PROFILE
BOBBY BOYLE ’05
A Career in Nonprofit Work
How has your career unfolded since leaving Rumsey? I spent a semester abroad hiking the Himalayas with the Outdoor Leadership Experience at University of Puget Sound, WA. I think it was memories of Rumsey’s beautiful campus, and focus on leadership, that seeded my interest in outdoor education. In college, I wrote my thesis on the intersection of wilderness therapy and education. After graduation from the University of Washington, WA, I had planned to become a wilderness educator; however, some charismatic friends enticed me to help them with their small business, a skate shop dubbed the Grit City Grindhouse. The shop focused on community and supporting youth by providing a community hub for the sport. We started in a 3,000 square foot retail space – a space which eventually became the skatepark for the nonprofit startup Alchemy Skateboarding. Shortly after Alchemy began its first programs at the Grit City location, I was invited to be the Board Treasurer, and later honored with the title of Executive Director. I believe that helping youth through the sport of skateboarding offers countless learning opportunities. As we deepen our impact in our community, we are better able to provide quality programs for future generations. My own passion for skateboarding began years ago, I brought my very first skateboard to Rumsey. I find it to be an incredibly freeing experience; the freedom to be yourself, freedom to travel where you want to, (yes, skateboarding is recognized as a legal form of transportation in Tacoma) freedom to skate in ways you find fun, and the freedom to connect with new people. What was the inspiration for Alchemy Skateboarding? When was it founded and how was the program developed? Our founder, Ben Warner, recognized that skaters are an historically marginalized group with great potential for leadership, mentorship, and positive community building. He and a group of interested volunteers recognized that the highest priority–with the rainy Tacoma climate– was to create a dry, indoor skate park. As they began to discuss how to cultivate a positive community space, they realized that skateboarding could be a powerful tool for teaching. With this in mind, Alchemy developed the first comprehensive high school skateboarding class in the country, which was led by a youth leadership team and a partnership to mentor the areas most-at-risk youth. Today we serve 250 skaters each month through six different programs. Alchemy Skateboarding began in July 2012. Alchemy’s Board of Directors, which include a city council member, nonprofit leaders and a nonprofit professor, was formed in November 2014. It received its 501(c) (3) status in June 2014 and started its first high school skateboarding class that September. What does your day-to-day operation as Executive Director at Alchemy Skateboarding look like? As Executive Director the most important thing I do is act as the glue between skaters, stake holders, board members, and staff. This largely means connecting, code switching, and communicating effectively. As an organization with only several full-time employees, I have acted in every possible role, sometimes all in the same day. This means programming, bookkeeping, grant writing, program development, board development, cleaning the space, and general operations. Tell us about the future vision for Alchemy Skateboarding. Do you see the organization expanding to other communities? Alchemy Skateboarding has the potential to operate on a national level. Its programs are more relevant than ever to today’s youth, and
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