President names Director of Operations and Director of Resource Development of premier youth development organization
Ryan Smiley, President of Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County named long-serving employee Mark Jones as Director of Operations, and Alison Martin as Director of Resource Development.
With the organization full-time since February of 1992, Jones began as a Club member where he played both basketball and soccer when he was a child. He later joined the organization’s team as the Individual Services Director at the South Haven Club, and then was named as Unit director in 1995. After a year serving as the Club leader, Jones then served as Unit Director of the Forrest L. “Dusty” Rhode Portage Club from 1996 through 2000.
He joined the organization’s administrative team as Director of Information Services and Facilities management in 2001. In September of 2013, he was named Interim Director of Operations and officially accepted this position in December. In his current role, Jones oversees all programming, staffing, and leadership aspects of the organization’s Clubs and Kidstop program.
Highly talented and fiercely dedicated to the Boys & Girls Clubs mission, Jones received the prestigious Man and Youth Award, the highest honor a Boys & Girls Clubs employee can receive. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Wabash College. He cherishes the direct impact he has on the lives of youth.
“The best part of working with the Clubs is helping kids experience things they have never done before being a member,” states Jones. He lives in Valparaiso with his wife and three children.
Alison Martin is new to Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County, beginning her position of Director of Resource Development in November 2013. However, she is not new to the Boys & Girls Clubs Movement. Martin served with Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana for nearly 20 years, most recently as the Vice President of Development & Marketing.
She served a short time as Director of Marketing Communications for Valparaiso University and while she loved her position, she missed the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs.
“There is nothing like knowing you are making a difference in the lives of children and, ultimately, in the communities in which they live,” states Martin.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech Communication from Indiana University, Bloomington and her Master’s Degree in Public Relations from Purdue University – Calumet Campus. Martin lives in Hobart with her husband and four children.
“This 2013 year has been one of transition for our organization. Through the efforts from all of our staff and with the support of our Board, we continue to fulfill our mission and serve even more children throughout Porter County."
"We are very fortunate to have Mark and Alison join our leadership team. They both bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, passion, and dedication to our cause. I’m excited about the future potential and impact Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County will have on our next generation,” states Smiley, President of Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County was founded in 1971 in Valparaiso, IN. Currently Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County operates four Club units in Valparaiso, Portage, South Haven, and Chesterton; manages a Club operation in Culver, IN; and operates Kidstop sites nine school locations. Serving nearly 5,000 youth annually, aged kindergarten through high school, our organization provides Club programs and services that promote and enhance the positive development of boys and girls. For more information on membership, volunteer opportunities or to make a tax-deductible donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County, please contact your local Club, call (219) 464-7282 or visit bgcpoco.org. Great Futures Start HERE.