About
Our Story
Founded in 1966, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito has 57 years of experience in youth development. Each decade brought new challenges and opportunities, but Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito has always been on the forefront of identifying and acting on the needs of the community it serves. Each day we continue to find new ways to learn, grow, and innovate.
Since our inception, our Club has grown significantly and is now the second largest Boys & Girls Club organization in San Diego County. Our Club is defined as a Major Metro Organization by Boys & Girls Clubs of America due to the size of our annual budget and the number of children we serve. Today, our organization serves nearly 4,600 registered members, over 10,600 kids and teens throughout all of our programs combined, and awards over $385,000 on average in financial assistance each year throughout our seven clubhouses and seven specialty programs.
From athletics to education and arts, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito offers a wide variety of after school and out of school programs to meet the needs of the community and instill a sense of belonging, usefulness, influence and competence in our youth.
Our Mission
Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito is an organization dedicated to providing POSITIVE activities to develop the education, health, self-esteem and character of youth.
Our History
In 1966, Doug Hall, then executive director of the Carlsbad Boys Club, met with Dr. Charles Clark from Encinitas. Dr. Clark was representing the Encinitas Optimist Club and was interested in starting a Boys Club in the San Dieguito communities. The Encinitas Optimist and the San Dieguito Kiwanis service clubs had joined together in an effort to establish a youth program for the seven communities in the San Dieguito area: Encinitas, Leucadia, Olivenhain, Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, and Rancho Santa Fe.
In February 1967, Dr. Clark, President of the Board, asked Doug Hall, who had been acting as a consultant and Executive Director (through an arrangement with the Carlsbad Club), to be the permanent Executive Director of the new San Dieguito Boys Club. After much deliberation and discussion with his family, Doug accepted the position. He would hold this position for the next 25 years, and be instrumental in the success of the Club for over 45 years.
Our Evolution
Timeline
First club opens in Encinitas in a donated temporary building
Lomas Santa Fe Drive Branch opens in Solana Beach
Griset Branch opens in Encinitas
Gym at Griset Branch opens
Gym at Lomas Branch opens
Del Mar Branch opens
New pool at Lomas Branch opens
Allred Branch in Carmel Valley opens
Polster Branch in Carmel Valley opens
BIG EI8HT Middle School Sports program opens
Coast Volleyball Club becomes part of the BGC San Dieguito
Carmel Valley Montessori School opens
La Colonia Branch in Eden Gardens opens
Lomas Branch is remodeled and the new Harper Branch and Pardee Aquatics Center opens
Youth Arts Academy opens at the Polster Branch in Carmel Valley
Positive Place Montessori School opens at Griset Branch in Encinitas
Center for a Healthy Lifestyle opens at the Harper Branch in Solana Beach
La Colonia Branch includes a Teen Mentoring Program year-around
A new clubhouse is added at the La Colonia Branch to expand the program for youth and teens
Center for a Healthy Lifestyle’s Kitchen & Garden Project at the Griset Branch in Encinitas is completed
Bulldogs Basketball Program forms
Harper Clubhouse becomes Harper Teen Center
Alumni
Welcome Home Alumni! Whether you belonged to Boys Club of San Dieguito back in the 60’s, or more recently, COME ON HOME!
Some of our well known Alums include: Shaun White, professional snowboarder & skateboarder and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist; Luke Walton, two-time NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers; Dan Layus, lead singer of Augustana; Jared Dudley, Los Angeles Clippers; and Jud Buechler, former Chicago Bulls forward and three-time NBA Champion.
What can I do as an Alumnus?
From Club Kids to Club Staff
Numerous current staff members are also Club alums and include: Chris Ann Sarver, Griset Clubhouse Manager attended the Griset and Harper Clubhouses for 11 years before starting her career at the Club in 1987; Ally Hanlon, Donor Relationship Manager, attended the Griset Clubhouse for 9 years and has worked for the Club since 1997. Ally was also the Club’s Youth of the Year in 1996. Marineke Vandervort swam on the swim team before college and worked during high school and college as a swim instructor and lifeguard at the Pardee Aquatics Center. She then returned after college to become the aquatics department manager, and in 2007 became the HR Director for the Club, later becoming the Club’s CEO in 2014.
Management Team
Administrative Staff
- Chief Executive Officer Marineke Vandervort
- Chief Operating Officer Joe McLeod
- Director of Accounting & Finance Debi Cox
- Director of Club Services Candace Gerlach
- Director of Facilities Bryan Moomjean
- Director of Human Resources Mark Edington
- Donor Relationship Manager Ally Hanlon
- Grants & Communications Coordinator Annalyse Ortega
- Manager of Information Systems Vianka Mendez
- Online Software Manager Melissa Brown
- Human Resources / Payroll Assistant Rachel Swanepoel
- Special Events & Marketing Manager SuLynn Daugherty
- Volunteer Coordinator Pam Curtis
Foundation Leadership
- President Eric Nelte
- Executive Assistant Vickie Beaty
- Finance Director Paige Casey
Branch & Program Leadership
- Allred Clubhouse After School Supervisor Kristine Schneider
- Aquatics Director/Rancho San Dieguito Swim Team Head Coach Joe Benjamin
- Aquatics Administrator Keegan Ruckdaschel
- Athletics Director Davion Sarver
- Athletics Administrative Coordinator Emily Froelich
- Bulldogs Operations Manager Leo Elegado
- Carmel Valley Montessori School Education Director Holly Rosa
- Center for a Healthy Lifestyle Program Manager Sheryl Cohen
- Del Mar Clubhouse After School Supervisor Tayllor Cole
- Griset Clubhouse Manager/Community Relations Coordinator Chris Ann Sarver
- Harper Clubhouse Teen Center Supervisor Bosque Leanio
- La Colonia Clubhouse Manager/Community Relations Coordinator Gloria Castellanos
- Ocean Knoll Clubhouse Site Supervisor Imelda Bradford
- Polster Clubhouse Manager/Community Relations Coordinator Emma Lemus
- Youth Arts Academy Program Manager Darby Schnoebelen
- Youth Arts Academy Program Assistant & Music Instructor Wil Lopez