After 15 years, Lucas Spielfogel will pass CEO torch to Chief of Staff Josh Howard
The transition ends a remarkable leadership tenure that saw BRYC grow from serving 50 students in 2012 to over 2,000 in 2026.
A message from BRYC Board Chair Jonathan Earle, PhD, Dean of LSU Honors College
Dear Supporters,
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am proud to announce that Chief of Staff Josh Howard will succeed Lucas Spielfogel as the next CEO of the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition effective January 1, 2027, after which Lucas will remain as full-time CEO Advisor through June 2027. Lucas recently shared his decision with the Board, and we are filled with gratitude for his remarkable achievements and leadership. We know Lucas will continue to make a tremendous impact in the world. And, we are exceptionally excited about BRYC’s future with Josh as the incoming CEO.
It is incredibly rare to have a leader like Lucas for 15 years. It is even rarer to have a successor in Josh who has served alongside Lucas for nearly 10 years, co-leading BRYC as it has grown into the highly respected organization we are today.
This continuity ensures the strongest possible transition, allowing Josh to lead with a deep understanding of BRYC’s history, and a solid foundation from which to pursue new ideas and opportunities. Throughout the interview process, Josh impressed the Board with his dedication to our students and staff, clarity of vision, and command of BRYC’s operations, and we are confident he is the right person to lead our community into a bright new chapter.
At the same time, we feel enormous pride and appreciation for the work that has taken place under Lucas. We look forward to properly celebrating one transformative leader as we elevate another, and we encourage you to begin by making a donation in Lucas’s honor.
Thank you for your continued support of BRYC, and please continue reading for a message from Lucas and Josh.
A Letter from Lucas
Dear Friends,
Serving as BRYC’s CEO has been the honor of my life. The part I’m most thankful for has been getting to see everyone grow up, being a witness to real change.
My 8th graders became high school graduates, then postsecondary graduates, then professionals, then parents. BRYC alumni became mentors and staff, and their little siblings and cousins followed behind them as Fellows. And BRYC itself went from a scrappy startup to a sustainable organization that has earned national recognition for how we prepare students for life after high school. Of course, I grew up too. I started as a 24-year-old with some potential. I will leave 15 years later as a husband, a father of two Baton Rouge-born sons, and a member of the most cherished extended family I’ll ever have.
BRYC is my baby, and I feel an indescribable peace and pride knowing that its next leader, Josh Howard, has been as responsible for BRYC’s growth and success as anyone. For nearly 10 years, Josh has been my co-leader, my right hand, and my dear friend. There is not a person alive better equipped to take BRYC forward, nor any team better fit to support him.
I am excited to spend the next year doing everything in my power to position Josh and BRYC for sustained success. I will have more to share in the coming months, but for now I just want to say thank you — for supporting BRYC and trusting in me. Together we have built something special, and it’s only the beginning.
A Letter from Josh
Dear BRYC Community,
Like so many of our Fellows, I walked onto the BRYC campus curious and a little nervous about what the year would hold. That was 2016, my first year as a volunteer mentor. I was excited, unsure, and hopeful I wouldn’t let my Fellow down. As I got to know him, his peers, and the staff who held that room together, I was pulled to go deeper. I’d thought about leaving my hometown to build a career elsewhere, but my community, which now included BRYC, kept me rooted.
Now, ten years after I first stepped into the room we call Hustle 1, I begin the school year as BRYC’s CEO Designate. I didn’t walk into BRYC imagining I’d one day lead it. But every year since has made the case for why I should want to. And I do. I look forward to deepening BRYC’s impact in our community and building the kind of organization which can carry that impact well beyond.
I’m indebted to BRYC’s Board of Directors for the trust they’ve placed in me, and to Lucas for shepherding this mission for 15 years. Lucas is one of the most eloquent champions of people I’ve encountered. As many of us know, he has a way of talking you into things you didn’t plan on doing, and somehow, you always come out better for it. Lucas has been a friend, leader, and mentor to me. He’s pushed me to grow while making plenty of room to be exactly who I am. I will never be able to thank him enough for his investment in our Fellows, our team, and me.
I proudly accept this role and the weight it carries. With your continued support of our mission, I’m ready for the challenge.
