Bob joined the professional staff at the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz in August 2011 as Area Director. In February 2013, he was promoted to Executive Director. Bob has over 25 years of Boys and Girls Club experience, including 15 years of Executive leadership with Clubs in Fallbrook, San Leandro and San Francisco.

Katee began her career with the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz as a teen, getting her first job as an Activities Aid in the summer of 2000. Shortly after entering the Club, Katee knew that youth development was her calling. Since that time, Katee has held many roles within the club and is now the Program Director at the Downtown Branch.

Jennifer is a true Santa Cruz local, having moved only as far away as Los Gatos in the late eighties to attend college. Jennifer majored in child development with a focus on school age and adolescence. She brings with her over twenty years of education and experience, including three years as a Tae kwon Do instructor and twelve years as the Director of an afterschool program in Live Oak.

Maia Yates is honored to be a part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County team. She has worked with youth and teens for 15 years in Santa Cruz County. She has a Human Development and Family Studies degree from University of Nevada, Reno. She is finishing up her Masters in Leadership in Education from Pacific Oaks College. Maia is a mother, theater actor, loves being crafty and enjoys family outings within Santa Cruz County. As a Felton/Valley resident she is excited to bring her passion for community, youth development and individual creativity to the Joe & Linda Aliberti Clubhouse in Scotts Valley.

A deep sense of care, community pride and service to others is central to Andrea’s personal and professional life. After arriving in Santa Cruz (from Boston) in the summer of 1979, Andrea became enamored with its people, environment and community. Since that magical summer, she has spent the better part of her career ensuring that the town she fell in love with 35 years ago remains strong, vibrant and healthy.

Rebbie Higgins brings to the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz administrative office a passion for detail, accuracy, and care for the Clubs’ bookkeeping, HR, office management, IT, and general support to all departments. Rebbie has an eclectic career in science, computer programming, business analysis, and farmers’ market management. She believes deeply in the importance and success of the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz’s mission to serve our community’s families. Her own kids are also huge fans of the friendships and activities the Club affords them!

Bryon oversees our Sports and Fitness programs. Along with running our local basketball program, Bryon is looking forward to developing new programs that help the kids learn more about health and physical fitness, while understanding the need to develop their academics.

Daniel has been a valuable part of the Live Oak Teen Center for over seven years, providing guidance, friendship and athletic training to Shoreline Middle School teens.

Hayley provides a welcoming environment that fosters creativity, personal growth, and emotional development. She ensures that a balance of fun and education is kept to ensure that youth develop into productive and compassionate citizens. Hayley is a recent graduate from University of California Santa Cruz with a degree in Psychology, and she hopes to use her knowledge of the human mind to help all youth reach their full potential.

Alejandro has always had a passion for working with kids. Starting out as a volunteer in youth programs, he gradually grew into a camp counselor for abused foster children, and eventually began teaching. His teaching career started in college as an assistant coach to his university’s forensics team. During his time as a coach, he also taught middle and high school speech and debate at a SAT prep institution. From there, he taught as an English teacher and then decided to become a substitute teacher to try and become familiar with different fields of education. 

His mission at the Boys and Girls Club is to create a space for students to practice their academic skills, seek help and guidance to grow in their studies, and positively model the benefits of healthy education and lifestyle skills.

With a background teaching high school, Mckenzie loves spending time engaging with young people through mentorship, community activities, and learning-based experiences. She loves talking about big ideas and making plans to accomplish them. As Teen Director, Mckenzie strives to create an environment at the Boys & Girls Club where teens can come to feel safe, seen, and heard. In her spare time, you can almost always find Mckenzie with a board, ball, or book in hand.

Michael Herzog brings over 20 years of experience working with youth to the Live Oak Clubhouse. Michael was a former owner of the Santa Cruz Soccer Camp where he established the Leadership Training Program for teens. He has been the director of the Quest Afterschool Program in Ben Lomond and also co-founded the San Lorenzo Valley Leadership Academy. Michael is dedicated to providing a safe and engaging environment for teens.

Jasmin Zafra has loved art since the first time she could hold a paintbrush. Growing up in Santa Cruz, she was fortunate to have many great art teachers who ignited her creativity and helped her develop her artistic skills. Now, Jasmin hopes to instill this same enthusiasm for the creative arts with the kids she works with. Her artistic background is complemented by her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and her years of experience working with children and youth. Jasmin is a strong believer that art is a valuable tool for self-expression and healing.

Lauren Benson is an Artist/Educator with a deep commitment to introducing children to the Art Experience in all its varied forms. Lauren brings her experience as a representational artist working in the fields of animal and botanical illustration, portraiture, comic book illustration, and mural creation, and combines that with a passion for sculpture, photography, paper crafting, experimental painting and drawing techniques, and fabric and fashion design, to introduce her students to the endless possibilities of artistic creation. Lauren is committed to offering her Art Room as a space of support, understanding, and acceptance within which students can feel empowered to experiment and explore their artistic identities.

Silka is a valuable asset to the Live Oak Club’s programming and administration.