BGC Brief - Fall 2024

Board of Directors Rob Duchow

President of the Board Southern California Gas Company

MacKenzie Boone Vice President Ascend Real Estate

Amir Zabrani

Treasurer Bank of the Sierra

Alan Avery

Secretary Kern Family Health Care

Alex Balfour

Cushman and Wakefield/ Pacific Commercial Realty Advisors

Greg Broida

BroidaCo Auto

Juan Campos

VP, HSE California Resource Corporation

Alex Dominguez

Klein DeNatale Goldner

Michael George

Safe 1 Credit Union

Jimmy Gill

Gold Leaf Farming

Cherif Guirguis LINQride Inc.

Larry Koman Koman Homes

Ben LeBeau

LeBeau Thelen, LLP

Matt Lemon

Tri Counties Bank

Marivic Louey Kern Energy

Kristin Monsibais

Williams Adams & Company, CPAs

Jon Sampson

Sampson Sipe Ericsson Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors

Timothy J. Simmons MOC Incorporated

Bryce Sterling StructureCast

Zane Smith

Executive Director

Barry Hill

Associate Executive Director

Legacy Board Ken Carter

Watson Realty

Jason Cohen

UBS Financial Services, Inc.

David Couch

Kern County Supervisor

James & Barbara Kurfess Retired

Letterfrom our Executive Director

“Constant motion” is the phrase that comes to mind as I listen to the excited voices and animated footsteps outside our office. Our kids are in constant motion.

Our team is in constant motion. Our program is in constant motion. The Club is in constant motion.

I think that’s the best way to illustrate the energy, excitement and agility that our Boys & Girls Club applies to reinvent itself to meet the ever-changing and complicated needs of the children in our care. We are not the same agency we were 10 years ago, and we certainly won’t be the same agency 10 years from now as we embark on a bold quest to be “future ready” for the generations to come.

What does “future ready” mean? It means that we will seek to engage experts in the field of youth services, Life & Workforce Readiness, technology, and social/emotional growth to formulate a fluid plan that addresses the needs of our children while also focused on needs of the community. Youth Services are changing, and in many ways, they will become stronger partners with our schools where children spend most of their young lives. We know that employers are looking for quality capable employees who are ready to enter the workforce and have the capacity to balance both their personal and professional lives. Technology continues to make incredible leaps, thus creating new space for education and career paths. Now more than ever, society is prioritizing wellness and mindfulness with support systems based on compassion and empathy.

There is a need for developing competent and committed leaders who work ethically and morally as they navigate the complexity of a thriving community in the vein of service to others.

So, what are we doing to make sure we are intentional about being “Future Ready” for our kids? We are working on the campuses of 11 school districts focusing on education, enrichment, and social bonding. We are cultivating relationships with local colleges for educational pathways and vocational training. We are in the concept phase of potentially building a new Teen Center combined with a Workforce Readiness training center.

We continue to consult with technology experts so that our kids have access to information, software, hardware and state of the art programs.

This has resulted in us launching an esports initiative which not only engages our “gamers” in a healthy way, but also is a new and exciting potential career path to explore. We have taken a deep dive bringing in a behavior specialist to provide training for our team members in social/ emotional wellness strategies; contracted with a licensed therapist for intervention; and continued to work with our district partners for consistent positive guidance techniques used to support individual students. Through community service and community advocacy, we have trained our youth to have a voice, and develop strategies to positively impact the community around them.

While “Future Ready,” is the driving theme behind our planning and execution, some things are eternal in that we are still and always will be the relationship building agency that wears its heart on its sleeve; that encourages children to dream big and grasp opportunities; and compulsive when it comes to evolving to be the best Boys & Girls Club our children, families, and communities deserve.

Janice Meek Retired

Ben Stinson

Stinson’s Office Supplies

Gloria Williams

Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County

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Zane Smith Executive Director

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Temporary Gig to Long-Term Career HR Manager’s Personal Experience Creates a Path for Others.

Fresh out of high school, working at the mall and doing a bit of door-to-door sales, she found a job posting for an Activity Leader at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County and applied. She thought this would be a temporary gig, but that was 20 years ago.

Meet Jovan Molina, the Club’s Human Resource Manager.

