Investing in Youth Mentorship for 106 Years: A Message from Board Chair Steve Hentges
April 27, 2026
Good evening. My name is Steve Hentges, and I have the honor of serving Twin Cities youth as Chair of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities board.
I am grateful for a lot tonight. I’m grateful for all the Big and Littles and their families inside and outside of this room. I’m grateful for the incredible staff of professionals who step up every single day to deliver on our mission. I’m grateful to serve alongside a board of talented, dedicated people who give so much to this cause. And I am especially grateful to see all of you here.
This is my ninth gala. And every single year, without fail, the thing that gets me is the energy in this room. There is something palpable about being surrounded by people who choose to be here. Who believe that investing in a young person matters. That it changes things.
I’ve been on this board for nearly ten years, which still surprises me when I say it out loud.
But when I start to feel like the ancient historian around here, I remind myself: we’ve been part of this community for more than 106 years.
Let me put that in perspective.
The Lincoln Memorial wasn’t even built yet. Sure, Wonder Bread is still around, but Sears? Gone. RadioShack? Gone. Blockbuster? Gone.
My late fees at Blockbuster? Also gone.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities? Still here. Still relevant. Still growing.
Because trends come and go. Depressions, wars, pandemics, and technology have each taken their turn flipping our world on its head. But Big Brothers Big Sisters? We’re still here — still showing up, still making connections that matter.
Take for example artificial intelligence, something that’s at once both exciting and disruptive. AI cannot replace genuine human connection. It cannot replace the tangible and intangible mark this staff has on people’s lives. It cannot recognize the humanity in another person or give of itself for their good.
And that’s why, through every era and every chapter, Big Brothers Big Sisters has thrived, continuously reinventing how it serves while never wavering from why it exists.
Which brings me to one of those chapters. The one we’re in right now.
Many of you may have already heard that our CEO, Pat Sukhum, has announced his time with the organization will come to a meaningful close later this summer. And I want to take a moment, right here, in front of this community he has helped build, to honor what he and his team have accomplished.
Under Pat’s leadership these past five years, this organization has grown in all the ways that matter. More youth served. Stronger matches. Longer matches. Deeper impact. We even won Big Brothers Big Sisters Large Agency of the year for the first time in our 106 year history!
But here’s the number that says it all: 91% of youth surveyed this past year said they experienced a genuine sense of belonging through their engagement with this program. Ninety-one percent. Up ten points from when this team first measured it at the outset of our strategic plan.
Pat, on behalf of the board: thank you. For what you led. For the amazing group of leaders you’ve assembled. And for leaving this organization stronger than you found it.
Here’s what I know after nearly ten years on this board. The work we do for a young person today does not stop with them. It moves forward. It shows up in how they’ll treat their own kids, their neighbors, their community.
That’s not a theory. We’ve got 106 years of proof.
In all honesty, the past few months have been hard ones for this community. We’ve faced moments that tested us, that asked us directly whether we actually believe what we say we believe about our neighbors, about belonging, about who deserves to be seen and protected.
And this community answered.
That’s the same instinct that drives everything we do here. The belief that every young person deserves another caring adult in their corner. That showing up for someone, consistently, without condition, changes what’s possible for them, and for us. Same values. Same people. Same Twin Cities.
I’ve never been prouder to call this community home.
So tonight, when we invest in this mission, we’re not just writing a check or raising a hand. We’re saying again, out loud, that we believe in each other. That we show up. That we don’t look away.
There are youth in this community ready for someone to show up for them. 106 years in, that’s still the job. Back to work.
Watch Steve Hentges’ speech from the 2026 Big Night Gala, our annual fundraiser and celebration of the power of mentorship.
Invest in the next generation
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