How Sabrina Smeltz and the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club tirelessly serve Connecticut families.
When the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club (WBGC) opened in 1913, the organization was literally known as The Boys Club.
Over its 100-plus years, the WBGC has evolved and changed so much that in 2020 the organization named Sabrina Smeltz its first-ever female CEO. She believes her appointment stands as an important example of how everyone in a community can feel represented.
“I take that responsibility to heart and it helps me make decisions,” said Smeltz. “I may not have the same experience of every family we serve, but I’ve been in situations where things were not available to me because of who I was. So, I often think to myself, ‘How do I use my own position to open doors and provide more access for my team, our families and youth?’ That’s one of the reasons why I’m persistent.”
In fact, it’s thanks to the tenacity of Smeltz and the WBGC leadership team that the organization has grown to five locations across Bridgeport and Fairfield, Connecticut. Nearly a year ago WBGC opened the Madison Avenue Community Clubhouse — a $25 million, 45,000-square-foot facility in Bridgeport. What started as a simple Boys Club with one site now serves over 3,000 community youth and their families annually.
“WBGC is uniquely equipped to engage young people in skill-building that paves the way for thriving careers,” said Smeltz. “Our commitment to closing the opportunity gap for youth in the greater Bridgeport area is steadfast. We prepare young minds to become innovators, leaders and problem-solvers who will shape the future of our world.”
Right for the Job
Before arriving at WBGC six years ago, Smeltz grew up as a regular participant at her local YMCA. There she went to preschool, had swim lessons, was on the swim team and ultimately got her first job as a swim instructor/lifeguard.
That passion for community rec eventually manifested into a career that started at the Northwest Connecticut YMCA as the aquatics and physical education director. While Smeltz thought she would remain a YMCA professional, when she was looking to move back to Connecticut or New Hampshire, there weren’t many opportunities for a YMCA executive director open at the time.
“It forced me to really look at my career, my passions and what I really wanted to do,” said Smeltz. “I was a community leader who had a passion for serving youth, experienced skills in operations, and strength in building teams to perform and thrive at their best. I was a problem-solver and a strategic thinker who wanted to make a lasting impact.”
Armed with that skillset and knowledge about her passion, she looked outside the Y to other youth-serving nonprofits and found WBGC. Smeltz was hired by the Board of Trustees as a succession plan for the organization’s former leader who was set to retire. She was named chief operating officer in 2018 and on May 1, 2020, she became the CEO. It’s a plan John Kelly, the chair of the WBGC Board of Trustees, said strengthened the leadership team and united the community.
“Sabrina and her team are just amazing,” said Kelly. “I think any board relies on a strong operating team to be successful as an organization, and that’s what we have here. She was following the footsteps of someone who was our executive director for three decades. That can be challenging to come into an organization. You want to respect the history of an organization, but you also want to move it forward. Sabrina has done that by building a strong leadership team that hasn’t lost touch with the kids.”
For Smeltz, her primary goals during the succession period were to learn the organization, develop relationships with the board, community and funders, and then have a successful switch.
“We weren’t planning on the COVID-19 pandemic to happen in the middle of that but it only made it more interesting,” said Smeltz. “Me coming in and not being straight from the Boys & Girls Club was a strength. I always felt supported and that tells you of the forward-thinking of the board. They knew they would transition to me. That doesn’t happen often in nonprofits.”
A Representative Rec Center
One of the first goals Smeltz had as the new CEO was to ensure the board and staff leading the organization was diversified. This was especially important since WBGC serves the suburban Fairfield community and the Bridgeport area which is the largest city in the state.
“We’re outside of New York City where there’s a lot of wealth and poverty,” said Smeltz. “Right behind us is one of the largest high schools in the area and literally right across the street is a jail. I can look across and see the guards on patrol, then I look down and see the kids coming in. When you think about what you’re doing in a community like that — it’s impactful.”
Kelly echoed Smeltz’s sentiment. He said any rec center team must reflect the community in what they do and who they are. One way WBGC does this is by having a unit advisory council across the organization’s three major sites.
“For example, we have a principal from one of the local elementary schools on the advisory council,” said Kelly. “We’re also fortunate to have hired a unit director who actually grew up in the community. That’s key when you have something that brings everyone together. You want to have someone families can relate to.”
Understanding the needs of the different communities is a critical aspect for Kelly. Specifically, he said in Bridgeport people tend to be more community-oriented and they want the staff to represent the community through employment.