Jovan remembers that during her initial interview with Executive Director, Zane Smith, a small child burst into the office and excitedly started telling Zane about his day. After the child left, Zane explained to her, “This is their space, and the kids know my door is always open and they can always come in and say hi no matter what I’m doing.” That is when Jovan knew this was where she wanted to be.

Jovan worked as an Activity Leader for three years, but after marrying her husband, Chris, who was in the military, they relocated to San Diego for a few years. Yet the Club never let go of her heart!

Jovan and husband, Chris, attending a Club event.

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In 2013, Jovan and her family were living back in Bakersfield, and she returned to the Club but this time as a Human Resource Assistant. As an HR Assistant, Jovan oversaw staffing substitutes and placement, but quickly advanced to HR Specialist handling screenings, interviews, onboarding, and training of new staff. Now eleven years later she is the Club’s HR Manager.

During COVID, Jovan trained for her current role overseeing a team of five with the responsibilities of hiring, training, and discipline across 70 locations and 750+ employees. Last year alone, Jovan and her team screened over 5,000 applicants and trained over 700 new hires. “Despite the challenges, I can’t imagine being anywhere else. “The Club feels like home…and we joke, ‘It’s a lifestyle and we bleed the Boys & Girls Club blue,’ reflecting our dedication and loyalty to the Club,” Jovan explained.

“I’ve worked hard to make sure my children have the experiences and opportunities I did not have, and the Club is a big part of that.”

As Jovan looks back over her total of 14 years of working at the Club, she expresses, “My favorite part of working for the Club, hands down and without question is the people and relationships I’ve built here.

I also enjoy that the Club has the commitment and drive to evolve to fit in the ever-changing world we live in today, for the sole purpose of providing better opportunities for the children we serve.”

When Jovan says the Club feels like home, there’s a bigger meaning. Jovan’s husband was a Club kid himself and also works at the Club as Director of Operations. And her daughter, Mariah attended the Club from age six through high school and her son, Christopher is currently a Club kid. “While I didn’t attend the Club as a child, I have witnessed first-hand the impact it makes on kids. My son loves the Club and I watched my daughter transform from a shy, quiet little girl to a confident young woman because of the Club.”

Jovan grew up in a single-parent home with two other siblings.

Her mother struggled with just providing the bare necessities for her family. This certainly shaped Jovan’s outlook on life,

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Jovan and her family

Active 20-30 Club of Bakersfield Vince Aguilar Justin & April Ahart Paul Andre Timothy & Caitlin Ashlock Ariel & Abby Auffant Alan Avery Alex M. Balfour Larry & Kay Bardin Adam Belter Cathy Bennett Aimee Blaine MacKenzie Boone Greg & Rose Broida John & Jean Browning Charles & Theresa Bush Tina Cantelmi Chris Caratan Juan & Sabrina Cazares Elsie Collins Gary & Donna Cross Mickey & Alex Cushine Mike & Maggie Cushine Matt Damian Chelsea Dow Ken & Marjorie Dow Rob Duchow Mark & Becky Evans

Alexandria Fabbro Melissa Fortune & Bruce Beretta Christine Frazier Fanny Gama Justin & Megan Garant Monica Gonzales Renee Goodwin Diana Gordon Robert & Jerry Haner Matthew & Shelly Hewett Barry Hill Cynthia Huggins Edgar Jacobs Larry Koman Allan Krauter & Anna Agenjo Bernie & Lynn LeBeau Michael Lewis & Barbara Rycerski Ryan & Frances Lewis Andrew Lopez Quon & Marivic Louey Zachary Martindale Erlinda Martinez Natalie Martinez Renee Massey Janice Meek Peggy Miller Ruth Miranda Chris & Jovan Molina Alex & Kristin Monsibais

Jonathan & Mary Anne Mueller Dale Oprandy Randy & Mary Richardson Bruce Saathoff & Tony Cervantes Saber Insurance Agency Darin Schwicker Tim & Christy Simmons John & Christina Sistrunk Paul Skarphol Zane & Amy Smith Mark Steele Bryce & Ashlyn Sterling Keith Stonebraker Carol Sugimori Linda Sullenger Robert Tafoya & Sandra Serrano Josh & Susan Wall Gloria Williams Deborah Wood

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OF KERN COUNTY

801 Niles Street PO BIN 5J Bakersfield, CA 93385 Return Service Requested

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