About
Our Story
Our story began over half a century ago when two dedicated organizations—Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito and Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside—began to support youth and families in their local communities. For decades, each Club provided safe spaces, essential programming, and mentorship, evolving alongside the communities they served. From the establishment of our original facilities in the 1950s and ‘60s to the construction of new centers, Clubhouses, and recreation areas, we’ve been deeply rooted in enriching young lives.
In 2024, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito and Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside joined forces as Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego. United, our mission remains steadfast: to provide safe, nurturing environments where children and teens from all backgrounds can grow, learn, and succeed. With eight clubhouses and specialized programs, we now offer expanded services, from after-school support to teen leadership initiatives, with a shared commitment to character-building, academic achievement, and personal growth.
Now, our Club is 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:
6,500
registered members in our After School Program
16,500+
total number of youth served through membership in our after-school programs (8 Clubhouses and 8 specialty programs) and activities held at our sites and in the community for non-member youth
$655,000+
in financial assistance awarded each year
Our Mission
The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego is to inspire, develop, and enrich young people to reach their fullest potential as confident, responsible, caring members of society.
History of BGC San Dieguito
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 Northwest San Diego 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 Northwest San Diego 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.
History of BGC Oceanside
Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside has a long legacy of supporting youth in our community, starting back in 1952 as a small facility dedicated to young boys.
Almost 20 years later, the original clubhouse was replaced, and in the early 1970s, the brand-new Townsite facility opened its doors. By the early 1990s, the Club expanded its programs to include all youth, welcoming girls for the first time.
Over the following six years, we launched a Computer Lab, Teen Center, and even a Recording Studio to meet the needs of a growing membership. In 2007, with membership reaching 300, we formed a valuable partnership with the Oceanside Unified School District, further extending our impact.
Today, we continue our mission of nurturing and inspiring Oceanside’s youth. In addition, we offer a unique program for adults with developmental disabilities called ROAD’s (Real Options for Adults with Disabilities).
Our Evolution
Combined timeline of BGC San Dieguito (noted in gray boxes) and BGC Oceanside (noted in blue boxes)
1952
BGC Oceanside begins in 1952 as a small facility serving only male youth
1966
BGC San Dieguito begins in Encinitas in a donated temporary building serving only male youth
1969
Lomas Santa Fe Drive Branch opens in Solana Beach (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
1970s
Original Club at the current Brooks Street Pool was demolished and reopened on Country Club Lane as the Townsite facility in the 70s (Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside History)
1971
Griset Branch opens in Encinitas. Two years later in 1973, the gymnasium at the Griset Branch opens (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
1978
Gymnasium at Lomas Branch opens (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
1985
Del Mar Branch opens (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
1987
Pool opens at Lomas Branch (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
1990
Allred Branch opens in Carmel Valley (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
1990s
The Club expanded its services to include female youth in the 90s (Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside History)
2001
Polster Branch opens in Carmel Valley (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
2003
Big Eight Middle School Sports program opens (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
2005
Carmel Valley Montessori School opens in Carmel Valley (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
2006
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 (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
2007
Entered the Oceanside Unified School District in 2009 (Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside History)
2007
La Colonia Branch in Eden Gardens opens (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
2008
Carmel Valley Montessori School opens at the the Polster Clubhouse (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
2009
Entered the Vista Unified School District in 2009 (Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside History)
2009
Center for a Healthy Lifestyle opens at the Harper Branch in Solana Beach (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
2012
A new clubhouse is added at the La Colonia Branch to expand the program for youth and teens (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
2011
ROADs Program (Real Options for Adults with Disabilities) is launched in Oceanside
2013
Townsite Clubhouse underwent a major renovation (Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside History)
2014
Bulldogs Basketlball program opens (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
2018
The Center for Innovation opened (Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside History)
2019
Harper Clubhouse becomes Harper Teen Center (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito History)
2024
Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito merges with Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside to become Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego
Alumni
Welcome Home Alumni! Whether you belonged to Boys Club of Northwest San Diego 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
Club Operations
Chief Executive Officer Marineke Vandervort
Chief Operating Officer Joe McLeod
Chief Impact Officer Hillary Wheeler
Chief Financial Officer Debi Cox
Chief HR Officer Mark Edington
Executive Assistant & Board Liaison Ally Hanlon
Director of Elementary Club Services Candace Gerlach
Director of Teen Club Services Tabatha Valencia
Director of Teen Engagement Mike Hollins
Facilities Director Bryan Moomjean
Manager of Information Systems Vianka Mendez
Online Software Manager Melissa Brown
HR / Payroll Assistant Anita Munguia
HR Generalist Molly McFall
Volunteer Coordinator Pam Curtis
Foundation Leadership
President Jodi Diamond
Chief Strategy Officer Tammy Walz
Vice President of Grants Rhonda Guaderrama
Director of Marketing Ash Poirier
Marketing Manager Bianca Dupree
Grant Manager Claire King
Grant Coordinator Lauren Williams
Branch & Program Leadership
Allred Clubhouse Supervisor Lizbeth Espinoza
Del Mar Clubhouse Manager Laurel Clark
Griset Clubhouse Manager Chris Ann Rosillo
Griset Teen Center Supervisor Celina Gonzalez
Harper Clubhouse Teen Center Supervisor Bosque Leanio
La Colonia Clubhouse Manager Gloria Castellanos
Ocean Knoll Clubhouse Site Supervisor Brittney Rosillo
Oceanside Clubhouse Manager Holly Johnson
Polster Clubhouse Manager Emma Lemus
Aquatics Director/Rancho San Dieguito Swim Team Head Coach Joe Benjamin
Aquatics Coordinator Patty Mariscal
Athletics Director Davion Sarver
Athletics Administrative Coordinator Emily Froelich
Athletics Program Coordinator Trish Figueroa
Bulldogs Operations Manager Leo Elegado
Bulldogs Program Manager Jenna Wolfe
Youth Arts Academy Director Darby Schnoebelen
Carmel Valley Montessori School Director Holly Rosa
Culinary Arts Director Sheryl Cohen
R.O.A.D Director (Real Options for Adults with Disabilities) Annie Kesselhaut