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
Lynne Carrithers Retired
Michael George Safe 1 Credit Union
Jimmy Gill Gold Leaf Farming
Cherif Guirguis LinQride Inc.,
Larry Koman Koman Homes
Ben LeBeau LeBeau Thelen, LLP
Marivic Louey Kern Energy
Kristin Monsibais
Williams Adams & Company, CPAs
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
Janice Meek Retired
Ben Stinson Stinson’s Office Supplies
Gloria Williams Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County
Letter from our Legacy Board Chair
Greetings!
It gives me immense pleasure to serve as the current Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County Legacy Board Chair.
The Legacy Board of Directors launched in 2021 to recognize and re-engage past Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County governing Board Members who continue to significantly impact and shape the Club. As the Legacy Board Chair, I have the privilege of collaborating with a group of exceptionally talented community leaders who serve as a managing committee to help ensure the advanced education and workforce readiness of the Club’s youth. Each year additional directors are appointed to the Legacy Board and are honored during the annual Youth of the Year Legacy Gala.
As Legacy Board members, we advocate, innovate, and invest in local youth through mentoring, training, and leadership opportunities. Each member of our Legacy Board plays a key role and brings expertise at the executive level to help Club youth succeed with their aspirations. The Legacy Board defines strategies to help ensure the mission and purpose of the Club. Three main objectives are the success of the annual Youth of the Year Legacy Gala, the cultivation of the Youth of the Year program, and exploring support mechanisms to best sustain the Legacy Board Advanced Scholarship fund. Legacy Board members embrace the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County’s mission “To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”
My personal affiliation with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County has spanned more than 28 years and I am thankful to continue my association as a staff member in the Resource Development Department.
Maya Angelou said it best. “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” When the community’s youth enter the doors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County, I trust they feel a sense of hope, empowerment, value and purpose.
My sincere thanks to all who have supported generously and continue to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County! Your partnership with the Club is making a positive impact on those we serve and provides a safe space for local youth to grow, thrive and become healthy adults.
If you would like more information on how you can become involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County, please contact me directly, or stop by any of the club sites for a personalized tour.
Gloria Williams
Gloria Williams
Legacy Board Chair
Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County
My journey at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County started almost three years ago. I was introduced to the club through my older sister who spent her last summer of high school participating in their Career Launch Program. I’ve always looked up to my sister in every way possible and wanted to be just like her. I was just a little sister who idolized her big sister and I decided to follow in her footsteps. When I turned fifteen, it was my turn, and I became a Club Kid. Little did I know that this decision would open a world of opportunities, shaping my character, improving my skills, and providing me with invaluable experiences.
My plan to receive training and possibly get a job over the summer became a reality, but the Club’s Career Launch Program was more than just a summer internship. The Summer Jobs Program is designed to help young individuals explore various career paths and prepare for the workforce. Over the course of ten weeks, I immersed myself in this comprehensive training program that not only introduced me to the world of employment, but also equipped me with essential life skills.
One of the fundamental skills I gained during this program was selfawareness. During training, I learned to identify my strengths and weaknesses, aspirations, and areas for improvement. By doing so, I have been able to build my confidence and better communicate my thoughts and ideas. In addition, I have become more mindful of my
actions, which has allowed me to make more informed decisions. This newfound selfawareness laid the foundation for effective communication in a professional setting.
Stressing the importance of punctuality and professionalism, the Career Launch classes provided practical tools for completing job applications, resumes, and interviews. Although I initially felt embarrassed doing the practice interview sessions in front of my entire class, that experience turned out to be a significant turning point for me. It taught me how to overcome interview anxiety and helped me perform better during my actual interview. Through the process of being in a new setting, I discovered things that interested me. I joined sports in my sophomore year of high school—the first in my family to do so. To my surprise, trying new things wasn’t as scary as I had initially thought, and my newfound independence taught me to get out of my comfort zone.
When the interview time arrived, I found myself exceptionally well-prepared, performing strongly enough to earn a callback for a second interview. A few days later, I received the news that I had secured the internship. During the week of training, I became CPR and first aid certified, and when they revealed the internship placements, I was excited to discover that I would be working at KGET TV-17 news.
Excited as I was, even the Career Launch classes did not fully prepare me for the chaos of the newsroom. However, through the chaos I had the opportunity to work alongside some incredibly talented and passionate individuals at KGET. I gained firsthand experience in all aspects of news production, from setting up cameras and conducting interviews to filming
stand-ups and editing packages. Each day brought unique challenges and unexpected adventures, from covering local events like the Fourth of July parade to reporting live at an active wildfire.
During my internship, Fridays were dedicated to professional training sessions at the Club. These sessions covered essential topics such as financial literacy, dining etiquette, and Food Handler certification. This training not only expanded my knowledge and skills for my current internship, but also equipped me for the future.
My internship concluded with our graduation, where I had the opportunity to deliver a speech reflecting on my experience with the Summer Jobs Program. If you had asked me to speak in front of a large audience just a year ago, I would have declined. However, thanks to my training with the Career Launch Program, I felt confident enough to share my story. My focus at school has been shifted to sports and student leadership. I became more involved in Associated Student Body and was elected class president my sophomore and junior year. I discovered my own strengths, new skills, and untapped interests, which have taught me to be independent and confident in my capabilities.
