After six years of service to the Boys & Girls Club, Operations Director Wardell Carter has decided to resign in favor of seeking new challenges and spending more time with his grandchildren. His resignation was effective June 20, 2014. The position that Mr. Carter held will be shared by Patrick Creed who will serve as Youth Director and Ulysess Turner who presently serves as Teen Director.
“Very few people are aware of the time, thought, and effort that went into the creation of the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Neck in the years prior to receiving our charter from the Boys & Girls Club of America in 2008,” says President Ed Fuehrer. “For those two years Wardell Carter contributed endless volunteer hours as a member of the Steering Committee that planted the roots of the Club. His knowledge of our community was instrumental to bringing the Club and its supporters together. Since becoming our operations director in June 2008, Wardell has been consistent in his support of all our efforts, offering his ideas and valuable insight. He will be missed by the hundreds of children he has mentored and by those of us who have relied on him to guide our programs. Thank you, Wardell from past, present, and future Boards – you have given us flight!”
During Mr. Carter’s tenure, the Club has grown from a membership of 100 to close to 400 today. “I have been privileged to serve our members and their families over these past years,” Carter said. “In the early days, a major challenge was to help the kids get along with each other in large group settings. It has been encouraging to see them becoming more sociable, more willing to help each other, and more conscious of the importance of achieving academic success. For me, some of the smallest achievements have been the most satisfying. And I am very fortunate to have had great relationships with parents and guardians. I am also very appreciative of the many volunteers who have served as tutors and mentors, guiding our youth through homework sessions and program activities. Their patience and understanding has led to many success stories.”
Patrick Creed has been serving as the Club’s recreation director since February 2013. He holds a degree in Pastoral Theology and also currently serves as the pastor of Bayshore Baptist Church. He has been a youth pastor and has taught in private schools for seven years. A former college basketball player, Patrick has several years’ experience coaching basketball, football and baseball.
Ulysess Turner is an associate minister at Calvary Baptist Church, a professional educator and youth counselor with EYPC (Empowering Youth for Positive Change). He holds a Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in Christian counseling, has taught mathematics for a number of years in Georgia, South Carolina, Gloucester and Lancaster County schools, and was assistant head football coach at Morehouse College in Atlanta from 1998 to 2001. He became Teen Director in January this year and continues as a staff member of EYPC.
Club Executive Director Phillip Mumford says “I have valued the time I have worked with Mr. Carter during the past two years. He has served with distinction and will be missed by staff, parents and children alike. He has also helped me find two of the best individuals the Club could wish for. We are blessed to have both Mr. Creed and Mr. Turner step up to take part in the transition, and are looking forward to a summer filled with great programs under their guidance. A special event will take place later this summer to give our community an opportunity to honor Mr. Carter and celebrate his achievements.”
