Press release from The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County:
The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club, Transylvania County’s largest youth organization, has good news and sad news these days.
Founded in 1999, the good news is that 2019 marks 20 years of impressive growth, to the point where today it is serving nearly 700 children annually, with more than 250 attending its after-school programs each day. The sad news? A key person behind that continuing success for the past five years, Executive Director Candice Walsh, is leaving this summer.
“Candice has been more than a fine leader,” said Don Gentle, president of the club’s board of directors. “She’s been an inspiration to the staff and the kids alike. We’re going to miss her, but we’re optimistic that whoever we find to fill her shoes will carry on her tradition of lovingly steering our club into the future.”
Club officials are about to embark on a search for that person.
Walsh and her family are moving to Rowan County, northeast of Charlotte, to settle on her grandparents’ farm there. Walsh’s grandmother died a year ago and bequeathed the property to her. The farm continues to thrive with cattle and crops.
“Leaving Brevard and this beautiful place we have called home for nine years was a hard decision,” she said, “yet we know this chance to help carry on a family legacy is an opportunity we can’t pass up.”
She said she expects the next executive director will enjoy an equal opportunity: to continue the Boys & Girls Club’s growth. “To carry forward an organization built on strong values that have been identified by the staff: respect, integrity, compassion and excellence,” she said, “that’s an opportunity anyone would cherish.”
Though Walsh will be leaving her top staff position, she will continue to support the club as a part-time staffer, researching, writing and administering grants. Income from local, federal, state and foundational grants accounts for nearly twenty-five percent of the club’s operational budget, an important supplement to the critical support local individuals, organizations and businesses provide.
“I’m thrilled that I can continue to support our mission from afar,” said Walsh, “that I can continue with this organization that I love so much. I’m fully bought in to our mission and see the incredible impact that we have daily. Whether it’s in the way a staff member mentors a child through a rough day or how we help a kid realize his or her full potential academically, socially or athletically, we are helping to build our future generation,” she added. “What a beautiful and critical mission that is!”
Formed to serve
The Boys & Girls Club was incorporated April 16, 1999. The founders, led by the club’s namesake, the late Cindy Platt, envisioned the organization as a place for school-aged children, especially those most in need, to begin growing into good citizens through after-school programs centered on academic, athletic and healthy lifestyle pursuits. First housed in the former Mary C. Jenkins Community Center, the Club served nearly 50 children a day in its first year of operation.
Now, 20 years later, the club is thriving as the county’s largest youth development organization, providing after-school sessions not only during school days but also during spring break, summer vacation and even on teacher workdays.
The number of children served has grown steadily. During Walsh’s tenure alone, the average daily attendance has increased by some 40 per cent.
The main campus off Gallimore Road has 25,000 square feet of indoor program space. Outdoors, the grounds feature a large garden, a playground and a recreation field. All are used daily to capacity. An off-site high school teen center, located in the Light & Hope Building owned by the Transylvania Baptist Association, opened in 2017 to provide space for a growing teen membership.
The club has a $1 million operational budget. The lion’s share of its support comes from the community donations and it is currently conducting its annual fund drive. Individuals may donate by going to its website, bgctransylvania.org.
A leader’s reflections
As she prepares to leave, Walsh reflects on her time at the club with warm feelings. “When my tenure as executive director began in 2014, we realized we had an opportunity to serve more youth. We also realized we had an opportunity to improve the quality of our programs and focus on locally developed programs to meet the needs of our community youth,” she said.
The club now employs around 40 staffers, including a full-time team of nine. Under Walsh’s leadership, that operational budget has more than doubled – a necessity, given the growth in the numbers served.
“Our greatest investment is our staff,” said Walsh. “Aside from the children themselves, staff members are the single most important element of the work we do.” She said their commitment, passion and heart for serving is why the club’s children often use the words “home” and “family” to describe the organization.
“We are like a family,” agrees Tamika Hunter, membership director.
Walsh credits that dedicated staff team, the board of directors, volunteers and a supportive community for the success realized in each youth. “So when a staff member moves on to pursue secondary or higher education or seeks an alternative career route,” she says, “we feel incredibly grateful for their time and imprint while at our club and we know a difference has been made in the lives of so many youth as a result of that staff member.”
Anniversary year
Throughout this year, the club will highlight the impact of its 20-year history and share ideas for its future. “The demand is great,” said Parker Platt, a current board member and son of founder Cindy Platt. “We have a wait list of over a hundred at any given point throughout the year and we know that would be greater if community members felt they had a chance to get their children into the club,” he said.
Recently, the board and several staff members gathered to begin building the organization’s next strategic plan. “One of the major focuses over the next several years,” said Board President Gentle, “will be to assess how we can serve additional youth while maintaining the quality of our current programs, staff, and operations.”
Staffers are enthusiastic about the challenges. “It’s an exciting time to be a part of our organization,” said Health & Wellness Director Devon Holmes, who oversees the club’s 10 sports teams and its many other healthy lifestyles programs.
Gentle says in its next executive director, the club is seeking someone with a passion for serving youth, with experience managing a large team of people, financial acumen and experience with budgeting and dealing with a board of directors.
Interested candidates may send their resume and cover letter via email to Gentle at edsearch@bgctranylvania.org. For more information and to apply on-line, visit the club’s website and click on “Careers” on the home page.
You can also visit the website to learn more about the club generally, or call 828 885 7800 to schedule a tour.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.