteer groups and organizations.

“Giving to others and his community was very important to Pete,” Crouse said, “This is why we salute him with the naming of the Boys & Girls Club. If he were here today, he would encourage young club members to work in school and to learn everything they can.”