Jamie became President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida (BGCCF) in August 2023. A resident of Lake County, Jamie has spent the last 16 years in the senior living and healthcare industries, culminating in the position of Chief Operating Officer of Sonata Senior Living in Orlando.

Previously, she served as Senior Vice President of Operations for Brookdale Senior Living, directing the operations for 72 senior living communities across Florida. Merrill serves on several local and national boards, including Florida Senior Living Association, The University of Central Florida Senior Living and Hospitality, and Argentum Women in Leadership, and was awarded the 2022 McKnight’s Woman of Distinction.

A graduate of Wayne State University, Merrill and her husband Blake are parents of two children Cayman and Cole. In her spare time, Jamie enjoys traveling, boating, and spending time with family. Jamie couldn’t be more excited about joining BGCCF’s leadership team and leveraging her operations expertise to serve their Club members and employees with passion and excellence.

As CEO, Merrill leads Florida’s largest Boys & Girls Club organization.  Currently, BGCCF operates 40 Club sites in 6 counties—Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, Brevard and Nassau. Last year, the organization served more than 11,000 children, offering them academic support, extracurricular enrichment and positive adult role models during non-school hours.  The Clubs are located in neighborhoods that rank, on average, at the 80^th percentile for household poverty, nationally. 

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The Kiwanis Club of South Lake (KCOSL) was pleased to welcome Richard Yount to the August 4 meeting. Richard presented the club with information about the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida (BGCCF). BGCCF consists of 39 clubs in 6 counties with four in Lake County, and one in Clermont.  The mission of the BGCCF is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. 

Richard told the club about one of the first children he worked with.  Michael was a young boy living with a single father.  His mother had died in an automobile accident, and his stepmother had died of a drug overdose.  Michael got good grades and volunteered through the program.  The club had a culture of family, and the younger children looked to him as a role model. 

The BGCCF gave Michael a purpose.  When it came time to go to college, Michael earned a full scholarship that the club had received from an anonymous donor.  He broke the cycle of poverty and now has a rewarding career in aviation.  Michael said that when he went home, he didn’t know what would be on the other side of the door.  When he went to his club, he knew what would be waiting for him on the other side of the door:  a safe, nurturing environment, and people who cared about him. 

These clubs provide a lifeline for children in need.  They are located in neighborhoods that on average, rank in the 9^th percentile for household income, and the 82^nd percentile for incarceration.  The majority of club members come from single-parent households earning less than $40,000 per year.  Every day after school, and all summer long, the BGCCF provides at-risk children with the academic support, extracurricular enrichment, and the positive, supportive role models they need to become responsible, caring citizens.

Core programs of the BGCCF include Education & Career Development, Character & Leadership Development, Health & Life Skills, The Arts, and Sports, Fitness & Recreation.  BGCCF works with children, but they build adults.  As members in the program, these children are more likely to make good decisions, to stay in school, and to graduate with the skills and confidence they need to succeed. 

Last year, 94% of high school seniors graduated, 98% of club members were promoted to the next grade level, 87% of high school graduates enrolled in post-secondary education or the US military, and $2.5million in scholarship money, facilitated by the organization, was awarded to members.

KCOSL was honored to present the BGCCF with a $1000 check to continue their important work.  To learn more about the BGCCF, to make a donation, or to become a volunteer, visit them at bgccf.org

Kiwanis International is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child at a time.  The Kiwanis Club of South Lake meets every Thursday morning at 7:30 am at the Citrus Tower Conference Center, 2757 Citrus Tower Boulevard.  Stop by and check us out.  We’d love to meet you!  For additional information about Kiwanis, please visit kcosl.org or Kiwanis.org

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