‘This is what I was meant to do’
From cybersecurity to Boys & Girls Club, new CEO puts financial savvy to work
STAMFORD — Rowena Track has spent 30 years as a turnaround executive for Fortune 100 companies, with expertise in cybersecurity, technology transformation and digital innovation.
But she said she believes her career at Cigna Corp., CitiBank and other top organizations was just preparation for her current post — as CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford.
“After 30 years, this is what I was meant to do,” said Track, a Stamford resident, who was originally looking for a board position at a public company. “I like seeing the impact. The impact of what we do is very visible.
“What better way to serve the community that to serve its children?”
Track took the helm of the club at an auspicious time: As the club announced her hiring in mid-March 2020, the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic meant the organization was about to close its doors indefinitely, like organizations and businesses around the world.
The club was at a crossroads last year, said Andy Zeitlin, chairman of the board. While it had many popular programs at the Yerwood Center on Fairfield Avenue, the club was growing, as was its budget. It needed a financially savvy leader who was well-versed in digital systems who could oversee the complex opening of its Gary Wendt Teen Center on Stillwater Avenue.
“We were looking for someone who could take the Boys & Girls Club to the next level,” he said. “Rowena had the background and experience to lead a growing organization.”
While Track brought private-sector business acumen to the table, she also brought a compassion and empathy that is crucial to the job: Of the 1,400 children who are members of the Yerwood Center and the Teen Center, which officially opened in September, about 75 percent come from homes with an annual income of $30,000 or less, Track said.
The club was instrumental in helping many children access WiFi and computers when the pandemic meant they would have to learn at home. As the months dragged on, the club augmented its work to bridge the achievement and racial opportunities gaps with food insecurity solutions, Track said.
Track, who was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, said her family had the means to provide a happy childhood, but she was affected by the “ugly” civil war that ravaged her country. She and her husband, a physicist, both earned bachelor’s degrees before moving to Connecticut for advanced studies.
“You’re trapped in a situation not of your own making and there’s nothing you can do about it,” said Track, who holds a master’s degree in computer science from Wesleyan University. “My education was a way for me to get out of my situation.”
Track’s empathy fuels her tireless efforts to forge the kinds of partnerships with city officials and business leaders that will help the club thrive and the children succeed, she said.
“It really takes me back,” the mother of two said. “That feeling of helplessness and hopelessness…I can relate to that in a different way.”
While the country wrestled with crucial issues of racial injustice in 2020, she supported “Workouts with the Chief,” Police Chief Tim Shaw’s morning exercise program for club kids in Lione Park. The sessions promoted both fitness and goodwill between the youth and police officers and provided a layer of trusted role models.
Track said she believes the club belongs to the community and community buy-in is the key to its long-term success.
“We’re all dealing with a lot,” she said. “The club is a beacon of hope.”
As part of its community outreach, Club members and their families — and the public — have a chance to hear from a panel of successful professional women on Monday, when BGCS will present “#ChooseToChallenge,” a virtual celebration of International Women’s Day. The free event is designed to mark the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and act as a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
The 7 p.m. event features Indra Nooyi, former chair and CEO of PepsiCo; Margaret Keane, CEO of Synchrony; Kathleen Silard, president and CEO of Stamford Health; and Juanita James, president and CEO of Fairfield County Community Foundation. Track will moderate the virtual panel.
Co-sponsored with KPMG and WWE, the event is a chance to hear powerful stories from powerful women and, Track said, empower the next generation.
“The advice they have is relevant for women of all ages,” she said. “I encourage everyone to see this.”