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Executive & Leadership Team

Meet the dynamic team leading the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson’s efforts to ensure every young person in the greater South Bay has the great future they deserve.

Executive Team

Kim Richards
CEO
Kim Richards has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 30 years, 15 of them serving as the CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson.
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Melissa Wickman
VP of Development & Marketing
Melissa Wickman is a strategic and mission-driven leader with extensive knowledge in nonprofit development, fundraising, and communications.
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Don Abbe
VP of Finance
Don Abbe has 35 years of experience working in the private and nonprofit sector. He joined the Club in 2010 and ensures that every dollar is spent in the most efficient manner.
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Maria Valdovinos
VP of Operations
Sara Hall
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Sara Hall’s journey in social justice began over eight years ago, driven by a deep commitment to equity and systemic change. With experience at organizations like Color of Change and Planned Parenthood, she has dedicated her career to advancing social justice through strategic communications, advocacy, and storytelling.
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Leadership Team

Mercedes Zazueta

Senior Director of Operations

Arlin Pojoy

ACADEMIC SUCCESS
DIRECTOR

Lilia Cardenas

Director of Healthy Lifestyles

Mario
Perez

Site Director
Clubhouse

Areli Zagal Barrera

Club Experience
Director

La’Shae Alexander

High School Director
King Drew Magnet High

Justino Hernandez

High School Director
Carson Senior High School

Emmaline Rubio-Loftis

Associate Social Worker
Board

In addition to fiduciary duties, each Board member adopts one of our 18 Club locations. Through site adoptions, Board members serve as supportive and encouraging partners.

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Our Partners

Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson has relationships with top companies and foundations both locally and nationally. Our partners play an integral role in supporting our youth.

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Our Impact

We provide welcoming, positive environments in which kids and teens have fun, participate in life-changing programs, and build supportive relationships with peers and caring adults.

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What motivates me is that without the Club, youth would have nowhere else to go. We have a responsibility to take care of the most vulnerable kids in our society.
Lori Henderson, Board of Directors President

Help Provide Essential Skills and Limitless Opportunities

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The Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson (BGCC) helps bridge the gap between school and home, welcoming nearly 5,000 youth on any given day. We offer high quality programming during and after school in Carson, Gardena, Watts and South Los Angeles for youth ages 6-18 years old.

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Kim Richards has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 30 years, 15 of them serving as the CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson. Prior to her career in Boys & Girls Clubs, she worked for several national nonprofits including the American Red Cross, YMCA and American Cancer Society. Kim has extensive knowledge of fiscal management, staff development, fundraising and collaborative partnerships. She is recognized as a thought leader and for her passion to provide equitable learning opportunities for youth in need. Kim credits the Club’s success to empowering staff and leveraging their unique strengths to solve organization challenges to yield transformational impact on youth. She serves on a number of local, state and national committees, advisory councils and boards in the areas of expanded learning, STEM and teen programming, social and emotional wellness and community engagement. Kim holds a BA in Psychology and an MBA, both from Western Washington University. Her favorite Club activity is Torch Club, which provides leadership development opportunities for middle school youth including giving tours of the Clubhouse to the community.
Nina's passion for the non-profit sector began in 2011 with the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation. Over the course of five years, she led the Foundation's fundraising endeavors, initially focusing on district-level initiatives before stepping into the role of President. In 2015, she joined The Friendship Foundation as the Development Director and was promoted to Managing Director shortly thereafter. Nina joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Caron in August of 2022 bringing with her extensive experience in fundraising, event planning, and operational and strategic insight. She was honored with the National Newcomer Excellence Award in Resource Development in 2024 by Boys & Girls Clubs of America for her outstanding contributions in fundraising. Nina is active in the Manhattan Beach Rotary Club and has served as the International Chair, Vocational Chair, and Social Chair. Together with her husband, Nina has raised three boys in Manhattan Beach.
Don Abbe has 35 years of experience working in the private and nonprofit sector. He joined the Club in 2010 and ensures that every dollar is spent in the most efficient manner. Don works closely with auditors to make sure that our organization complies with all federal, state and local statutory requirements. He also ensures that all stakeholders get a complete and accurate assessment of the financial health of the organization. Don’s past nonprofit work experience includes working with the YMCA of Greater Seattle and Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles. He received a BS in Accounting and Business Management from the University of Washington. Don’s favorite Club program is Youth of the Year.
Diana’s commitment to lifting up the voices of the community began in Wilmington as the youngest community organizer and Honorary Mayor of Wilmington. Diana continued organizing with the California State Assembly where worked with leaders in various cities and neighborhoods to advocate for the advancement of education equity, immigration justice, supportive services, and reentry programs. She most recently served as the Neighborhood Revitalization manager with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles leading the implementation of an innovative framework to improve the quality of life of residents in the city of Long Beach through sustainable partnerships and creating a model for collaboration across neighborhoods. Her efforts were commended by the Long Beach Rescue Mission awarding her partner of the year for creating lasting connections across all sectors.

Join Our Mailing List

In-kind donations save Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson thousands of dollars each year. 

Right now, BGCC has a high demand for the following in-kind donations:

  • Gently used books – all ages
  • Business attire – male and female for high school students
  • Art supplies – new pencils, crayons, paint and markers
  • New or used laptops for Club members 

Please contact Deisi Gonzalez, Manager of Development & Marketing for assistance in making an in-kind contribution at 310.522.0500 ext 210 or by email at [email protected]. 

Make a greater impact with your stock investments! 

Fill out the Wells Fargo Stock Transfer Application and fill in our information below: 

  1. Brokerage Account Number 4843-4988
  2. Brokerage registration : Boys and Girls Club of Carson
  3. Our code for ACAT transfers : 0141

Jeremiah Milbank was a remarkable person and lifelong volunteer who gave generously to Boys & Girls Clubs programs. It is through his legacy that Boys & Girls Clubs of America created The Jeremiah Milbank Society as a way to pay tribute to local Club donors on a national level.

The society was created to inspire and recognize higher level unrestricted giving from individuals within local Clubs. Each member of the society has given a minimum of $10,000 to their local Boys & Girls Clubs organization. Through their leadership and generosity, Jeremiah Milbank Society members have helped to assure that every young person who attends Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson is provided with hope and opportunity, through a safe place to learn and grow, and have adult mentors who positively impact their life.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson are honored to have Jeremiah Milbank Society members, who support the work that goes on at our Clubs. We thank them for their generosity and their unwavering dedication to the youth in our community.

The benefits for joining the Jeremiah Milbank Society includes recognition throughout Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson materials and national recognition within the Jeremiah Milbank Society catalogue.

For more information about the Jeremiah Milbank Society contact:
Nina Patel, VP of Development & Marketing
310-522-0500 ext. 205 • [email protected]