The Santa Clarita Valley Boys & Girls Club welcomed several new board members Tuesday at a governing board retreat.
Matt Carpenter, Jenny Ketchepaw, Terry Martin, Frank Oviedo and Lee Watters all joined as members of the nonprofit’s governing board recently, according to officials.
The board also named Martin as treasurer, and board member Ann Marie Bjorkman was recently named the board’s president.
Bjorkman shared an excited outlook in 2018 for one of the Santa Clarita Valley’s longest-serving nonprofits for children gets ready for its 50th anniversary.
“We have a staff that is such a great team and so well-connected, and everyone is getting along really well,” she said, adding each new member brings resources ranging from community connections to marketing to understanding how to bridge gaps that have existed between millennials and other generations.
She described the dynamic this year as very much a “working board” with members who were going to roll up their sleeves and continue the club’s growth.
“I am so excited to see the potential and to have a board that can get even better, and when you have a staff that’s amazing…” However, she quickly added: “I’m not going to put (additional work) on staff — the staff is there to support us,” she said, adding her her work style was very “go, go, go.”
One of the club’s first orders of business is to begin preparations for the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year, the SCV Boys & Girls Club Auction.
The kickoff for the auction is taking place at the Newhall club at 7 p.m. on Feb. 6, and all who are interested in volunteering to help with the event are welcome to attend, she said.
