Naples resident Barbara Barker officially took over July 1 as president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach Board of Directors. She will serve a two-year term, leading a group of 40+ volunteers who ensure the Clubs fulfill their mission to provide "a positive place for kids" in our community.
"Barbie" as she is known to friends, is a vice president in the mortgage division of Bank of the West. She has served on the Long Beach Boys & Girls Clubs board since 1994. For many years, she has been the creative force behind the Clubs' annual galas, which put the "fun" in fundraising with their exotic themes, costumes and décor.
Joining her on the executive committee will be Past President Irv Miller, Vice President Travis Barr, Secretary Darlene Dameron, Resource Development Chair Mark Latimer, Directors & Officers Chair Trent Bryson, Finance Chair Scott Dionne, Marketing Chair Blythe Reyes and Operations Chair Matt Simon. Joining the board for the first time this year are: Brian Holmen, Andrea Parker and John Sulentor.
Find out what's happening in Belmont Shore-Naplesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Returning board members are: Kullen Birkeland, Greg Bombard, Art Bullard, Fernando Chavez, Steve Chesser, Victor de la Vega, John Di Carlo, Richard Dilday, Gilbert Dodson, Kevin Dykes, Kim Estes, Melissa Fimbres, Gwen Gross, Damon Haber, Blake Hardin, Albert Israel, Sandra Kayse, Jon Meyer, Brooks Morris, John Morris, Daniel Munzer, Jim Normandin, Andy Perez, Stefan Perovich, William Phillips, Greg Pyle, Chris Rommel, Robert Skidmore, Rocky Suares, Cass Traub, Grant Uba, M.D., John C. Wallace and Bruce Weber.
"We are very grateful to our board of directors, who bring a wide variety of professional skills to the table to help us serve more than 4,000 children each year," said Long Beach Boys & Girls Clubs Executive Director Don Rodriguez. "We are looking forward to Barbie's leadership because she puts so much energy and enthusiasm into everything she does."
Find out what's happening in Belmont Shore-Naplesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Since opening the doors of the first club back in 1939, approximately 214,000 boys and girls have been members of the Clubs, widely recognized as one of the top youth organizations in Long Beach. Today, three traditional Club sites and eight school sites serve approximately 4,200 children in Long Beach each year. In the fall, the Clubs will expand its Diplomas2Degrees dropout prevention and college preparation program to four city park sites.