“The unit advisory council has been a big step forward in that regard,” said Kelly. “If there’s a secret sauce, that’s where we have it. Whatever the organization, have a board that’s influential or knowledgeable in the community. Ensure their own families are participating in the center as well. You must engage your audience.”
More than Sports
A popular aspect of many Boys & Girls Clubs is the quantity of recreational offerings the organizations offer. The WBGC is no different as youth can enjoy several available sports from basketball to pickleball.
However, Kelly said WBGC has made a large shift in serving community youth aside from just physical activity.
“While sports are still an important component of the club today, Wakeman brings so many additional features and opportunities for kids,” said Kelly. “That includes our STEAM — science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics — and finance labs, Performing Arts Center, commercial kitchen, and leadership programs.”
Smeltz said WBGC is focused on making members future ready. This is primarily accomplished by delivering high-quality practices and intentional learning experiences that measure outcomes while providing safe and innovative services in the areas of health and well-being, character and leadership, academic success, and life and workforce readiness.
While this vision is massive in scope, one way the organization has consolidated resources is by joining with community partners. Smeltz said two local entities — Southwest Community Health Center and Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders — will also be housed in the new Madison Avenue Community Clubhouse site.
“When you think about barriers in underserved communities where health is important, why not put those services altogether under one roof?” said Smeltz. “This is where we’re doing things differently and breaking down barriers of those silos of competition. They focus on a lot of the same things we do. So, we’re doing things together.”
Laura Magnotta, the director of safety and leadership development, said WBGC’s willingness to partner with other organizations is one of its strongest attributes.
“We truly value collaboration at WBGC,” said Magnotta. “We know we can’t be everything to all people, so our staff teams look to other experts in the community to enhance the experiences for our youth members, and we work with dozens of key partners to strengthen our programs and offer resources to our families. Nothing seems stagnant at WBGC, including our programs. We move and reshape offerings more than ever before.”
A New Hope
Once both Southwest Community Health Center and Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders move into Madison Avenue Community Clubhouse, a parent can come to the location, receive care for themselves and their infant, then pick up their other child who’s participating in afterschool programs.
That level of collaboration is made possible thanks to the new clubhouse being WBGC’s largest site in the organization’s history. Smeltz said when she first arrived, this new location was just a concept and not fully vetted. But after a late fundraising push to get construction over the finish line, the organization successfully expanded its services.
“This site had stalled three different times before me, but I always believed in this project,” said Smeltz. “I first asked how are we going to build this large facility in one of the most underserved communities in the entire state and have it be long-term? How do we look at fundraising in a different way, and how do we bring partners to the table? Part of that was thinking about my own career in youth development. What did I wish I had when I was a program director?”
Kelly said thanks to Smeltz’s previous experiences and mindset, WBGC was able to take its fundraising efforts to new levels.
“She really stepped up her game,” said Kelly. “The new clubhouse brings so much more than what we’ve had the opportunity to provide kids and their families. There’s a very strong, engaged community surrounding the new site. It’s given us an opportunity to go into a whole new area and build trust that we’re a safe place for families. The opening and ramp up of membership and engagement has been fantastic.”
Beyond physical growth of the organization are the fiscal gains made since Smeltz’s arrival. In just six years, the WBGC tripled from a $2 million operating entity to its current number of over $6 million, thanks in part to the Madison Avenue Community Clubhouse’s opening.
After the first full year of the new site being open to the public, Smeltz said she wants to maintain and grow the graceful persistence WBGC exemplifies. According to Magnotta, the CEO is the ideal leader to champion this quality.
“I know exactly what Sabrina means by that description of WBGC,” said Magnotta. “She’s creative, strategic and persuasive in her messaging. Her goal is to share her passion and bring others along with her, and she does so in a way that motivates and empowers. Her heart-led leadership shines through, and when she wants something for our youth and families, nothing will stop her from being compassionately persistent in bringing that concept to fruition.”
For Smeltz, her journey from a YMCA kid to community leader continues. If her remaining time at WBGC matches the first years of her leadership, the organization and its members will continue to prosper.
“We’ve grown our footprint in six years, came through a global pandemic stronger, moved our business model to be more sustainable, increased our fundraising capacity, are serving more youth and making our community better,” said Smeltz. “I’m very humbled by this whole experience, which is incredibly hard to put in words. I’m just so blessed to have a team at WBGC that brings together skills, experience, expertise and passion in all areas of our work.”
