The J. Kenneth Self Shelby County Boys and Girls Clubs reports that corporation executive director John Hartnett has announced his intention to retire from that position effective September 30, 2020. Hartnett, only the third executive director in Club history, began his 40-year Boys and Girls Club career as an assistant director in 1980 and assumed the role of chief professional officer in 1984, following the death of long-time director Ken Self.

Hartnett oversaw historic growth and development during his four-decade tenure with the Club including: Two multi-million dollar capital campaigns, establishment of a half-million dollar endowment and creation of the Morristown Boys and Girls Club. “I truly appreciate the tremendous opportunities the Boys and Girls Club has provided for me over the course of the past 40 years,” stated Hartnett.  “Most significant are the lifetime associations and friendships I have had the blessing to develop with so many. I am genuinely grateful.”

Brady Claxton is the current board president of the Self Shelby County Boys and Girls Club and he had this to say about John’s retirement news.  “It is impossible to overstate the importance of John Hartnett to the Self Shelby County Boys and Girls Club and our community as a whole.  John has had an immeasurable impact on countless lives in Shelby County, including my own.  John’s commitment, dedication, and devotion to the youth of Shelby County is unparalleled.  We wish him all the best as moves into the next phase of his life and we are forever grateful for his 40 years of service to the Boys and Girls Club."

A graduate of Franklin College and Butler University, Hartnett has served in a variety of capacities for numerous community organizations including: Babe Ruth Baseball, Shelbyville Central Schools, The Shelby County United Fund and the Drug-Free Coalition. He is a past president of the Indiana Boys and Girls Club Workers Association and was a founding board member of the Indiana Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs. He was inducted into The Shelbyville High School Alumni Hall of Fame in 2009 and received the 2018 Boys and Girls Clubs of America “Contribution to the Profession Award.”