After four years leading the Boys and Girls Club as executive director, Jessie Damroth is leaving her post effective August 31, according to a press release from the club.
Damroth, an Island native, will be “[pursuing] new professional opportunities,” the release reads, but will be available to the club through Dec. 31 as needed.
Damroth’s departure comes in the midst of the Boys and Girls Club’s capital campaign and plan to construct a brand new campus. At the June town meeting, voters approved a complicated public-private land purchase deal that involved the club, the town, and the Norton Family.
Voters agreed to spend $650,000 to purchase 4.67 acres of land from the Martha’s Vineyard Boys and Girls Club, to be used for the town’s new Westside Cemetery. The town signed a memorandum of understanding with the club in February. The purchase, which was also approved at the ballot box, will be funded with a Proposition 2½ capital exclusion — a temporary tax increase for one year.
The search for a new executive director will begin immediately.
“We are grateful for all of Jessie’s contributions that helped us grow the Club’s mission over the past four years, and we appreciate her desire to pursue new opportunities,” Jeffrey Madison, chair of the Board of Directors, said in the release. “At this point, we will work to identify a CEO who will build upon Jessie’s successes and lead the organization forward … During her tenure, Jessie led our organization to new heights and helped continue a tradition of providing quality programs, education, and services to the Island-wide youth population. Importantly, MVBG Club is well-positioned to serve its membership as we continue to navigate through changing times and to meet the needs of the community that we serve.”
