Keith Blanchard brings over 20 years of experience and proven non-profit success to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Memphis. Prior to joining the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, Keith served as the Chief Professional Officer of the Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County in Gainesville, Florida for 12 years and spent seven years in law enforcement as a California police officer. Keith’s leadership and commitment to youth have been recognized both locally and nationally. Among these honors is the coveted Boys & Girls Clubs of America, “Blue Spirit” Award, which he received in 2018.
Keith believes every young person, no matter who they are, where they come from, or the circumstances which surround them, should have equal access to opportunities and experiences that give them every opportunity in life. Yet, kids today do not. With 1 in 6 children living in poverty in the U.S. and a growing achievement gap, it is even more critical now that monumental change occurs. Quality after-school programs like Boys & Girls Clubs give all young people access to opportunities, leveling the playing field among all kids, no matter their economic status, race, gender, sexuality, or religion.
Keith and his team are preparing Memphis kids to stand on equal footing with their peers. By providing a safe-haven, with caring mentors, and life enhancing programs, Club Kids thrive. They plan for great futures, learning skills for success. They reach their potential and emerge prepared for all sorts of possibilities–ready to impact the world.
He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Texas State University and his Advanced Police Academic Credential from South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium in San Jose, California. Currently, He leads a network of 11 Boys & Girls Clubs that serve nearly 5,200 young people annually throughout Memphis. More than 130 professional staff members operate the Clubs, supported by some 1,250 board and program volunteers.
Keith, his wife Vera Cristina, and his daughter Monique, are excited to be part of such a wonderful community! In his spare time, Keith enjoys, playing tennis, art and traveling.
Email: keithb@bgcm.org
Chief Financial Officer – Gary Moore
Gary W. Moore is a native Memphian and a graduate of East High School and the University of Memphis. He is a Certified Public Accountant with experience in both public and private accounting which includes experience with not for profits. Recently, he served as the Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Gary has been married to his wife, Lorrie, for 34 years and they have one daughter, Melodie, who is a harpist and graduate student at the University of Memphis.
Email: garym@bgcm.org
Vice President of Operations – Gwendolyn Woods
Gwendolyn Woods was born and raised in Memphis, Tn . She graduated from Central High School and later received a track scholarship to University of Memphis where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Gwendolyn also attended University of Phoenix and earned a Master’s of Business Administration and Certificate of Human Resource Management.
Growing up in the inner city of Memphis and raised by a single mom after her father passed away from leukemia when she was just four years old, Gwendolyn has faced many challenges. However, the foundation from her mother and a particular mentorship from a middle school track coach significantly impacted her life as a child and pushed her to achieve greater goals for herself.
She is passionate about attempting to do that for our kids today. Gwendolyn has been blessed with several opportunities to work with youth in different organizations and is excited about being a part of the Memphis Boys & Girls Clubs. She is ready to “To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”
Email: gwendolynw@bgcm.org
Vice President of Development & External Affairs – Rachel Reddin
Rachel Reddin is a native Memphian. She graduated from Germantown High School and The University of Hartford in Connecticut where she attended Hartford Art School and played Division 1 soccer. Rachel has a passion for youth service organizations. She was President of the Junior Auxiliary in Collierville, President of the Parent Teacher Association for Bailey Station Elementary, and most recently was the fundraising and development manager for Tennis Memphis. She also brings a wealth of development experience having worked on staff for the Memphis Open Tennis Tournament, BB&T Atlanta Open Tennis Tournament, and the New York Open Tennis Tournament.
Rachel is excited about working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis. She lives in Collierville with her three kids: Noah, Rebecca, Eli, their labradoodle Angus. Rachel is passionate about soccer, tennis, and ensuring that not only her children but every child has the opportunity for a better future.
Email: rachelr@bgcm.org
Vice President of Workforce Development – James Moore
James Moore serves as Vice President for the Juice Plus+ Technical Training Center of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis. James had a successful track record as the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Hatchie River Region in Covington, Tennessee. James was nationally recognized for implementing education, self-sufficiency, workforce development, and financial literacy programs for at-risk youth. He was recognized by the Memphis Business Journal “Top 40 Under 40” in 1999. He is a graduate of LeMoyne-Owen College and a member of Mount Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church in Cordova. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf, and spending time with family. He is married and has two daughters.
