4 We Are Venice
Introducing Katy Tucker
BGCV ’ s New Board President
How did you first get involved at the Club ? My husband Shaun and I moved to Venice almost a decade ago . We immediately fell in love with the heart , creative spirit and true diversity of our neighborhood . We also became aware of its dangers and challenges , which were noticeably exacerbated by the pace of changes going on . We grew concerned as we watched teens from Venice High School congregate in our alleyway to “ hang out ” after school . I knew , as I suspect they did on some level , that there were healthier and more productive things they could be doing after school , but at the time I found it was easier to complain than to do something about it . At the same time , we wanted to find a way to get involved in our community , and , in particular , to help kids who had less and to promote education , create opportunity for them and to build community along the way .
About 4 years ago , I learned that two people working with my husband were Board members of the Boys & Girls Club , one serving the national organization , and another , the local club in Venice , which was only a few blocks from our house . The latter invited us to take a tour of the main Venice facility , and we took her up on the offer . After seeing the Club in action , we were inspired . We knew getting involved offered the best chance to help serve and to potentially redirect the teens in our neighborhood by participating in creating a safe place for youth to congregate , to be built up and empowered to break out of the ugly cycles many of them are in , or to avoid them altogether .
What do you love most about the Club ? It may sound cliché , but sincerely , I just adore the kids . Every single time I get the opportunity to interface with them , be it our 1st graders or our teens , I walk away invigorated . Every time I have the chance to learn their story , I get a chance to truly understand who we are serving . Being raised by a single parent myself , I would have loved to have had the opportunity to hang out in a clubhouse like this after school . That our kids can easily take an art class , get involved in one of our character building groups , shoot hoops in the gym , obtain SAT tutoring , or go out and learn to sail it is simply incredible . I also love that we ( anyone who is reading this ) get to participate in something that is so near and dear to me : WE get to have a hand in helping nurture the next generation of our nation ’ s leaders . To teach empathy , compassion , and civic duty to our kids is at the heart of what we do every day with every child we touch .
As the new President , what are some of your goals and strategies for the new fiscal year ? From our gifted CEO , to our nurturing and talented staff , and our dedicated Board of Directors , we are blessed to have the important pieces in place and thriving . The truth is that the face of Venice is changing rapidly , and we have a massive opportunity to share our mission with the community of new businesses and people moving in . The key word we constantly talk about is “ connection .” How can we connect our community to the work we are doing ? Our generous and talented Board is a critical piece of this strategy . We are working to activate the Board in new and different ways so we can leverage their talents , connections and resources to support the Club ’ s growth . Another piece is how we communicate with and interact with our donors . Our donors , corporate and individuals , are the lifeblood of the Club . I strongly believe that through exciting cultivation activities we can inspire new donors and reinvigorate existing donors to continue their generosity . These strategies are all intended to feed into the end goal of increasing our budget so we can serve more children , be there for more parents , and empower our teens to break the cycle : graduate and transition into the workforce with confidence .
If you were to envision the Club in 10 years , what would it look like ? Our Board Chair Emeritus , Michael Moskowitz always says , “ We are the best kept secret in Venice .” I couldn ’ t agree with him more , but do hope that in 10 years we are no longer a secret , but rather a shining beacon of light in our community that everyone knows about . I envision tripling our operating budget so we can serve more kids in our community by building infrastructure that would enable more school site locations , more staff and more programming . In this equation , more is much MORE ; it is a force multiplier . If we can provide resources to more children , it will have an enormous effect on our community , helping to break the cycle of poverty and violence through empowerment , education and hope .
What is your favorite thing about Venice ? To me , living in Venice is just perfection . At the intersection of natural beauty , gritty urban living and creativity on steroids is where you find our amazing town . I revel in this crazy mess . On any given Saturday you will likely find me , my husband and our two little girls ( 1 and 4 ) on our bikes headed to the beach and then later over to the Venice canals for a canoe ride and duck hunt .
4 We Are Venice