I am grateful to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County, not only for providing me with a summer job, but also
offering a platform for both personal and professional development. The program taught me valuable lessons in responsibility, introduced me to diverse career paths, and equipped me with practical skills.
As I continue to grow and learn, I am always seeking opportunities to make a positive impact, whether it’s through volunteering, advocating for important causes, or simply being kind and supportive to those around me. As I express gratitude for the opportunities, connections, and memories gained through this program, I look forward to applying the lessons learned while I pursue a degree in marketing. Being a successful marketer will allow me to lead and promote programs that will continue to provide resources for Club kids in my community. I am incredibly proud and honored to be named the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County 2024 Youth of the Year. Thank you for this honor, and I look forward to the meaningful impact we will continue to create together.
Sydney delivering her acceptance speech.
“The purpose of arts education is not to produce more artists, though that is a byproduct. The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society.” by Dana Gioia, Former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Boys & Girls Club’s Stage Door Academy created a home for performing arts more than 10 years ago by hiring two well trained and seasoned performance educators to create a “stage” which incorporated dance, song, acting, and leadership as an integral part of how the Club fosters new skills, knowledge, and self-confidence in the children entrusted to our care.
Deeply tied to performing community service and developing leadership, we created a special opportunity for kids to work together, create amazing performances to enrich the lives of friends, family, and community, while demonstrating that given the right environment, mentorship, and coaching…kids can accomplish anything and everything. This group, known as Music Fusion, committed to not only representing the Boys & Girls Club at its own events, but also lending their talents to other non-profits, causes, and community
events to entertain and inspire audience members.
We have seen our Music Fusion kids grow up and continue to use their craft personally and professionally in higher education, careers and circling back to support the next generation of Boys & Girls Club performers. Many of our kids have been recognized locally, regionally and at the national level for their commitment to improving the lives of others through performance and received college scholarships to support their education.
As all programs must evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of children, so has our vision of how to provide a robust performance experience now and in the future. Our instructors have expanded from two to five talented instructors to create a year-round series of workshops and licensed musical theater productions as part of a partnership with a well-beloved
local dinner theater. Leadership development and community impact continues to be an important focus of inspiring and motivating young performers. This year we have grown the program again by inviting several younger Club kids from our workshops to create a second cohesive team to hone their skills and delight our community.
When deciding what the name would be, it only made sense to choose something that reflected this new generation and our commitment to positive change, thus naming our group, “Evolution.” This talented and enthusiastic team of young leaders are building a new performance family that will grow their talents, skills, and community impact, while developing a social/emotional support system of peers, mentors, and Club affiliation. In addition to participating in on-going workshops, Evolution kids meet twice a week to focus cultivating skills and creating musical numbers that can be performed on stage, at events, and with our community partners.
Allow us to present…
Evolution, a youth team committed to improving the quality of life for our community through voluntary performance!
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
Chris Caratan
Juan & Sabrina Cazares
Elsie Collins
Gary & Donna Cross
Mickey & Alex Cushine
Mike & Maggie Cushine
Matt Damian
Chelsea Dow
Ken & Marjorie Dow
Karla Espinoza
Mark & Becky Evans
Alexandria Fabbro
Melissa Fortune & Bruce Beretta
Christine Frazier
Fanny Gama
Justin & Megan Garant
Monica Gonzales
Renee Goodwin
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
Christopher Lowe
Zachary Martindale
Erlinda Martinez
Natalie Martinez
Renee Massey
Janice Meek
Karinna Mendoza
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
Rite Aid Healthy Futures supports the work the Boys & Girls Club does every day to improve the health and well-being of children. The impact is real: 54% of Boys & Girls Club alumni said the Club saved their life.
Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation is helping Club members get excited about STEM by providing hands-on enrichment activities for the STEM Lab at the E.L. Jack and Monica Armstrong Youth Center.
Bechtel/BGCA is igniting a passion for STEM learning through the FIRST LEGO League Challenge for children attending the Boys & Girls Club – E.L. Jack and Monica Armstrong Youth Center.
Walmart (Facility # 5134, Facility # 1574, Facility # 2557, Facility # 3141, and Facility # 3138) is helping children and adolescents with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to develop friendships through integrated and inclusive social and recreational programs at two Boys & Girls Clubs: E.L. Jack and Monica Armstrong Youth Center in East Bakersfield and Stockdale Club in Southwest Bakersfield.
Through a Social Investment grant, Chevron will support facility and programming enhancements at the E.L. Jack and Monica Armstrong Youth Center and Lamont Club.
Sea Research Foundation is connecting small groups of youth with caring mentors to engage in weekly, structured, hands-on, multimedia STEM activities in Bakersfield and Lamont.
Panda Express/Panda Cares Foundation is supporting Great Futures for Club youth through advanced education scholarships for graduating seniors so they can achieve their dreams.
By supporting the Triple Play Program (mind, body, and soul), the Big Lots Foundation is promoting the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition for the Club members.
Forever 21 supports skilled, caring youth development professionals who understand where every kid is coming from and help them shape their path toward a great future.
