Brice Obermeyer

Assistant Director of Grants

Email: bobermeyer@bgclubmanahttan.com

Phone: (785) 477-9726

I am new to the Boys & Girls Club movement but am thrilled to be a part of such a valuable
national effort and dedicated local team! I am a recovering (former) academic and
thankful that my love for research and grant writing has been put to good use as the Club’s
resident grant writer.
Before coming to the Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan in September 2022, I was a
professor at Emporia State University for 15 years and the Tribal Historic Preservation
Officer for the Delaware Tribe of Indians for 18 years. I hold a PhD in Anthropology from
the University of Oklahoma, (BOOMER, SOONER!!) and have a book and several articles
on the culture, recent history, and historic preservation efforts of the Delaware Tribe of
Indians. I also collaborated with some of the largest museums in the country as a tribal
repatriation specialist seeking to return ancestral remains to the Delaware Tribe for
reburial.
To help support this work, I developed a passion for grant writing and now have over 20
years of experience finding, researching, writing, and managing grants of all types for
tribal governments and non-profits. This experience has impressed upon me that words
can indeed create resources and I am thankful that there are so many wonderful grantors
and funders who support our work and help us ensure that income will never be a barrier
for kids to attend the Boys & Girls Club in Manhattan and Wamego.
“Money may not grow on trees, but it can be sown with a pen.”

What makes BGC special? 
The energy … there seems to be an endless supply of energy at the Club. From the
members to the staff, the environment always seems to be energized and enthusiastic at
the Club.

What do you like to do when not at work?
I love to spend time with my wife, Buffy, and our extended families. Since we are the only
ones in Manhattan, we spend much of our time traveling throughout Eastern Kansas and
to Chicago where our son attends college. As I write this, we are planning to leave after
work to visit our daughters in Lyndon and Emporia.
When not traveling, we also enjoy exercising, watching movies and playing “old school”
games (no video games here) at the kitchen table.

What's your Superpower?
Through trial and many errors, I continue to hone my telepathic powers (some people call
it writing) to encourage grantors and funders to support the Boys & Girls Club of
Manhattan.

What's your favorite BGC Kid quote?
“WOWWWW! That’s cool!!,” It always brings a smile when I see or hear the lightbulb
moment when a child learns a new concept or fact and is inspired to learn more.

What do you hope our members take away from you?
I hope that we can always make the Club affordable regardless of income so that all
children will have the opportunity to participate in the programs at the Boys & Girls Club
of Manhattan.