James has a Professional Mission Statement: Learn to share and sell your vision. Have a missionary spirit about life and what you do so the people around you can feel your energy and passion.
Email: jamesm@bgcm.org
Director of Grants & Outcome Measurement – Katie Sweeney
Katie Sweeney is originally from California where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Community Studies from UC Santa Cruz. As a student, she founded and co-directed her university’s chapter of Camp Kesem, a non-profit summer camp that supports children coping with a parent’s cancer. Her deep appreciation and drive to create programs that support underserved children started when she herself attended Camp Kesem growing up. This experience, and her mother’s memory, continue to inspire Katie in every facet of her life.
Katie’s dedication to youth empowerment continued in New Orleans, where she joined Teach for America as a language arts teacher and volleyball coach. She then completed her Masters in Fundraising, Cultural Philanthropy & Advancement in Madrid, Spain. During her time there, she wrote grants for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Memphis! Katie is delighted to return to the nonprofit sector and join BGCM in their mission to help children thrive with programs that perfectly blend excellence in education and summer-camp-fun.
Email: katies@bgcm.org
Database Manager & Administrative Assistant – Melodie Moore
Melodie is a native Memphian. She attended high school at Gateway Christian School, where she graduated as the female student of the year. She went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from the University of Memphis, where she was a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda National Leadership and Honors Organization, Golden Key International Honour Society, Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society, and was a recipient of the Presser Foundation Award and the UofM Young Alumni Legacy Award. While at UofM, she was also the head girl counselor for the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music’s Memphis Music Camp for multiple consecutive years. She was selected as one of Memphis Woman Magazine’s “Outstanding Young Women of Memphis” in 2008 in recognition of her volunteering and outreach efforts throughout the region. She is extremely grateful to be a part of BGCM, where she is excited to continue playing an active role in providing opportunities and growth for the city’s youth.
In her free time, Melodie enjoys reading sci-fi/fantasy books, baking, hiking, and watching movies (Marvel and Star Wars, in particular).
Email: melodiem@bgcm.org
Volunteer & Community Outreach Coordinator –
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Staff Accountant – Lydia Goodwin
Lydia started with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis family in May 2019. Lydia was born and raised in Arkansas, to a large family to say the least. She is number 12 of 14 children!
Lydia is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with a B.S. Degree in Business Education. Lydia brings a wealth of accounting knowledge and experience with her. She was a staff accountant of Marshall Food Service LLC, which is the Burger King Franchise, and also America Works, which is a welfare to work program through the Department of Human Services.
Lydia believes every child deserves an opportunity to be nurtured and grow into being their very best.
Email: lgoodwin@bgcm.org
Administrative & HR Director– Amy Jones
Receptionist – Sheila Hopson
Sheila Hopson is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan. She graduated from Union High School and attended Grand Rapids Community College. Before relocating to Memphis, she worked in the fields of broadcasting and law. After marrying her husband Jimmie, who is a native Memphian and relocating to Memphis she worked in the medical field for thirteen years. Sheila has been with the BGCM since 2011, and is proud to a part of such a great organization. Sheila and her husband are the proud parents of a son and daughter.
Email: sheilah@bgcm.org
Director of Data Management – Degan Loren
Degan Loren first joined the BGCM team in 2017 as a Retention Specialist for the Technical Training Center, where she served for two years. She then took a short break to finish the coursework for her doctoral degree, and after, she rejoined the BGCM team as the Administrative Assistant and Data Manager. She is currently finishing her doctoral degree in Communication with a focus on accessible education models. She holds an MA and BA from The University of Memphis in sociology. In her free time, she likes visiting her family in Appalachia and antique shopping.
Email: deganl@bgcm.org
Club Staff Members
Learn more about our extraordinary Club Staff by visiting our Clubs page