Boys & Girls Club Board receives state award for leadership

Published 5:32 pm Tuesday, October 17, 2017

A group of local residents was recently honored for their dedication and support to an agency that serves the community’s children.

The Tennessee Area Council of Boys & Girls Clubs recently selected the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County to receive a prestigious designation. The local Club’s Board was selected for the “2017 High Performance Board Team Award from the Tennessee Area Council. The local Club was selected from the 22 different Clubs across the state to receive the honor.

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By securing the award for the State of Tennessee, the Board will be in the running for the regional High Performance Board Team Award as well.

The High Performance Board Team Award is given each year to a Club’s Board of Directors for achieving excellence as a team in the areas of Marketing, Resource Development, Outreach to Unserved Youth, and Planning.

In presenting the award, the Tennessee Area Council noted some major strides made in recent years by the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County. In the past few years, attendance and membership at the Club have significantly increased. The Club has also expanded program offerings including STEM programming and a food program to help meet the nutritional needs of the children. The Area Council also noted the success of the Club’s recently instituted Steak-N-Burger fundraiser event, which saw its second successful year in 2017. During the first year in 2016, the Club raised $38,000. They followed that up in 2017 by raising $67,000 through the event.

“The Board couldn’t be more deserving of this award,” said Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Ginny Wright. “They are working tirelessly throughout the year to ensure every kid in Carter County has access to a quality program and that we as an organization are here for years to come.”

Chet Nichols, the director of Organizational Development for the area council, serves as a liaison between Clubs located in Tennessee and Virginia. He praised the Board for their leadership in helping the Club prosper.

“The absolute guiding star of any nonprofit is the board of directors, and I don’t think there’s a more committed group of adults,” Nichols said. “What you all have done for the Club and what you have done for the kids has transformed this organization.”

Board Vice President Corey Paulson said he and the other Board members were honored to receive the award and it is an honor they share with the Club’s staff and administration.

“It’s a huge honor to be recognized by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America,” Paulson told the Elizabethton Star. “It’s a testament to the hard work this Board puts in every day, but I think it’s an even bigger testament to the leadership of Ginny and Elizabeth at the Club and the culture they have developed there.” Elizabeth Williams serves as the Resource Development & Marketing Director of the local Club.

The Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County includes Board President David Batchelder, Vice President Corey Paulson, Treasurer Tyler Tetrick, Immediate Past President Sam LaPorte, Jason Blevins, Kenny Carter, Matt Lewis, Joy McCray, Lynn Richardson, Danny Smith, Ambert Street, and John Wagner.

For more information on the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County, its programs, or to find out how you can become involved, contact the Club at 423-543-2946 or visit their website at www.bgcecc.org.