Posted 11:38 pm Friday, March 01, 2013
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Organization announces new director, plans
The Boys & Girls Club of East Texas formally announced a new director and a plan to focus on expanding its programs in the coming year.
Kevin East, 39, of Tyler was announced as the president and CPO of the organization at a press conference Thursday evening.
East has a background of staff leadership, ministry guidance and community engagement, according to a news release from the Boys & Girls Club. He served 10 years as the executive director of Ministries for Pine Cove and served as the executive director of Family Matters in Scottsdale, Ariz.
"His background and expertise make him the perfect person to lead this organization forward as we continue to serve and develop the children in our community," Andy Stinson, board president, said in the release.
East, a 17-year Tyler resident, said he has worked with the youth in the past and with organizations that partner with the club, but God called him to help more children in the community.
He said about four years ago he and his wife began fostering children and eventually adopted a couple from the community.
"That's when we felt God was calling us to make an impact with all the kids in our community, which is why we are at the Boys & Girls Club," he said. "I think they do a good job of reaching the community and I want to expand it."
East will be charged with overseeing the organization, which currently serves over 600 children in kindergarten through twelfth-grade in the communities of Tyler, Lindale and Bullard, the release states.
Under the direction of a board of directors, the organization holds after school programs, summer camp programs and the annual "day for kids" event in Bergfield Park.
East said the organization currently offers 12 different after school programs at different elementary schools and middle school students are bused to their facility downtown.
He said he would like to see more programming in middle schools and more students involved in those programs.
After 19 days on the job, East said he immediately started talking to community leaders to work on expanding the club's programming.
